Pacoima : Man Pleads Not Guilty to Robbing 5

Jose Angel Hurtado, 25, of Paramount, has been arraigned in connection with a home-invasion robbery in Pacoima on New Year’s Day.

Hurtado, who was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of residential robbery and one count of residential burglary, pleaded not guilty, authorities said. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 16.

Hurtado and two other men forced their way into an apartment in the 9400 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard about 7 p.m., then tied up and robbed five people of $1,790 in cash and jewelry at gunpoint, said Lt. Joseph Garcia of the Los Angeles Police Department.

A neighbor who observed the incident called police, who arrived to find one bound victim hobbling out of the apartment and yelling that the suspects were running away, Garcia said.

Four officers ran after the three men, catching Hurtado later after a canine unit was brought in, police said.

Two guns were recovered in a yard and a swimming pool on neighbors’ property, police said.

Garcia said the suspects also planned to take $4,400 worth of jewelry, cellular phones, car stereos and cameras they had set aside before police arrived. Police said they recovered about $800 worth of the stolen items.

The other two suspects are still at large.