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2 Suspects Arrested In Connection With String Of Burglaries In West Valley

WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA.com) — Two young suspects, one male and one female, were arrested on Saturday after police said they had terrorized the West San Fernando Valley with at least two armed robberies and two burglaries.

Angela Ajzip, 19, and Francisco Mercado, 21, robbed a store she had been employed at, located in the 7600 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to an LAPD report.

The department positively identified Mercado, who is a known gang member on parole, on Thursday. He was identified as a suspect in two armed robberies and two burglaries in the Woodland Hills area.

Police say Mercado allegedly pointed a semiautomatic at his victim during one robbery, demanding money.

Mercado allegedly committed another robbery on Friday, according to LAPD detectives, who issued a crime alert, detailing his physical description and the vehicle he was believed to be driving.

Officers found Mercado and Ajzip fleeing the area and attempted to stop their vehicle. Mercado jumped from the car, and Ajzip drove south on Farralone Avenue before crashing into an uninvolved citizen's vehicle.

Ajzip was taken into custody as a large police perimeter was established for Mercado. He broke into a nearby unoccupied home and hole himself inside a closet, where he was discovered and bit by a police dog. He was then taken into custody.

Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Topanga Station Police detectives asked anyone with further information on the robberies to contact them at (818) 756-4830.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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