4 Teens Arrested In Series Of Armed Robberies In San Bernardino, Riverside Counties

FONTANA (CBSLA) – Four boys have been arrested in a spree of at least 15 armed robberies over a two-week period in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Fontana police report that the juvenile suspects were identified and apprehended last week. Three of the suspects were 16-years-old and the fourth was 13 years-of-age.

According to police, the robberies began on July 23 and ran through Aug. 6. The suspects would rob pedestrians at gunpoint, brandishing fake handguns at the victims and stealing personal property.

The suspects used airsoft guns which may have been modified to look like real firearms, police said. Those recovered airsoft guns were displayed in a news conference Tuesday.

"Basically, they were looking for crimes of opportunity," Fontana police Sgt. Brian McClane told reporters. "They were rolling around in these vehicles, looking for pedestrians who were either by themselves or maybe with one other person; looked like somebody that they could take advantage of, that there wasn't going to be much resistance from."

The robberies occurred in several cities, including Fontana, Ontario, Montclair and Riverside. There was no word of any serious injuries to the victims.

The suspects used different getaway cars during the robberies, including a black BMW and a silver Infiniti, police said. Those two cars belonged to the parents of one of the suspects, police said. The suspects may have also used a Kia Soul, according to Riverside police.

Three of the teens were arrested on Aug. 7 and the fourth on Aug. 8, police disclosed. Their names were not immediately released because they are juveniles.

Investigators have since recovered several purses, wallets and phones.

Police believe there could be more victims. Anyone who believes they were robbed by these suspects, described as three black males and a white male, are asked to contact Fontana or Riverside police investigators 909-349-5424 or 951-353-7213.