Case Solved: Investigators Make Arrests In Two Jewelry Store Robberies

by Daniel Miranda , August 13, 2015

Police Raid A Home In North Salinas And Find Evidence

SALINAS—Salinas Police Investigators have solved the two Don Roberto Jewelry Store robberies that occurred last month. Detectives worked with concerned citizens and the staff of Don Roberto’s to come up enough evidence to arrest Rigoberto Torres, 22, of Castroville, Freddy Robledo, 22, of Soledad and Emeli Soto, 19, of Salinas.

A Salinas Police investigation revealed that both Torres and Robledo worked together to commit both robberies. Police also announced that Soto was in a relationship with Robledo and knew that the robberies were going to take place, and it appears that she worked in conjunction with them in the second robbery on July 20^th.

Don Roberto Jewelers on Alisal, the first of the two stores robbed.

The first Don Roberto’s that was robbed occurred in the jewelry store located at 1033 East Alisal, on Friday, July 3 at 12:07 pm. According to witness statements, a white Cadillac Escalade backed into the handicap parking stall in front of the store. Shortly after that, a female with a 4-year-old boy was buzzed into the store, and that is when the two suspects took that opportunity to run into the store themselves.

Both men were armed; one had a silver handgun and the other had a shotgun. Once in the store, one suspect grabbed the boy and threatened that he was going to shoot the child unless the owner handed over the keys to the jewelry cabinets.

When the owner complied with the request, the suspect then handed the boy over to the suspect with the shotgun. When he finished retrieving the jewelry from the displays, both suspects exited the store and escaped in the Escalade, heading westbound on Alisal Street.

The boy was very shaken in the incident, but otherwise unharmed.

In the second incident, the two suspects went to the Don Roberto’s on 1554 North Main Street on Monday, July 20. This time they wore black and had their faces covered, but otherwise the method of operation was very similar. Once inside, one suspect took an 8-months pregnant women to the back of the store and had her open the jewelry cabinets. Once finished, the two escaped the in a white Chevrolet. Witnesses provided a good description to police. A Parole Officer who was driving the area located the suspected vehicle abandoned in a North Salinas neighborhood.

KION News has quoted Salinas Police Investigations Commander Vincent Maiorana as saying that the break in the investigation came with the second robbery, when observation of the surveillance video revealed a young woman in the store was not being handled by the robbers in the same way. They never pointed their guns at her as they did the others, and they concluded she was in on it. That person turned out to be Emeli Soto. Tips from concerned citizens also helped identify her, which led to the search warrants and arrests.