POMONA – The Pomona Police Department’s Patrol Division responded to a 911 call at approximately 5:00 PM yesterday from a citizen who’d witnessed an armed robbery at a local business. The citizen watched as a trio of suspects wearing masks and armed with a handgun exited the Metro PCS on the 300 block of East Holt Avenue, then entered a nearby getaway vehicle.
Pomona Police Dispatch stayed on the line as the citizen followed the suspects and vehicle. The driver stopped in the area of Third and Locust Streets and two of the suspects fled the vehicle.
Officers located the vehicle in the area of Mission Boulevard and Garey Avenue, where the driver and the other suspect were stopped and detained. Evidence of the robbery was located in the vehicle.
The Pomona PD Airship assisted ground units to locate one of the first two suspects who fled the vehicle. The suspect learned that the airship was tracking him and began running and climbed over several fences. He was contained to a large apartment complex. The airship coordinated ground units to where the suspect was last seen. Several officers responding to the area established a containment.
Members of the Pomona Police Canine unit responded to assist with search efforts of the outstanding armed suspect. The canine team along with a search team blanketed the large apartment complex for the suspect. The Police Canine located and apprehended the suspect hiding in a third-floor laundry room. No officers were injured during this incident.
The three Pomona transients arrested are Joseph Hernandez (25), Jeremiah Wadding (18), and Karon Knight (18). The fourth suspect remains at large.
Pomona PD Corporal Joe Hernandez announced, “The Pomona Police Department is equipped with great assets that complement each other in the time of need to ensure the safety of our community. Three suspects were ultimately booked and charged as a result of this incident; one suspect is still outstanding.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Pomona Police Department at (909)620-2085, or provide information anonymously to “Crime Stoppers” (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
