Lakeside Man Arrested in Connection with String of Armed Robberies
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San Diego County, CA – On Monday, July 15, 2024, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), in collaboration with the El Cajon Police Department, announced the arrest of a man in connection with a series of armed robberies that occurred in both cities last week. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Anthony Caleb Johnson of Lakeside, was apprehended on July 13, 2024, after investigators linked him to four incidents that took place during the early morning hours of July 10, 2024.
The arrest followed a coordinated effort between SDPD and El Cajon PD investigators, who worked together to gather evidence and track the suspect. The breakthrough in the case came when alert patrol officers and dispatchers quickly recognized a suspect based on descriptions provided by victims and witnesses. Investigators were able to identify the vehicle involved in the robberies and obtain its license plate number, which was then entered into the Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. The system confirmed that the vehicle was present in the vicinity of all four robbery locations around the time the crimes were committed.
The string of robberies began around 2 a.m. on July 10, when two victims were robbed at gunpoint near 4500 Mission Blvd. in the Pacific Beach area. The victims provided a description of the suspects, including distinctive tattoos on one of their faces, and reported that the suspects fled in a gray Ford Taurus. Shortly afterward, a second robbery occurred at a 7/11 store located at 3090 Clairemont Dr., where a masked suspect, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, robbed the store clerk at gunpoint before fleeing the scene.
The third robbery took place around 2:45 a.m. at another 7/11 store, located at 7801 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. The suspect, similarly masked and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, again robbed the clerk at gunpoint and fled on foot. The fourth incident occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. at a 7/11 store on Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon, with the suspect’s description and actions matching those of the previous robberies in San Diego.
The cases have been submitted to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Anthony Johnson is currently being held in the San Diego County Jail, with his arraignment scheduled for July 17, 2024. Further inquiries regarding the case will be directed to the District Attorney’s Office.
