Eight teens arrested for string of robberies in Hanford

HANFORD – Police arrested eight gang members who they believe are responsible for armed and sometimes violent robberies in south central Hanford.

The robberies took place from June 18-25, with the victims being seemingly random pedestrians walking in the neighborhoods near Third Street. The first victim was a 28-year-old woman who was accosted by a group of men who showed her a gun and then stole her purse.

The next day, the same group of teenage men attacked a snow cone vendor, held him down by his arms, and took cash from his pockets. Similar incidents continued to occur around the same neighborhood, with one of the victims being a 70-year-old man.

The last incident happened on June 25 when the group of men attacked a 38-year-old man walking to work. The suspects punched and kicked the man several times before taking his lunchbox, police said.

In order to put a stop to the string of robberies, the Hanford Police Department formed a special task force and managed to identify and arrest eight suspects ranging in age from 15 to 19 years old. The suspects have been identified as: Darius Lonnelle Le Renzo Boyd, 19; Marcus Raheem Porter, 18; Jimmy Lewis, 19; Chanting Castellanos, 17; Christopher Darrell Cordero, 17; Keith Anthony Moore, 16; Dion Williams Loftis, 15; and Rayshun Deandre Dean, 17.

The suspects have ties to various Crips gangs in Hanford, police said.

All of the suspects face charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and gang enhancement. The District Attorney’s Office plans to try the minors as adults because of the seriousness of the crimes.

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Hanford Sentinel: Eight arrested in Hanford robbery spree