An 18-year-old Antioch man has been charged with three felonies for his alleged role in two armed robberies that happened in Walnut Creek and Danville, authorities said.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office announced the charges Tuesday in a statement from spokesman Ted Asregadoo.
The man has pleaded not guilty to the charges, Asregadoo said. He is charged with one felony count of armed robbery with an enhancement for a June 24 robbery in Walnut Creek and two felony counts with three enhancements — one of them a gang enhancement — for a July 1 robbery in Danville.
The July 1 robbery happened at a parking lot of a Trader Joe’s on Railroad Avenue. Details about the June 24 robbery were not available.
According to authorities, the man and a minor used illegal AR-style assault rifles and other guns to steal Rolex watches in both robberies. Authorities said they followed their victims in vehicles, and when the victims got out of their cars, the man and the minor surrounded them at gunpoint and demanded the watches.
Authorities estimated their value at between $30,000 and $40,000.
The man remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility. The minor involved in the robbery has been charged with second-degree armed robbery and is being held at Juvenile Hall, Asregadoo said.
Source: www.mercurynews.com