Three Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested after
Three and a half Hour Standoff with Police
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Three men who ran from police and triggered a three and a half hour standoff at an apartment complex in Hemet have been arrested. Marquise Fraise – 22 year old Paramount resident, Trevonte Glymph – 18 year old Hemet resident, and Jesse Thomas – 26 year old Lakewood resident were arrested today on suspicion of armed robbery and are being held on $30,000.00 bail.
At 11:33 am. on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, the City of Hemet Police Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call from a coin store in the 200 block of E. Florida Ave. The victim advised that two men armed with handguns and wearing masks entered the store and stole cash and jewelry. The suspects fled the scene in a gray Nissan, last seen heading west towards State St. No one was injured at the store.
All available Hemet Police units responded to the area along with members of the Riverside County Gang Task Force (GTF). Hemet Police Sgt. R. Gibbs noticed a vehicle matching that description driving west on Kimball Ave. from State St. Sgt. Gibbs followed the vehicle as it turned north onto Alessandro St., where the vehicle suddenly accelerated away from him. In this area, northbound Alessandro St., ends at railroad tracks that run east and west and the vehicle became disabled as it drove off the roadway. Three suspects jumped out of the vehicle and one was detained while the other two ran away, westbound along the railroad tracks toward Gilbert St.
As additional police units entered the area, the suspects were seen jumping into the rear yards of the homes in the 400 block of W. Kimball Ave. A perimeter was quickly established and as officers were conducting yard to yard searches, they were notified that two suspects had forced their way into an apartment in the 400 block of W. Kimball St. and were hiding in the attic.
Police Officers surrounded the apartment and evacuated the surrounding homes. Officers began verbal negotiations in an attempt to get the suspects to surrender but were unsuccessful. The Hemet / Murrieta joint S.W.A.T. Team was notified and responded to the location to take over the operation. Members of the Hemet / Murrieta joint Crisis Negotiations Team also responded to the location to assist. The Hemet Police Detective Bureau responded to assist with the criminal investigation and to obtain a search warrant.
After a standoff of about three and a half hours, the suspects were located and taken into custody in one of the adjoining apartments. Investigators learned that the suspects had climbed through the apartments’ common attic and had broken into another apartment through the ceiling where they had begun moving furniture to barricade themselves from the S.W.A.T. Team.
Hemet Police Detectives are still actively working the case and have recovered one firearm so far.