2 ARRESTED AFTER CHASE; THIRD SUSPECT SOUGHT IN AIRLINE TICKET ROBBERIES.Byline: Douglas Haberman Daily News Staff Writer Two men believed to have stolen airline tickets from at least 20 travel agencies across the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and surrounding areas were arrested Thursday, sheriff's deputies said. The robberies and burglaries occurred during the height of the holiday season, when the tickets could be resold on what police say was a thriving black market. ``They match the description,'' sheriff's Sgt. Martin Dailey said of the suspects. The suspects and a third man, who escaped, robbed a Westlake Village travel agency and led authorities on a chase to Woodland Hills, where they abandoned the car and fled on foot, sheriff's officials said. One suspect identified himself as 21-year-old Eddie Mendoza, Dailey said. There was no immediate identification of the other suspect in custody. The two are believed to have been living in Van Nuys and were each booked on suspicion of robbery. Julie Zamil, owner of Travel Mart in Woodland Hills, said travel agents are being terrorized by a fraud ring believed to be behind the robberies and burglaries. ``Get the main guys,'' she said. ``The main guys are the ones sending these guys out. They'll just send someone else out to do it.'' Zamil's agency was burglarized in October when thieves List of Thieves. Famous
About 11 a.m. Thursday, robbers armed with handguns entered a travel agency at 31-360 Via Colinas in Westlake Village, Dailey said. They took ticket coupons from the agency and jewelry jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion. The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. from employees, then drove off in a red Acura Integra, he said. A sheriff's deputy from the Lost Hills station spotted the car on the eastbound east·bound adj. Going toward the east. eastbound Adjective going towards the east Adj. 1. Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. and chased it at speeds up to 90 mph, Dailey said. Another sheriff's patrol car joined the pursuit, but the suspects eluded the deputies in residential neighborhoods after they left the freeway in Woodland Hills. One of the three men got out of the car and escaped, Dailey said. But a Channel 11 television news helicopter followed the car, and the crew told sheriff's officials where it was, he said. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police and sheriff's helicopters had been grounded because of fog. The driver of the Acura Integra eventually reached a dead end, and he and the other man abandoned the car and fled in separate directions, Dailey said. He said the driver threw the bag with stolen jewelry down a storm drain storm drain n. 1. A storm sewer. 2. A catch basin. , but deputies recovered it and arrested the suspect with help from the Channel 11 helicopter. A police dog helped track down the second suspect, Dailey said. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) Los Angeles police officers run in search of three armed robbers Thursday in Woodland Hills. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News (2) A sheriff's deputy looks at a car in which robbery suspects Noun 1. robbery suspect - someone suspected of committing robbery suspect - someone who is under suspicion fled. |
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