POLICE FIND SPORTS 'GEMS' REAL OWNERS ARE SOUGHT.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Jerseys, photos and other sports memorabilia bearing the names of athletes including Joe Montana, Magic Johnson and Pete Rose were seized in an investigation into a botched jewelry store robbery.

Police are looking for the owners of the items, most of which were found at an Apple Valley storage locker while police were looking for a man suspected of buying stolen property from robbers and burglars.

``We're trying to identify who the owners are,'' said Sgt. Tom Lorenz, a spokesman for the Glendale Police Department. ``We believe this is a very sophisticated group. We have tied them to two ... burglaries, one in Rolling Hills, one in Northridge.''

The items appear genuine, but police have not put a dollar value on them because they haven't been professionally authenticated or appraised.

Potentially among the most valuable items are a photo of Cincinnati Reds players Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Pete Rose, apparently signed by each player. Another potentially valuable signed photo is of the legendary Fearsome Foursome on what was then the Los Angeles Rams team: Lamar Lundy, Rosey Grier, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones. There is also a football helmet apparently bearing Joe Montana's looping signature.

And there are basketball jerseys apparently signed by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Glendale police sent out bulletins to law enforcement agencies across the country about the seized sports goods, but they have not received any responses. The memorabilia could have been bought by one or more of the suspects.

``But still, that would be a violation too,'' said Sgt. Robert Breckenridge. ``You're taking criminal proceeds to purchase legitimate (goods), so this would be considered money-laundering.''

Police discovered the collectibles while following up on the arrests of two men suspected in the April 2 attempted robbery and pistol-whipping of the husband-and-wife owners at Little Switzerland jewelry store in Glendale.

Billy Joe Spencer, 38, and Dexter Cole, 28, were arrested after officers arrived during the robbery. Phone records led police to a third man, Gregory Webster, 33, arrested July 15 on suspicion of having been the lookout in the robbery attempt.

Phone records also led officers to the Apple Valley home of Timothy Galloway, 34, suspected of fencing, police said. On Aug. 22 officers searched his Apple Valley home. Galloway was not there, but the search led to a commercial storage locker blocks away where police found most of the 45 sports items.

Cole, Spencer and Webster have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree robbery, assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon, police said. They have pleaded not guilty.

Police are still looking for Galloway.

In the burglaries at the Rolling Hills Estates and Northridge, the intruders disabled the alarm systems and walked out with 500-pound safes.

Anyone with information about the case or who believes the sports memorabilia may belong to them can call Breckenridge at [phone].

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz, left, and forensics specialist Gil Rodriguez set up photos of suspects in a knotty case that led to a cache of sports memorabilia.

(2) A Fearsome Foursome signed photo is among sports collectibles whose rightful owners Glendale police are seeking.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer