Masked California men zip-tied workers at Sweetwater business before police shooting, chase: FBI

SWEETWATER, Fla. – Three California men who donned “Michael Myers” Halloween masks during a Sweetwater equipped robbery that led to a constabulary shooting and chase connected Friday are present facing national charges, authorities say.

FBI agents accidental the trio, each from the San Francisco Bay Area, zip-tied frightened employees during the robbery astatine a concern selling Apple products.

Aaron Brown, 35, and Eric Chase, 42, some of Oakland, California, and Ranier Landry, 27, of Hayward, California, are present facing national carjacking, Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to perpetrate Hobbs Act robbery charges.

All 3 flew to Miami from San Francisco 2 days earlier the robbery, authorities said; Brown and Chase were connected the aforesaid flight.

According to a national transgression complaint, the masked, gloved men arrived successful a GMC van and were dropped disconnected astatine the unidentified concern astatine 10893 NW 17th St. conscionable aft 10:45 Friday morning.

Authorities said the van past drove away. The operator and anyone other who whitethorn person been wrong remained astatine ample arsenic of Friday, according to the complaint.

Agents said aft being dropped off, the three, each brandishing what appeared to beryllium guns, came up to an worker waiting extracurricular and forced him oregon her wrong the business’s store space, wherever 5 different employees were astatine the time.

The ailment states that 1 of the men forced 2 workers into the bath and bound their hands with zip ties, past came retired and tied the remainder of the employees up successful the garage.

Authorities said 1 of the men took the keys to the business’s van portion the different 2 began packing Apple products into a bedsheet.

Those 2 suspects rapidly near and got into the van aft proceeding constabulary sirens, investigators said. As the men were getting into the van, constabulary opened occurrence and changeable Chase.

The 3 took disconnected successful the van and led constabulary connected a pursuit successful which they would discard objects, including a “black police-style vest” and 1 of the masks.

Authorities said they stopped the men successful Medley aft the van became immobile adjacent the 10800 artifact of South River Drive.

Chase, changeable successful the leg, and Landry, who complained of an unspecified injury, were some taken to the infirmary for treatment, the ailment states.

In the van, constabulary said they recovered 2 much vests and masks, arsenic good arsenic 2 airsoft guns.

The 3 men would yet beryllium taken to the Broward County jailhouse to beryllium held connected behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Authorities said during a hunt of the business, they recovered the bedsheet with astir 170 assorted Apple products near behind, worthy astir $170,000. They said they besides recovered different airsoft gun.

Agents said surveillance video showed Brown zip-tying victims with his pants importantly sagging, revealing a chiseled brace of “neon greenish underwear” that helium was wearing astatine the clip of his arrest, tying him and the different men to the scene.

Their national tribunal record did not database immoderate quality dates arsenic of aboriginal Monday afternoon.

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