Alleged "Baby Faced" Robber Gets Busted After High Speed Chase

Two robberies in Mendocino County appear to be related. In each, a male robber with his accomplice hold up a grocery store. A high speed chase after the second robbery resulted in one man and one juvenile being arrested.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office press release:

On 11-29-14 at 2:15 PM, deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were summoned to the Little Baker’s Market, located at 6951 East Road in Redwood Valley for an armed robbery that had just occurred.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke with the store cashier and witnesses who indicated that a male adult entered the store, brandished a knife and demanded money. The cashier provided money from the cash register and the suspect fled the store, getting into the passenger seat of an early 1990’s model Honda sedan, and fled southbound on East Road.

The suspect was described as a male adult of unknown nationality, with olive colored skin, and he was wearing a lime green jumpsuit or coveralls, a black beanie style cap, black sunglasses, black cloth over his mouth and lower face, and black cotton gloves. The suspect was approximately 5’5″ tall and thin build. The driver of the car was a female with no further description.

Fortunately no persons were injured and the amount of money taken is, as of now, undetermined.

If anybody has any information regarding the robbery or possibly identity of the suspects, please contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

–UPDATE–

On 11/30/2014 a similar incident happened at the Albion Store in Albion.  Two suspects were apprehended in that incident with evidence, linking them to this robbery, was obtained from their vehicle.  For further details see Press release #2014-31924.

Second press release:

On 11-30-2014 at approximately 10:57 AM, Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a robbery at the Albion Store.

A young male subject reportedly walked into the store wearing dark clothing, a black beanie, black face mask, black gloves and sunglasses. A second male sat outside behind the wheel of a green Honda sedan. As the subject spoke to the female clerk, his hand was concealed in a bag alongside his hip in a position that suggested he was holding a firearm.  The clerk thought she might have seen a handgun but could not be sure.  He demanded money and directed the clerk to give him only the $20.00 bills. Fearing for her life, the clerk handed the suspect a stack of $20 bills she estimated to be worth about $500.00.

The suspect then ran out of the store and got into a green Honda sedan driven by an accomplice. A witness from the store was able to provide the suspect vehicle description and direction of travel. The witness said the vehicle left and headed east bound on Albion Little River Road, towards Comptche.

Deputies from the Ukiah area joined deputies from the Coast to converge on the Comptche area from several directions.  They were assisted from State Park Rangers who were on duty in the area.  At one point the suspect vehicle was spotted by a deputy sheriff, travelling at a high rate of speed, east bound on Comptche-Ukiah Road, approximately 4 miles west of Comptche.  The deputy called out the suspect vehicle location and then turned around to attempt catch up with the vehicle. As the deputy arrived in Comptche, citizens provided information the suspect vehicle continued east on Comptche-Ukiah Road.  There were other MCSO Deputies in this area but they did not meet the vehicle.  A short time later the vehicle was spotted leaving a private driveway and was stopped on the Comptche-Ukiah Road near the intersection of Flynn Creek Road. It was later determined the vehicle entered the private driveway and attempted to flee on foot when the landowner confronted them.  They got back into the vehicle and drove back out the driveway where deputies apprehended them.

Deputies identified the robbery suspect as eighteen year-old Tristan Mendez of Redwood Valley and the driver as a 17 year old juvenile, also of Redwood Valley.  Evidence located on the suspects and in the suspects’ vehicle included approximately $500 in $20 bills, a knife, a black facemask, black gloves and a black beanie.   Evidence located also linked the suspects to a similar robbery, which occurred the day before, at the Little Baker’s Market in Redwood Valley (MCSO Press Release 2014-31859). Mendez and his seventeen-year-old accomplice were arrested for robbery and conspiracy.

The juvenile suspect was lodged into Juvenile Hall. Mendez was transported to the Mendocino County Jail where he is held in lieu of $150,000 bail.

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