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Victims catch robbery suspect at Starbucks
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A robbery at a Ripon coffee shop was partially thwarted by customers after having their laptop computers ripped from their hands by three teenaged suspects.

A group of Ripon residents at the Starbucks on Colony Road took things into their own hands in the incident shortly before 7 p.m. Monday as a 911 call was placed to Ripon Police.

When police arrived a group of customers were holding one 16-year-old robbery suspect from Oakland who was immediately taken into custody. Witnesses told officers that three male subjects in their mid to late teens had come into the coffee shop together.  One went up to the counter and engaged the clerk while the other two milled around the customers.

Ripon Police Chief Ed Ormonde said the two grabbed lap top computers in use by customers. One of the victims grabbed his laptop back from a teen trying to flee the store with his computer.  A third suspect became physically engaged with a resisting customer causing him to break the man’s hold and escape.  The two teens who had taken two laptops got into a waiting vehicle and began to flee the area. 

The victim was able to grab onto the third suspect as he went out the door and a struggle ensued in the parking lot.  A witness outside the shop intervened in the struggle and they were able to detain the youth until police arrived.  The two fleeing suspects returned briefly and attempted to free their friend but were unsuccessful.  

The two teens and their driver were last seen driving out of the area in a late model green Lexus GS 300.  The male teenage suspect taken into custody was booked into San Joaquin County Juvenile Hall.  

The case remains under investigation by the Ripon Police Department.  Contact Detective Richard Francis @ 209-599-2101 with any information about the Ripon case or any similar restaurant robbery cases in the region. 


To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.