Redlands police report armed robbery, threats and juvenile crash

REDLANDS, Calif. — Police are investigating an armed robbery reported early Sunday morning, Aug. 3, in the parking lot of the CVS at the Redlands Mall.

Two victims told officers they were approached by a man in a hooded sweatshirt and ski mask who brandished a handgun and stole their gold chain necklaces, valued at several thousand dollars. The suspect fled west through the parking lot, police said.

Firearm possession arrest

A day earlier, on Aug. 2, officers arrested a Redlands man after he allegedly told a witness he had a gun and was going to shoot an employee of a local business before shooting himself. Police contacted the man by cell phone and found him at his home in the 1000 block of Ardmore Circle. A loaded .40-caliber handgun was located in his vehicle. The suspect, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, was taken into custody.

Teen driver crash

In a separate incident early Monday morning, Aug. 4, a 16-year-old unlicensed driver crashed his family’s car into a curb, a planter and a wall near the Walgreens at Church Street and Lugonia Avenue. The driver, who had two friends in the vehicle, was cited and the car was impounded. The juveniles were released to their parents or guardians.

Motorcycle chase

Late Sunday night, Aug. 3, Redlands Police assisted with a pursuit of a motorcycle that began in Loma Linda. The suspect entered the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 traveling west. For public safety, officers canceled the pursuit but continued to observe the vehicle until it exited the 210 Freeway at San Bernardino Avenue, when the pursuit was turned back over to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Police ask anyone with information about these incidents to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681, ext. 1.