Two Southern California gang members were sentenced to prison for a violent robbery targeting elderly victims at a shopping mall.
Corey Thomas, 18, of Los Angeles, and Jonathan Requejo, 18, of Inglewood, were sentenced to two years in state prison for the incident, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
On June 27, Thomas, Requejo and three other juvenile suspects drove from the L.A. County area to The Oaks shopping mall in Thousand Oaks.
As they entered a Macy’s store, security footage captured the group suddenly attacking two elderly shoppers.
They stole a Rolex watch from the male victim and a purse and cell phone from the female victim, authorities said. Both victims were left with significant injuries from the assault.
Police responded to the scene, spotted the suspects’ vehicle and attempted to pull them over. They refused to yield and led officers on a high-speed pursuit on the southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway.
During the chase, one of the suspects threw a loaded firearm out the window. The driver eventually pulled over and three of the four occupants hopped out and began fleeing on foot.