Six African-American men have been arrested in connection with a wave of robberies at gun stores in Ventura, Riverside and San Diego counties, including the most recent one in Orange County where the owner said he was relieved that authorities had put an end to his crimes.
All suspects appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon and face criminal charges over the robberies that spanned nine months.
If convicted, each of the defendants would face a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison. An arraignment is expected in the coming weeks.
Hundreds of weapons
The modus operandi of the gun thieves was to use stolen vehicles to crash into the entrances of businesses and act immediately to seize the firearms.
Since the start of their illegal activities, the suspects have removed around 300 firearms from the businesses, authorities said.
All six are in state custody. They face charges of conspiracy to steal firearms from the premises of a federal firearms licensee.
The following individuals appeared in the United States District Court in Santa Ana:
• Cross Arjay Goree, also known as “C3,” 18, of Lake Elsinore
• Caine Aiden Goree, 22, of Lake Elsinore
• Kenneth Gilmore III, also known as “Kenny,” 19, of Las Vegas
• Brendan Markel Hawkins, 19, of Lake Elsinore
• Calvin Logan Gray, 18, of Murietta
• Kendall Eric Johnson, also known as “K3,” 23, of Lake Elsinore.
“When the criminal act occurred [en Fowler’s Gun Room en la ciudad de Orange, el 23 de julio] We immediately made the report to the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives),” Lieutenant Phillip McMullin, spokesman for the Orange Police Department, told La Opinión.
Los Angeles Police Chief Robert Luna said robberies that occur at any store in the community are cause for concern, but especially when brazen suspects steal firearms and potentially use them to commit other crimes or sell them on the street.
“I would encourage store owners to properly secure their businesses and, if possible, install security cameras to assist authorities in apprehending these suspects,” Luna said. “Local and federal authorities will work collaboratively to arrest these individuals regardless of the jurisdiction and community in which they are hiding.”
Search and arrests
According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, the stolen firearms were being sold on the black market and were found in the possession of other individuals in separate criminal investigations.
On July 13 — the same day a gun business was raided in Orange County — law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at a Lake Elsinore residence believed to be where Cross Arjay Goree, Caine Aiden Goree and Brendan Markel Hawkins resided.
As officers arrived at that residence, they reportedly observed Kenneth Gilmore III and Cross Arjay Goree fleeing from the rear of the residence. Both were later arrested.
During their search, officers allegedly found one firearm that had been stolen from Poway Weapons and Gear, another that had been stolen from Chaparral Coin and Gun, two more from Camarillo Gun Store, and at least 45 firearms that had been stolen from Poway Weapons and Gear. One was stolen from Fowler’s gun room.
They [los detectives e investigadores] ATF investigators collected evidence in similar cases until suspects could be arrested, authorities said in a statement.
The assault in Orange
Eight men stormed into Fowler’s Gun Room in Orange early Saturday morning. They used three stolen cars to commit the crime.
Store security video showed the eight men wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts entering and leaving the store within minutes after using the stolen cars, a gray Kia, to destroy the front of the gun store.
Armed with flashlights and sledgehammers, they ransacked the store and smashed display cases to steal at least 85 pistols and rifles, the store owner said. The looted weapons are estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to Lieutenant McMullin, Saturday’s robbery is the first violent robbery to occur at a gun business.
“We were shocked to see on the video how quickly these people got in. We received the emergency call within a minute when the alarm went off, and even though we got there quickly, they were already gone,” McMullin said. “They are professional gang members when it comes to the criminal acts they commit.”
According to an affidavit filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, along with the complaint, the defendants robbed or attempted to rob nine firearms stores where they used stolen vehicles to ram the store windows, smashed display cases and fled with the guns in other stolen vehicles.
Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, said the case is being investigated by ATF agents and detectives from the Ventura, Riverside, San Diego and Orange County Sheriff’s Departments and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney M. Harris and Kyle W. Kahan of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section.
‘I hope they lock them up’
“It’s a huge feeling of relief,” was the reaction of the owner of the Fowler Gun Room in Orange, after learning of the arrest of six individuals who vandalized and robbed his business, but who preferred not to be identified.
“I just hope they lock them up and don’t let them out on bail, because if they get out on bail they will do it again,” he added.
The owner of the business located at 358 Tustin Avenue in the city of Orange said he feels “safer” if the suspects who robbed his business are given the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“Let’s get these criminals off the streets. Without them, it’s a safer world we live in,” the owner said.
Although federal authorities reported that they recovered 70 weapons at the store, the owner claimed that the thieves actually took 85 firearms.
Fowler Gun Room is a family-owned gun store and business that has been open since 1958, but was acquired by its current owner just six years ago.
List of robberies
According to the complaint and sworn statement, those involved in the robberies committed the robberies in:
• Chaparral Coin and Gun in Murrieta, California, on October 9, 2023, where 43 firearms were stolen
• Poway Weapons and Gear in Poway, California, on March 25, 2024, where 78 firearms were stolen
• An attempted robbery at Ammo Bros in Ontario, California on June 12, 2024
• Attempted robbery at Fallbrook Guns and Ammo in Fallbrook, California on June 13, 2024
• Firearms Unknown in Oceanside, California, on June 17, 2024, where 33 firearms were stolen
• Ammo Bros in Riverside, California, on June 18, 2024, where 25 firearms were stolen
• Camarillo Gun Store in Camarillo, California, on July 1, 2024, where 63 firearms were stolen
• Attempted robbery at the Smokin Barrel gun store in Simi Valley, California, on July 9, 2024
• Fowler’s Gun Room in Orange, California, on July 13, 2024, where 70 firearms were stolen