Three men accused in a takeover robbery at a Riverside pharmacy were behind bars Tuesday, as detectives continue to investigate whether the trio may have been involved in similar holdups elsewhere.
Shawn Andre Bias, 28, Kyle Jahlil Johnson, 22, and Michael Scott McCain, 22 -- all of Los Angeles -- were arrested last month, each charged with 18 felony counts, including armed robbery, kidnapping to commit robbery, burglary, false imprisonment and attempted robbery.
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The threesome pleaded not guilty during an arraignment on July 16. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gail O'Rane scheduled a felony settlement conference for the defendants on Aug. 26 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Bias and Johnson are each being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, while McCain is being held on the same amount at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to the Riverside Police Department, on the morning of June 19, the defendants allegedly burst into Riverside Medical Pharmacy in the 6700 block of Indiana Avenue, wearing masks and gloves.
One of the defendants pulled a handgun and held it on the five employees while his two cohorts began grabbing prescription drug bottles and money, taking it from the business, as well as directly from the victims, agency spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback alleged.
The holdup ended when the trio grabbed what they could carry, he alleged, and fled to a dark-colored vehicle parked in front, speeding away from the location.
No one was physically injured.
Detectives soon identified the vehicle and its owner -- Bias -- culminating in a warrant being issued for his arrest, according to Railsback.
He said that California Highway Patrol officers spotted it along Interstate 15 on June 22, leading to a traffic stop during which Bias was taken into custody without incident and turned over to Riverside police.
Over the ensuing 10 days, Johnson and McCain were identified as his alleged co-conspirators and warrants were served on them at different properties in Los Angeles, where they were arrested without incident.
"Evidence linking these suspects to the armed robbery was located during the search warrants," Railsback said.
It is unknown how long they had allegedly staked out the pharmacy before targeting it for robbery.
They have no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
It's unknown whether the men may have been involved in similar holdups elsewhere.
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