TROY (WWJ) – Four men are facing a long list of charges after a pair of alleged smash-and-grab robberies at two popular malls in Oakland County.
Hernan Parraquez-Mondaca, Michael Aguilar-Mondaca, Sandrino Rojas-Palma and Nicholas Caceres-Henriquez have all been charged with armed robbery, felonious assault and malicious destruction.
The charges stem from armed robberies at jewelry stores inside Great Lakes Crossing and Oakland Mall two weeks apart. In both incidents, the suspects allegedly used pepper spray on employees then broke the glass with hammers and took off with jewelry.
The first happened around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11 at the MJ Diamonds store inside Great Lakes Crossing. Two men wearing surgical masks allegedly used hammers to smash jewelry displays, then stole jewelry and sprayed the employees.
After they stole the jewelry, they took off running towards I-75, according to police.
When officers showed up, they couldn't find the suspects, but began investigating and helped three employees who had been pepper sprayed.
Investigators eventually identified a black Kia Soul owned by Aguilar-Mondaca as a possible suspect vehicle that fled the area.
Due to the "violent nature of the robbery," the case was turned over to the FBI's Oakland County Gang and Violent Crimes Task Force, officials said.
Less than two weeks later around 5:40 p.m. on Aug. 23 members of the task force were conducting surveillance near Oakland Mall, trying to find a vehicle associated with the Great Lakes Crossing robbery, when they saw three masked men enter the Macy's Store inside the mall.
The car they arrived in, the black Kia Soul, left the parking lot and got on northbound I-75 before turning its hazard lights on and parking on the shoulder, directly across the parking lot from the Macy's entrance.
The three suspects who went inside again went right to the jewelry counter, pepper sprayed the employees and used hammers to break the glass.
After stealing the jewelry, the suspects ran across the parking lot, jumped the freeway fence and got into the Kia waiting for them on the shoulder.
But they didn't get very far, as members of the task force and Troy Police Department moved into position ahead of their attempted escape and arrested all four suspects without incident.
Police recovered the stolen jewelry and cash, along with other evidence connecting them to the Great Lakes Crossing robbery.
On Sunday three suspects were arraigned on five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felonious assault and two counts of malicious destruction of property, while Caceres-Henriquez was only charged with one count of malicious destruction of property.
Each felony count of armed robbery carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Authorities did not disclose the value of the stolen jewelry or damage done inside the stores.
All four suspects are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 11.
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