Three people burst into the doors of Brea Dentistry at midday on Tuesday, one of them fearing he was having a heart attack.
“She showed up at the reception in a panic,” said Kate Romeyn, the office’s medical and financial coordinator.
The small dental team rose from their lunch break to respond to the medical emergency as they had prepared: ordering one of the woman’s companions to call 911, while taking the woman to a operating room to take vital signs and prepare for CPR.
“We were just doing our due diligence to help someone who we thought had a heart attack,” Romeyn said.
But it turned out that police determined the arrest was just a cover up as the trio tried to evade arrest.
Ultimately, authorities determined the frantic visit to the dental office was just one step in a bizarre heist that began with a major robbery at Brea Mall Macy’s and ended with a rideshare driver at the controls of the suspects’ getaway car – unbeknownst to the driver – before the police intervened.
“Later we find out they called an Uber, not an ambulance,” Romeyn said. “It was really crazy.”
After a few minutes at the dentist, the woman who had faked a heart attack jumped to her feet, proclaiming she was feeling better, and the group left almost as quickly as they had entered, Romeyn said. – leaving behind a trail of hangers and security tags in the dentist’s office. entrance hall.
As the trio left the dentist’s office, police say they attempted to escape in a rideshare car they had called, but officers were alerted to their location and arrested them. All three were arrested, as was the fourth person linked to the scheme after being arrested outside the mall, police said.
Brea officers first responded just before noon to a call about a suspicious person outside Macy’s, where officers arrested and detained Louie Velasco of South Gate, according to Lt. Chris Harvey, spokesperson for the Brea Police Department. At the same time, police were called to an armed purse robbery at a nearby bank, but no victims were located, Harvey said.
Detectives linked this “fabricated call” to Velasco, Harvey said, arresting him on suspicion of providing false information and impersonation.
Minutes later, officers were called to Macy’s for what Harvey described as a “grand theft,” which covers thefts over $950. Officers spotted three suspects walking away from the store. They attempted to flee and led the police in a short chase. Due to reckless driving, officers called off the pursuit, Harvey said.
Their car, however, was later found near Larson Elementary School, which briefly I stayed in confinement due to his proximity to the suspects, Harvey said. After abandoning their vehicle, the suspects drove to Brea Dentistry – simulating the medical emergency until their ride-hailing vehicle arrived, he said.
All occupants of the rideshare vehicle were arrested, but the driver was quickly released, Harvey said.
“Poor Uber driver, he was pulled out of the car at gunpoint, and he was like, ‘What’s going on?'” Romeyn said. “I’m glad that (the police) were there and surprised them outside. It could have been much worse.
The three people arrested after the dentist was arrested were identified as Jocelyn Mendoza of Simi Valley, and Sherry Rogers and Marlon Deleon, both of Los Angeles. All were imprisoned on suspicion of theft and conspiracy. Mendoza was also arrested on suspicion of providing false information and falsely reporting an emergency, while Deleon also faces potential charges of providing false information, evading a police officer , criminal in possession of a firearm, as well as previous warrants. Harvey did not know what items were stolen from Macy’s or their total value.
Harvey said the incident was resolved with help from the community.
“This successful appeal and resolution is the result of citizens seeing something suspicious and calling the police,” Harvey said.
Cnn