Three arrested for armed robbery

Jose Paul Corona

Three men are in custody after a tense standoff in northern Huntington

Beach last week that lasted seven hours and forced numerous people from

their homes.

Michael Tyrone Wright, 24 of New Orleans, Curley Emanuel James, Jr.,

21 of Los Angeles and Brian Rhashun Wilson, 25, of Inglewood were

arrested on suspicion armed robbery and evading arrest. Police suspect

the three robbed a Fountain Valley branch of First Bank and Trust.

Two armed men entered the bank on July 3 demanding money from tellers.

After taking the money the men fled the scene in a Honda Accord driven by

a third man.

No one was hurt during the robbery, said Fountain Valley Police Sgt.

Kevin Thomas.

Huntington Beach officers heard the robbery in progress call on the

scanner and the police helicopter flew to the scene in time to see the

Accord leaving the area.

Police followed the car northbound on the San Diego Freeway. The car

exited at Warner Avenue and parked at the Rivermeadows apartment complex

near the intersection of Magnolia Street and Warner Avenue.

The three men ran from the car and entered an apartment. Both

Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley officers arrived at the complex and

set up a perimeter around the building.

Police do not know if the men knew someone in the apartment complex,

said Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Gary Meza.

The Huntington Beach SWAT team evacuated the apartments near the one

that the robbery suspects were in.

Crisis negotiators were able to make contact with the three men and

convinced two of them to surrender. The two men were taken into custody

shortly after 7 p.m.

The SWAT team fired tear gas grenades into the apartment when the

third man refused to come out.

The man was later found hiding in the apartment’s attic, said FBI

spokesperson Cheryl Mimura.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes shortly after 11 p.m.,

Meza said.

The FBI would not release the exact amount of money stolen. A gun was

recovered in the apartment, Mimura said.

The men were taken into custody by the FBI on Friday and made their

initial court appearance that day, Mimura added.

They are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angles

and are expected to be indicted for armed robbery sometime next week,

Mimura said.