The final suspect in the broad-daylight armed robbery of Heller Jewelers at City Center Bishop Ranch has been arrested, signaling the conclusion of a lengthy investigation that began in March of this year. Yesterday, the San Ramon Police Department cooperated with the US Marshal's Fugitive Task Force and the Oakland ATF to capture the outstanding suspect in the Heller Jewelers robbery incident, according to a Facebook post made by San Ramon PD.
John Ioane Tupou, aged 30, was the fifth and final suspect charged in connection with the robbery. Previously, authorities had arrested and booked four other suspects - Sunia Mafileo Faavesi, Ryan Kentrell Montgomery, Paul Christopher Tonga, and Kyle Vehikite - into Santa Rita Jail on no-bail federal holds. With the arrest of Tupou, all five main suspects are now in custody and are being federally prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney's Office in the Northern District of California.
The daring heist occurred on March 17 when seven hooded and masked individuals entered the jewelry store while four drivers remained in nearby vehicles. One suspect menaced the security guard, while another pointed a firearm at employees and customers to ensure their compliance. Meanwhile, five members of the robbery crew smashed display cases, seizing approximately $1 million worth of jewelry in just under a minute, according to a Department of Justice complaint.
Through the combined efforts of phone records, a GPS tracking device in one of the stolen Rolex watches, surveillance footage, and undercover officers, investigators managed to track down the suspects. Subsequent developments in the case revealed text screenshots of a conversation between Paul Christopher Tonga and an unknown source, hinting at information from a possible law enforcement insider.
