Last Friday, four individuals were arrested in connection with an armed robbery in San José. The suspects, identified as Blay Tacha Mellizo, 22, Juan Hernandez Estrada, 18, Andrey Guedez Melo, 19, and a 17-year-old juvenile, were rounded up by the San José Police Department after an intensive investigation. According to the San José Police Department, the suspects allegedly stormed into a convenience store wielding replica firearms and assaulted a store employee before making away with several hundred dollars.
The incident, which took place at approximately 5:05 AM on the 400 block of South Kiely Boulevard, was quickly linked to a series of armed robberies across Santa Clara and Union City. Subsequent collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies led to the discovery of the suspect vehicle and the identification of the perpetrators. Having been located unoccupied after the San José heist, the SCPD notified their counterparts of the abandoned vehicle, as per the San José Police Department's account of the events.
All four suspects are local residents of San Jose and were located after the San José Police Department carried out follow-up inquiries and executed a search warrant. Detectives managed to seize two replica firearms during the search, believed to have been used in the string of robberies. The three adults are currently being held in the Santa Clara County Main Jail, while the minor has been booked into Santa Clara Juvenile Hall.
The San José Police Department has urged the community to come forward with any details they might hold about the case. Detective Contreras #4570 of the San José Police Department's Robbery Unit is the point of contact, with options available for individuals to submit information anonymously, including through the P3TIPS mobile app and the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers website.
