A family of three, including two adults and a juvenile, had just pulled into their driveway in East San Jose when two armed men approached and robbed them at gunpoint, according to police. Months later, investigators say they've tracked down all three suspects they believe were involved, arresting them more than 80 miles apart in three different Central Valley cities.
The robbery happened Aug. 7 at a residence in East San Jose, according to the San Jose Police Department, as reported by KTVU. Police said the family had just parked their vehicle when the two male suspects approached them, brandished firearms, and forcibly took the victims' jewelry and personal belongings. The suspects then fled in a vehicle before officers could arrive, KTVU reported, citing the police account.
KRON4 reported that police did not release the exact location of the crime, leaving the specific street where the family was targeted unknown to the public.
License Plate Readers Crack the Case
SJPD Robbery Unit detectives turned to automated license plate reader data to identify the suspect vehicle, which ultimately led them to three names: Dennis Jackson, Charles Gaston, and Richard Burton. The station's report notes that detectives then obtained arrest warrants for all three men, along with search warrants for residences tied to them in Tracy, Stockton, and Sacramento.
Jackson was arrested in Stockton on Oct. 22, the same day Gaston was arrested in Sacramento, per the same account. Burton was arrested four days later, on Oct. 26, in Tracy. All three men were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on robbery charges, according to the report.
Reporting on the suspects' ages conflicts between outlets. KRON4 reported that Jackson was 19 and Gaston was 30, while KTVU reported that Jackson was 32 and Gaston was 19. The two outlets also diverged on Burton's age, with KRON4 putting him at 32 and KTVU reporting he was 30.
Case Remains Open as Police Seek Tips
San Jose Police Media Relations publicized the arrests in a post, writing, “SJPD Arrests Three Suspects for Robbery of Family.” The post pointed to the broader investigation into the August robbery that had stretched across multiple Bay Area and Central Valley jurisdictions before all three suspects were taken into custody.
The arrests close a key chapter in the investigation, though the outcome of any charges against Jackson, Gaston, or Burton has not been reported. The case remains under the San Jose Police Department's purview as the broader legal process moves forward.
