Five suspects, including a juvenile, have been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 2 looting of Ruben's Bakery & Mexican Food, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Tuesday.
Luna said the minor, about 13 years old, is the alleged driver of the white Kia Soul that, while driving in reverse, crashed three times into the Compton bakery, causing structural damage that allowed a mob of more than 100 people to enter and would steal of the store. The family, encouraged by strong community support, has since reopened the doors of their business.
The minor, according to Luna, was arrested on January 12 on suspicion of theft, vandalism, driving a vehicle without the owner's consent and inciting a riot. Later he was summoned and handed over to his family. But that same day, the sheriff said, the juvenile was arrested again, this time in connection with a robbery in Carson that was caught on viral video.
The young teenager is currently detained in a juvenile facility, Luna said.
The sheriff said a deputy walked into a Carson 7-Eleven about a week ago without knowing a robbery was taking place. He thwarted the attempt, in which several people participated, including minors. The incident was captured on surveillance video that went viral.
“His actions resulted in the arrest of all of those individuals,” Luna said of the deputy. “One of the juveniles in that case was the same juvenile who was arrested” in the Ruben's Bakery incident.
Luna added of the suspect: “He was the driver of that Kia, so it's all related.”
The sheriff said three additional search warrants were served Tuesday morning as part of the ongoing investigation. Four people were arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of stolen property.
Three of the four suspects are in custody. One was booked and released.
The Sheriff's Department identified the suspects as Jesse Cuevas, 21; Eloise Muñiz, 23; Jalen Hull, 21 years old; and Carlos Ponce Mejía, 20 years old.
Luna highlighted that the arrests were the result of tips and collaboration between law enforcement and the community.
“When people started seeing the video” showing the looting of the Compton bakery, “they got so offended that we started getting a lot of tips,” Luna said. “Congratulations to all the community members who decided this was absolutely wrong and decided to do something about it.”
Ruben's Bakery owner Rubén Ramírez Jr., who runs the business with his family, thanked Luna and the Sheriff's Department for their “hard work on the case.”
“On January 2, our world was turned upside down,” Ramirez Jr. said in a statement, “and if it weren't for the quick response of your officers, we know our family's business would have been completely lost.”
Ramirez Jr. emphasized the importance of stopping street takeovers, which occur when a crowd blocks an intersection for cars to do donuts and perform other street racing maneuvers.
“No business, whether in Beverly Hills or Compton, should have to worry about illegal street takeovers and robberies,” he said. “Equally important is that we must ensure that criminals know that if they break the law, they will be held accountable.”
The 51-year-old, whose father, Rubén Ramírez Sr., started the business four decades ago, petitioned the Compton City Council, including Mayor Emma Sharif, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County District Angels. Lawyer. George Gascón to “help us recover our communities.”
“Our communities are owned by hard-working families who live, work and shop in the community,” he said. “We have laws that protect us and we require that you work together to ensure they are enforced.”
The break-in caused more than $70,000 in damage, a financial blow to a company that was struggling to find its footing after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramirez Jr. previously told The Times.
The family crowdfunded the estimated cost of the repairs and an additional $20,000. The Ramirez family has used the money to make additional arrangements and safety measures, they wrote in an update on their GoFundMe page.
Additionally, they plan to replace any lost or damaged products and pay bonuses to their employees, who lost their salaries after the store temporarily closed due to theft. The family plans to host a community event next month in honor of the store's 48th anniversary.
“Compton has been a part of our family for almost 50 years and we plan to be here for 50 more years,” the GoFundMe page said. “That is only possible thanks to all of you and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!”
