Suspects In Antioch Barbershop Robbery Charged
ANTIOCH (CBS SF) -- A 16-year-old boy and his alleged accomplice were charged Thursday in connection with an armed robbery at a barbershop in Antioch on Monday, during which the pair allegedly staged a kidnapping of the teen.
The 16-year-old was charged in juvenile court with second-degree robbery and carjacking—both felonies—and firearms enhancements, police said.
The adult suspect, Eric Lerone Walker, 23, was charged with four felonies, including second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, carjacking and possession of a dangerous weapon. He is also facing firearms enhancements.
Both suspects are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Contra Costa County courts.
The robbery happened around 3:40 p.m. Monday at Al's Barber Shop, located at 11 W. 18th St., police said.
The victim, Al Holmes, who works in the barbershop, said he was in the shop alone when a man with a gun came in, pointed the gun at his head, ordered him to the ground, and robbed him.
While the robbery was happening, a 16-year-old boy who did odd jobs around the business came back from running an errand, Holmes said.
The gunman, believed to be Walker, allegedly pointed his gun at the boy before forcing him into Holmes' SUV. The pair fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.
Police initially responded to the incident as a kidnapping and issued a statewide Amber Alert for the boy.
They were later told that the boy had been released, but he did not talk to investigators, police said.
Meanwhile, Holmes said, rumors at the barbershop began to circulate that the kidnapping was a hoax and the teen was involved in the robbery.
On Tuesday afternoon, police arrested the teenager and he allegedly admitted that he was involved in the robbery and had faked the kidnapping, police said.
Police served a search warrant Tuesday evening on an apartment in the 3100 block of Lone Tree Way, where they arrested Walker.
During a search of the premises, police found a sawed-off shotgun believed to have been used in the robbery and property that had been stolen during the robbery, police said.
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