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Clayton Valley High School Athletes Accused Of Robbing Purported Drug Dealer At Gunpoint

CONCORD (KCBS) – An East Bay high school football star and three of his classmates are behind bars for an alleged armed robbery involving a purported drug dealer.

Prosecutors said Miles Harrison, Drew Crabbe, Lucas Ostolaza and James Dempsey, all 17-year-old students at Clayton Valley Charter High School, will be charged as adults in connection with the alleged armed robbery of a reported drug dealer on April 9.

They said the robbery took a lot of pre-planning, with masks and a gun, so that's why they are being charged as adults.

All four made their first court appearance on Monday, charged in the armed robbery of an alleged drug dealer in the backyard of a house. Concord police found a gun, marijuana, a mask and stolen cellphones inside the car the teens were in.

Harrison was the star tailback on Clayton Valley's football team, and he and teammates Crabbe and Ostolaza helped lead the Ugly Eagles to the state title game. Dempsey played on the school's basketball team.

Clayton Valley Charter High School Executive Director David Linzey said he was stunned by the news.

"It's way out of character. These kids are good kids and it's way out of character," Linzey said. "For what they're accused of doing, it's just a shock and is hard to believe and I'm not sure I really believe it. It's just sad."

Clayton Valley High football coach Tim Murphy tells The Bay Area News Group that while he was "blown away" by the news, he has had to discipline the players before for minor infractions.

Linzey said this is more than just about what the students did on the athletic field. "This is about kid's lives. I'm just sad and brokenhearted for them," he said.

All four are scheduled to be arraigned on April 23.

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