Assault rifle found after armed robbery outside Target in Clovis, police say
CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – An assault rifle and a handgun were found following the arrest of three people believed to be involved in an armed robbery at the Target store at Clovis’ Sierra Vista Mall.
According to the Clovis Police Department, the armed robbery took place Monday at around 6:30 p.m. at the Target store at Clovis Avenue and Shaw Avenue. Officers say four suspects drove into the parking lot and robbed two adults at gunpoint, before driving away with the victims’ property.
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Following a number of 911 calls, Clovis Police officers say they pursued the suspects out of Clovis and into Fresno County pursuing them for around 20 miles. The suspects crashed the vehicle they were driving near an orchard east of Kerman. Three suspects were arrested following a search of the immediate area.
Officers also reported that an assault rifle and a handgun, which were both loaded, were also found inside the suspects’ vehicle. Of the three suspects, police say one is a juvenile and the two others were identified as 20-year-old Jose Mitra Barrios and 18-year-old Abel Sanchez Martinez, both from Madera.
According to police, the three suspects were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and evading officers. Both adult suspects have been booked into Fresno County Jail.
A fourth suspect remains on the run, officers say. It is also believed that the suspects and the victims knew eath other. No injuries were reported following the incident.
