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The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office has filed the first charges against three suspects in a prominent armed robbery at City Center Bishop Ranch earlier this week, as police continue searching for the numerous suspects that remain at large.
Charges against three suspects – Michael Ray, 31, and Ira Austin, 19, of San Francisco as well as 27-year-old Jimmy Ray of Vallejo – were announced Thursday evening.
The three men are each facing 13 counts of second degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, as well as special enhancements under Proposition 36, for the more than $1 million in merchandise they allegedly stole.
“Our communities deserve safety from conduct like the audacious daylight robbery in San Ramon,” said Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by the San Ramon Police Department, these defendants will face significant punishment for the offenses they committed.”
According to the DA’s office, the three men allegedly “executed a scheme that began with stealing vehicles and culminated in an escape that involved gunfire,” with the suspects firing shots in order to exit Heller Jewelers after the doors automatically locked.
The conspiracy charges that the suspects are facing consist of 11 “overt criminal acts that involved a coordinated operation,” according to the DA’s office.
In addition to the armed robbery at City Center, the trio allegedly stole the vehicles that the group of more than 20 used to flee the scene, leading police on a high-speed chase that was terminated for safety reasons once air support was secured from neighboring agencies. They were arrested by Oakland police after being spotted exiting a building on International Boulevard.
“My Office will continue to work with San Ramon PD and other law enforcement partners to identify other perpetrators who participated in this brazen robbery and charge them accordingly,” Becton said.
Jimmy Ray and Michael Ray are currently scheduled for arraignment on Monday (Sept. 29). Austin’s arraignment date was still pending as of Friday afternoon. None of the three suspects have previous criminal charges in Contra Costa County.
