City of Corona

For Immediate Release                                                                                                        August 21, 2023

Case #23-062741

ROBBERY AND VEHICLE PURSUIT

CORONA, CA– On August 20, 2023, at 2:57 P.M., the Corona Police Department responded to a robbery at Daniel’s Jewelers at 2785 Cabot Drive. Employees and witnesses described four males, wearing hooded sweatshirts and facemasks, who entered the store and pepper sprayed an employee. They smashed numerous display cases with hammers and loaded a trashcan with jewelry before running to a getaway vehicle around the corner. Witnesses described the vehicle as a white Chevrolet Malibu with no license plates. Employees estimated the jewelry loss to be over $100,000.

Approximately ten minutes later, a Corona Police Officer located a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect vehicle on the westbound SR-91 freeway passing Main Street. The officer attempted to stop the car to investigate, but it fled. Officers pursued the vehicle westbound on the SR-91 freeway to Gypsum Canyon Road, where it exited and continued to flee on streets in the cities of Yorba Linda, Placentia, Brea, and Fullerton.

The suspect vehicle became disabled when a Corona Police Officer performed a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver near E. Commonwealth Avenue and State College Boulevard in the City of Fullerton. Five suspects ran from the vehicle. An adult suspect was apprehended immediately. Officers from the Brea, Fullerton, and Buena Park police departments responded to assist with a perimeter and search for the remaining suspects. A juvenile suspect was located hiding in a dumpster in a nearby apartment complex. Three suspects remain at large and are described as thin black male adults in their late teens or early 20s.

The following suspects were arrested for conspiracy and robbery:

• Joshua Matthew Lewis, a 24-year-old male from Inglewood, CA – Transported to Riverside County Jail

• A 17-year-old male juvenile from Compton, CA – Transported to Riverside County Juvenile Hall

A trash can with jewelry inside was recovered from the suspect vehicle, but it is unknown if any jewelry is still missing until a complete inventory can be completed.

Volunteers with the Corona Police Department’s Trauma Intervention Program were called to Daniel’s Jewelers to provide counseling resources to the employees.

The Corona Police Department would like to thank the Brea Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, and the Buena Park Police Department for their assistance after the pursuit. Additionally, we would like to thank the witnesses who called 911 and provided a detailed description of the suspects, a description of the getaway vehicle, and the direction they fled.

The investigation is ongoing. If you have any information regarding this incident, please call Detective Lisa Larios at 951-279-3662. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

About the City of Corona: Corona is a vibrant, culturally diverse community located in the heart of Southern California at the junction of the 91 and 15 freeways with a population of more than 160,000 residents. For more information regarding the City of Corona, visit www.CoronaCA.Gov.

Media Contact

Corporal Tobias Kouroubacalis

Public Information Officer

951-817-5783

Tobias.Kouroubacalis@CoronaCA.gov

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