Men suspected for taking part in Glendale home invasion robbery due in court

January 03, 2013

(Raul Roa/Staff…)

Two men are expected to be arraigned Friday on charges that they allegedly forced their way into a Glendale home, beat one of the residents and robbed others at gunpoint before fleeing and eventually getting arrested after a brief police pursuit, officials said.

The men — Cole Richman, 27, of Lake Balboa and Sylas Joseph, 28, of Los Angeles — were arrested Wednesday their vehicle crashed at Concord Street and Wilson Avenue, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

The pair remained in police custody Thursday in lieu of $1-million bail as they awaited their court appearance in Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to sheriff’s department booking reports.

A third man who was with Richman and Joseph inside the vehicle was able to evade a police perimeter that was set up after he fled on foot from the scene of the crash, prompting a nearly seven-hour lockdown of affected homes and business.

Police continue to look for the man, who they described as being black, 6 feet tall and wearing a white shirt with dark pants.

All three men were allegedly carrying guns about 5:15 a.m. Wednesday when they entered the home in the 700 block of Patterson Avenue, which was occupied by three men and a woman, police said.

A resident who was hiding inside the home called police. Moments later, a second resident also called authorities.

One of the residents suffered a laceration on his head after being beaten during the robbery, police said.

As officers arrived, they spotted the men in their car and tried to initiate a traffic stop. When the failed to stop, a brief chase ensued, ending a short time later with the crash. Police reported recovering a gun at the crash site.

Richman and Joseph were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and were later released to police.

Detectives also recovered cash that was allegedly stolen during the robbery, but declined to say how much was taken.

Richman has no criminal record in Los Angeles County, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Joseph has a lengthy criminal record, including convictions for grand theft in 2003, attempted robbery in 2007, resisting arrest in 2011, accessory after the fact in 2006 and 2012,

He also currently faces charges for petty theft with priors — a November 2012 case which is still pending, according to court records.

Police detectives declined to provide details into a possible motive and additional information on the third man.

Still, they believe the Patterson Avenue home was targeted, Lorenz said.

“The neighborhood can be at ease,” Lorenz said. “This [is] not a random target for a home invasion robbery."

-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.

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