LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A mystery was lingering Wednesday over how two South American nationals accused of stealing a $1 million watch from a man at a Beverly Hills hotel came into a possession of a gun registered to Christopher Dorner, the notorious former LAPD officer who killed four people before dying at the end of a standoff with police.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that Jamer Mauricio Sepulveda Salazar, 21, of Colombia, was charged with one count of interference with commerce by robbery -- known as a federal Hobbs Act crime -- and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and Jesus Eduardo Padron Rojas, 19, of Venezuela, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
The pair, believed to be part of a "crime tourism" group, are accused in the Aug. 7 robbery of a man who was sitting with his wife and two daughters on the patio of a restaurant at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Prosecutors said one of the suspects approached and pointed a black semi- automatic handgun at the victim and pulled back the slide of the handgun, chambering a round.
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While the first suspect held the victim at gunpoint, the second suspect allegedly approached and removed a silver Patek Philippe watch, which is estimated to be worth $1 million, from the victim's wrist.
Both suspects then fled the scene and eventually entered a blue Toyota Corolla, with Sepulveda allegedly serving as the getaway driver, according to court papers.
On Saturday, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an Airbnb where the South American theft group had allegedly been staying. During the search, officers found a handgun in a bedroom that was registered to Dorner. Later that day, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Equinox and reportedly identified Sepulveda and Padron inside the vehicle.
The Equinox was allegedly linked to another armed robbery in the 400 block of Doheny Road in Beverly Hills on Aug. 5, during which a $30,000 Rolex was stolen, prosecutors said.
It remained unclear how the suspects came into possession of a weapon registered to Dorner, who went on a murderous rampage in 2013 that gripped Southern California. His killing spree claimed the lives of two police officers, along with the daughter of a former LAPD captain and her fiance.
The killings prompted a massive manhunt that included San Diego and ultimately led to Big Bear, where authorities engaged in an extended gun battle with Dorner, who was holed up in a cabin that eventually caught fire and burned to the ground. Dorner was found dead in the burned-out cabin.
It was unclear if the gun registered to Dorner was the one used in the Beverly Hills robbery, but authorities said no other weapons have been recovered.
If convicted on all counts, Sepulveda faces a sentence of up to life in federal prison, while Padron faces up to 20 years, prosecutors noted.
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