LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — A 34-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a series of robberies in La Mesa, police announced on Tuesday.
John Cummings, of San Diego, was arrested last week at a Mission Valley motel that was under surveillance by San Diego Police officers, according to La Mesa Police Department.
At about 7:30 a.m. on April 8, LMPD officers received a call of a robbery at a local 7-11 on Baltimore Dr. in which the suspect revealed a handgun and forced the clerk to flee. The suspect then fled on a motorcycle with some merchandise.
A call was put out to law enforcement countywide, and at about 9 a.m., SDPD officers who were watching a red Dodger Charger at the Mission Valley motel said they observed Cummings arrive on a motorcycle and park near the vehicle. The Charger was believed to be connected to a robbery the night before at a La Mesa Denny's and an April 5 robbery of a Temecula 7-11 store.
Police made contact with Cummings and detained him without incident.
LMPD said investigators found that the motorcycle Cummings was riding was stolen and that he was involved in the two previous La Mesa robberies, as well as a robbery of a local 7-11 store on April 3. In that robbery, he reported displayed a handgun to an employee and demanded cash, police said.
Cummings was booked into San Diego County Jail on three counts of robbery, vehicle theft, and a parole hold. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department will conduct its own investigation to determine whether he is a suspect in the Temecula robbery.
Police are working to determine whether Cummings is related to any other crimes. Anyone with information is asked to call LMPD at 619-667-1400 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-TIPS.
