Teen tied to more Burbank robberies

BURBANK — A man who led police on a chase Monday from North Glenoaks Boulevard to the Americana at Brand has been linked to three other convenience store robberies, police said.

Alexander Moya, 19, of Los Angeles, was suspected of holding up three stores in Burbank in January before robbing a pregnant store clerk at gunpoint Monday at Glen-Mar Liquor — for a second time, Burbank Police Sgt. Robert Quesada said.

“It’s possible that there are others in Los Angeles that he may be tied to,” Quesada said.

After allegedly robbing the store, Moya got into a car driven by 22-year-old Burbank resident Christina Tristan, Quesada said. Burbank resident Joseph Hernandez, 18, was a rear passenger in the car, which Burbank police saw fleeing from the robbery in the 2000 block of North Glenoaks Boulevard.

Police tried to stop the car, which led them on a pursuit through Sun Valley, Sunland, La Crescenta and into Glendale. The pursuit hit speeds of 110 mph, Quesada said.

Once in Glendale, the trio drove into the Americana, where they crashed into a parked car, police said.

Tristan and Hernandez were immediately arrested, but Moya evaded police on foot, setting off a two-hour search that shut down the shopping complex and snarled downtown traffic.

Glendale and Burbank police dogs eventually found him hiding in a parking garage stairwell.

Moya was arrested on suspicion of committing four robberies. Tristan was arrested in connection with three robberies, and Hernandez was booked in connection with Monday’s robbery, Quesada said.

“Eventually, they were going to get caught,” Quesada said.

Moya is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail. Tristan and Hernandez are being held in lieu of $150,000 and $50,000 bail, respectively.

While in custody, Quesada said Moya took detectives back to the liquor store to recover the handgun that he had hid in bushes.

Moya also led detectives to his home, where they recovered evidence that connected him to earlier robberies, Quesada said.

In those three robberies, the suspect wore a mask and used a gun to intimidate store clerks to give up the cash, police said.

Sevan gas station at 1638 San Fernando Blvd was robbed at 7 p.m. Jan. 21. Glen-Mar Liquor was hit Jan. 22, and the next day Village liquor store at 211 E. Olive Ave. was robbed.

The masked gunman made off with $400 from the Village liquor store, the store’s owner Amoojan Khalaj said.

“One guy came to my store with a gun,” he said. “That’s good they were arrested.”

Tristan was also suspected of being the driver in the string of robberies, Quesada said.

Tristan, Moya and Hernandez are expected to be arraigned today.