Behind the Badge
A man suspected of being part of a group that robbed a Little Saigon jewelry store in August is in custody, Westminster police said.
Three men wearing ski masks Aug. 21 entered Tick Tock Jewelry in the 9200 block of Bolsa Avenue.
The men used a hammer to break the display case and started taking merchandise, police said.
A store employee pulled out a handgun and fired three shots at the intruders, hitting one of the men.
The suspects drove away in a van, which police later found out was a stolen vehicle.
Detectives collected forensic evidence from the van and received a DNA hit for 21-year-old Jamaal McKinney, police said.
Police said McKinney is the suspect who allegedly was shot by the Tick Tock employee.
McKinney also is suspected of being involved in a robbery on Aug. 3 at Prestige Jewelers in Manhattan Beach, police said.
Westminster detectives on Nov. 12 served a search warrant based on the DNA evidence collected from the van and arrested McKinney on suspicion of robbery and also recovered a stolen weapon, police said.
Police also identified Jameson Laforest, 23, as McKinney’s alleged colleague in the Prestige Jewelers robbery.
Manhattan Beach Police on Tuesday arrested Laforest on suspicion of robbing the Manhattan Beach store.
