Robbery Suspects Arrested After Police Track Stolen Cell Phone

A stolen cell phone led authorities to four suspects in a home-invasion robbery in Chula Vista Sunday morning, with two arrested in Santee and two arrested in a vehicle on state Route 54 in Spring Valley, according to Chula Vista police.

One of the suspects fired a gunshot during the robbery in the 1000 block of Dorado Way, but nobody was injured, according to police. The bullet was fired through the ceiling of the garage and into the master bedroom, where a woman was sleeping. Police said she was not struck by the bullet.

The robbery was reported around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The resident told police that he was exiting his garage when he was approached by two suspects, with one pointing a gun at him. The suspects forced the resident to lie down at gunpoint and proceeded to ransack the garage, according to police.

After one of the suspects fired the round into the ceiling, they left the residence with several items, including a cell phone. Officers tracked the cell phone and pulled over a vehicle on state Route 54 in Spring Valley.

A loaded gun and stolen property were found in the vehicle, and officers arrested Ryan Johnson and Lizbeth Garcia, both 20.

Officers were able to track the phone to an address in the 1500 block of Graves Street in Santee, where a second suspect vehicle was found. The registered owner, 24-year-old Antonio Rattler, was determined to be a suspect in the robbery and detectives obtained a search warrant for Rattler’s apartment.

The sheriff’s tactical team executed the search warrant around 11:50 a.m. and arrested Rattler and 28-year-old Nichole Clark without incident, according to Chula Vista police.