Three men were arrested in San Francisco on Wednesday for using the keys stolen in a home invasion robbery to rob the victim’s brother’s home later that day, a police spokesman said.
The robberies both occurred Wednesday, the first at about 4 p.m. in the 400 block of Ellis Street in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood and the other shortly before 6:25 p.m. in the 300 block of Berry Street, according to police.
In the first heist, two suspects knocked on the door and when the 22-year-old victim opened it a bit, the pair forced their way inside, police said.
One suspect held the victim down on the ground at gunpoint while the other ransacked the apartment, taking various electronics, including a video game drum set, as well as the keys to the victim’s brother’s apartment, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.
The suspects then fled and the victim went over to his brother’s Berry Street residence, where the suspects used the keys to get inside shortly afterward, Esparza said.
Three suspects entered and took more electronics while also pistol-whipping the victims, according to Esparza.
The suspects then fled but were later arrested by police. They have been identified as Christopher Ruttlen, 24, Dahrell Flowers, 30, and Jamie Jones, 20, Esparza said.
All three were booked on suspicion of various offenses including robbery, burglary, conspiracy and possession of stolen property, Esparza said.
The victims both suffered lacerations and contusions to their heads but declined medical treatment, he said.
Esparza said he did not know if the suspects and victims knew each other prior to the robbery.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Police Department’s anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with “SFPD” in the message.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
