Robbery suspects use bear spray on elderly man at home in Apple Valley
Three High Desert men were recently arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a home last month in Apple Valley, where they used bear spray on an elderly resident.
The Apple Valley Sheriff’s Station reported that at 11:39 p.m. on Aug. 17, deputies responded to a call of a residential robbery in the 14000 block of Pamlico Road.
The area is between Apple Valley and Choco roads, north of Yucca Loma Road.
The victim told sheriff’s officials that when he arrived home, he saw three subjects running out of the front door of his residence.
He said the subjects began running toward the victim's vehicle, and one of the subjects hit the victim's driver's side window with a gun. The victim was able to drive away and call for help.
When he returned to his residence, he discovered the front door had been kicked in, and his elderly relative, an 89-year-old man, had been sprayed with bear spray. The victim also found some of his property missing.
Through investigation, deputies identified the suspects as Steven Sanderson, 31, and Paul Vargas, 37, both of Apple Valley, as well as Kyle Bates, 29, of Hesperia.
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On Aug. 24, Bates and Sanderson were arrested and booked at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto for residential robbery.
On Sept. 22, Vargas was arrested and booked at the HDDC for residential robbery. Vargas and Bates are being held with bail set at $200,000. Sanderson is also jailed with bail set at $325,000.
Sheriff's officials did not report the condition of the elderly man.
The Sheriff’s Department asks anyone with information about this investigation to contact Deputy Sanders or Detective Arreola at the Apple Valley Sheriff’s Station at 760- 240-7400 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at 760-956-5001.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Robbery suspects use bear spray on elderly man in Apple Valley
