Bay Area men named in $1 million robbery at San Ramon jewelry store

(KRON) — Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton, on Thursday, named three of the suspects arrested in connection to the $1 million robbery at the City Center Bishop Ranch shopping center in San Ramon Monday.

A “mob” of 30 people were involved in the robbery at Heller Jewelers, police said. Brandishing guns and pickaxes, the masked suspects allegedly burst into the jeweler around 2 p.m. and began smashing display cases and snatching jewelry.

Six adults and one child have been arrested in the case. Of those suspects, 31-year-old Michael Lamont Ray, Jr. of San Francisco, 19-year-old Ira Raheem Austin of San Francisco and 27-year-old Jimmy Mack Ray of Vallejo now face serious felony charges for “orchestrating a brazen armed robbery,” the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said.

“The trio executed a scheme that began with stealing vehicles and culminated in an escape that involved gunfire,” the DA’s office said. “Each defendant now faces 13 counts of second-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, with special enhancements under Proposition 36 due to the value of the stolen property.”

The robbery was a “coordinated operation” in which the suspects used stolen cars, forced entry into the store and shot out a glass door to make their escape, the DA’s office said. The suspects evaded pursuing officers with the San Ramon Police Department but were later arrested by the Oakland Police Department on the 9900 block of International Boulevard in Oakland.

“Our communities deserve safety from conduct like the audacious daylight robbery in San Ramon,” Becton said. “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by the San Ramon Police Department, these defendants will face significant punishment for the offenses they committed.”

Jimmy Ray’s arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 29 at 1:30 p.m. at the Contra Costa Superior Court in Martinez. The other suspects will be arraigned on a future date set by the court. Dates have not been set for Austin and Michael Ray’s arraignments.