Five men were arrested in Los Angeles for conspiracy to
commit robbery on Aug. 1 after a jewelry district merchant noticed a silver
Cadillac circle the block three times in five minutes.

According to a Los Angeles Police Department news release,
the merchant pushed his panic alarm and police arrived. The
Cadillac passed by again while police were speaking to the merchant.

After police detained the car and its occupants, they found
a hammer, gloves, a large canister of pepper spray used to ward off bears, and
a pillow case inside the car.

“The jewelry merchants [have been alerted] to this spree of
smash-and-grab robberies,” Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles
Police department said in a statement.

The men, two adults and three minors, were wearing hooded
sweatshirts on a hot day and the driver was driving on a suspended license.

“It was certain things about the car, how many men were stuffed inside, and how they were
dressed that added up to robbery,” Vernon said.

According to the release, two of the five occupants were
gang members from a South Los Angeles gang.

Jabril Green and Makrice Leonard were booked for conspiracy
to commit robbery. Bail for both Green and Leonard was set at $50,000.

Two of the three minors were detained at Eastlake Juvenile
Hall because of their previous criminal records. The third minor was released
to his parents.

JCK