Three 16-year-olds, one from Clayton and two from Concord, were arrested last week for a string of strong-arm robberies in Clayton and will be charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of stolen goods. The three young men, two African-Americans and one Caucasian, attend Clayton Valley High School. A fourth suspect is still under investigation. The spree began the afternoon of June 30, when two Concord teens, 14 and 15, were jumped from behind in the Clayton pedestrian tunnel. Both boys were roughed up and sustained minor injuries. They were robbed of their iPods, cell phones and wallets.

On July 9, two more boys were robbed at Main Streets and Marsh Creek Road near the Corral. The next day, another boy was robbed near the Easley trail. On July 13, while police were responding to the fourth robbery in the Oakhurst area, two more youngsters were assaulted near the middle school. All seven victims were between the ages of 14 and 18.

According to Chief Dan Lawrence, the suspects drove by the victims in a black Mustang in each case, apparently looking for an easy mark. They would stop, get out, pass by the victims, then turn and jump them from behind, saying “Yo, gimme your s**t.”

A break in the case came when police sent an email containing a description of the assailants and the Mustang to a few local parents. Word quickly spread through a large, informal email network. Within an hour, police received a reply with information that led them to the first suspect, an Oakhurst resident.

One of the young victims had memorized four digits of the Mustang’s license plate. A black Mustang with the matching four digits was parked at the suspect’s Oakhurst home. Inside the home was a backpack taken in one of the robberies. The backpack contained all but one of the stolen iPods and cell phones. The suspect was arrested when he returned home from weight training at the high school on July 13.

“It’s really impressive that we got such a response so fast,” said Lawrence. “We just tell one person (what we need) and the next thing you know, 2,500 homes have the information.” David Shuey, a city councilman and father of five, good naturedly refers to the email chain as the “yenta brigade.”

A second teen, a Concord resident, was arrested July 14. The third, a Concord resident that was staying at the home of the Oakhurst suspect turned himself into Clayton police on July 15. When asked why they robbed the teens, one of the suspects replied “They be slippin’ ” – implying that the boys were walking along listening to iPods or talking on their phones and were an easy mark.

“It’s quite phenomenal that we have people in our society looking for this kind of trouble,” said Lawrence.

The three teens arrested were members of the CVHS junior varsity football team last year and were in summer weight training in preparation for the fall season. However, CVHS athletic director Pat Middendorf says the boys will not be allowed to play this year even if they return to school. “These charges are just too serious, said Middendorf.

We’re really devastated that the football team is tied to something like this,” she added. “Our program is set up to mentor students and build character. It’s not just about football.”