Police Action In Lafayette: Four Suspected Burglars Arrested; Gun Recovered

Updated Monday, Dec. 5: with news that gun was loaded; hometowns of older subjects.

Four subjects -- two 18-year-olds and two 16-year-olds -- were in custody on suspicion of burglary, resisting arrest and weapons charges after an attempted residential burglary went wrong in Lafayette Friday, touching off a massive police response and multiple phone calls from frantic neighbors.

Contra Costa County Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said things kicked off at about 2:25 p.m. when an alert citizen phoned in a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 1400 block of Reliez Valley Road and an alarm sounding at a nearby home.

A Lafayette police officer responded and found the car, a Ford, and detained the driver, finding numerous items allegedly stolen from a Concord residence earlier in the day inside. The Lafayette officer and an off-duty BART police officer who happened to be behind the Ford noted that the driver of the car appeared to be following three subjects walking down the street and moved to intercept them. The trio bolted, breaking through a nearby fence and into a resident's backyard to get away.

The off-duty officer followed the three, locating items they discarded in their haste to get away, including a loaded handgun of unknown type and caliber, Lee said. Canine teams from Concord and the sheriff's office joined in the search for the three outstanding subjects as more police flooded the area. A CHP fixed wing aircraft and East Bay Regional Park District helicopter joined the search from the air.

Lee said that at 3:05 p.m. a resident living on San Reliez Court phoned in to report two subjects hiding in his backyard. Police surrounded the home, warned that a police dog would be unleashed and released the dog when the two refused to come out and one allegedly attempted to run. One of the subjects suffered minor dog bites before he was taken into custody. His companion was arrested without further incident.

At 3:50 p.m. another resident called to report that the fourth suspect, later identified as Roshawn Ragland-Smith, 18, of Oakland, was hiding in his backyard in the 3200 block of Springhill Road. Police went to the residence, surrounded it and arrested Ragland-Smith without incident.

Ragland-Smith was booked for receiving stolen property, burglary, carrying a loaded firearm, conspiracy and resisting arrest. He is currently being held at the main jail in Martinez. His bail is set at $220,000.

A second adult suspect, Edward Moore, is from Vallejo. He was booked for receiving stolen property, burglary and conspiracy. He is currently being held at the main jail in Martinez. His bail is set at $170,000.

The two juvenile subjects were taken to Juvenile Hall. Their names were not given because of their age.