Three suspects were arrested in connection with an armed home invasion robbery in Pinole last week during which a pet French Bulldog named Chanel was stolen. Chanel has since been recovered and returned to its owner, according to the Pinole Police Department.
The victim and a witness said multiple suspects forced open the front door of the victim’s home and held her inside at gunpoint at 12:36 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 in the 500 block of Sunnyview Drive. The suspects ransacked the apartment and stole property, including Chanel.
The suspects fled the scene in a stolen black Dodge Charger, which the CHP spotted traveling westbound on I-80 near Fitzgerald Drive. A pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns, but shortly thereafter, the Charger was involved in an accident on the highway near University Avenue.
While all three suspects fled the area of the wreck, they were soon found and arrested, police said. Also located in the Charger was a rifle, two pistols, and items stolen from the victim, but not Chanel, who fled the collision scene. A citizen later found the dog, and through the help of a local veterinarian reading the implanted chip, she was reuinted with her owner and is back home, police said.
The suspects were identified as Asim Sami and Keomi Branch, both 18 and from Oakland, and 19-year-old Sierra Smith of Richmond. During an interview, police said they admitted to their involvement in the robbery. They were booked into Martinez Detention Facility on robbery and weapons charges, police said.
Anyone with additional information about this ongoing investigation is asked to contact the Pinole Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (510) 724-1111.
