Knife-Wielding Suspect Held in South Lake Store Robbery; Second Still Sought

A woman was arrested Wednesday night after an armed robbery involving a knife at a store in the 400 block of South Lake Avenue, according to Pasadena Police Lt. Anthony Russo.

Russo said officers responded at 8:56 p.m. on March 25 to a report that two suspects attempted to leave the store without paying for merchandise. When confronted by security personnel, the woman brandished a four-inch folding knife, prompting the guards to retreat. Both suspects fled the scene, he said.

Officers located the woman nearby and recovered the knife from inside stolen merchandise. A portion of the stolen items was also recovered. The victims — a 22-year-old man from Sierra Madre and a 28-year-old man from Los Angeles — positively identified her as one of the suspects, Russo said. No injuries were reported.

The suspect was identified as Meiko Lewis, 35, of Los Angeles. She was arrested on suspicion of robbery and for two outstanding warrants, according to Russo.

The second suspect, described as a white man about 30 years old, remains at large. Russo said he is about 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds and was last seen wearing a white top, blue jeans, and a black-and-gray baseball cap with an American flag emblem. He was carrying a black satchel.

Russo said the stolen merchandise included clothing and purses valued at more than $200.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or report information anonymously by contacting “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) via your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org