Sharp-Eyed, Quick-Witted Apple Delivery Truck Driver Puts Kibosh on Robbery Attempt

A keen-eyed delivery truck driver’s quick thinking led to the arrests of five suspected robbers on Tuesday.

The incident unfolded at 10:38 a.m. when the driver, delivering to the Apple Store in Old Pasadena, spotted a suspicious white Econoline van parked close to the store. The van matched the description of a vehicle involved in a series of recent Apple Store robberies.

Recognizing the potential threat, the alert driver promptly contacted the Pasadena Police, providing them with a detailed description of the situation. He informed the authorities about the string of robberies that had been plaguing Apple Stores, all of which were linked to a similar van.

The van fled as officers arrived. It headed onto the westbound 134 freeway where police executed a traffic stop.

During the traffic stop, one of the suspects exited the vehicle and fled on foot onto the nearby Annandale Golf Course. The suspect, believed to be in his fifties, evaded capture by entering a sewer drain on the edge of the golf course. He was later apprehended when he emerged from a different manhole cover on the golf course.

The remaining four suspects were detained without incident. The westbound 134 freeway was temporarily shut down for approximately 20 minutes during the arrests. No weapons were found, and no injuries were reported.

The suspects are believed to be part of a crew that has been robbing Apple store deliveries when a delivery of merchandise arrives and the truck doors are opened, the thieves have been known to jump out of a van and steal the merchandise before fleeing the scene.

The LAPD, which has multiple cases relating to these types of thefts, responded to the scene and took custody of all five suspects and the van. The identities of the suspects have not been released.