Davis police arrested two alleged robbers Friday and are seeking the suspect in a second, unrelated robbery that occurred two days later.
The first incident occurred late Friday morning at a recycling center in the 300 block of Mace Boulevard, where the victim said he was confronted by the two suspects while dropping off his recyclables, Lt. Art Camacho said.
“They threatened him with physical violence and an unknown sharp object. This confrontation began for unknown reasons,” Camacho said. “The victim further alleges that when he took a photograph of the suspects’ vehicle via his telephone, the suspects threatened him with physical violence a second time and attempted unsuccessfully to rip the phone from his hands.”
Officers responded to the scene and identified two suspects, Davis residents Benjamin Lee Howe, 33; and Mousa Mohammed Abuelhawa, 36, Camacho said. Both were booked into the Yolo County Jail on charges of attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony and making terrorist threats.
On Sunday, police were summoned shortly after 2 p.m. to the KFC restaurant 1617 Research Park Dr. for a report of an iPhone theft that had just occurred there.
According to Camacho, the victim said she had arranged through the OfferIt app to sell the phone to a man at that location. The man took the phone, presumably to inspect it, then ran out of the restaurant to a waiting vehicle parked in the nearby Carl’s Jr. lot.
The suspect was described as a black male adult in his mid to late 20s, standing about 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-9. The getaway car, driven by another person, was a red sedan last seen headed northeast on Research Park Drive.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Davis Police Department at 530-747-5400.