In a distressing turn of events, two men from the Inland Empire face federal charges following the armed robbery of a San Bernardino marijuana dispensary. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tyrie Ravon Contreras, 32, of Barstow, and Kenyon Lamonte Watson, 19, of Perris, were indicted today for the crime which involved using a firearm to intimidate and steal from the store employees.
The indictment laid out a grim scene: three masked suspects, on August 9, entered the dispensary while brandishing weapons. It is alleged that after ordering three employees to the ground, Contreras pressed the barrel of his pistol to the head of an employee lying face down, igniting fears of an execution-style shooting. The pair, along with an unidentified accomplice, are accused of making off with cannabis products and roughly $500 in cash, escaping in Watson’s white BMW sports sedan, leaving behind terror in their wake.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada stated, “We must send a message of zero-tolerance for violent gun crime.” He further emphasized the commitment to using federal law as “powerful tools to hold accountable those who use firearms to rob businesses” and that his office would persist in working with law enforcement partners to pursue justice in such matters. This case comes under Operation Safe Cities, an initiative focused on strategic enforcement against significant drivers of violent crime. Seeking to improve public safety, the effort targets illegal gun activities and robberies that bring upheaval to communities and businesses…