2 Held in Monday Night Cell-Phone Robbery at 70th St. Trolley Station

Clues about a cell-phone robbery led to the La Mesa branch library Tuesday—and the arrest of the first of two men in a trolley station crime.

About 7:30 p.m. Monday, police learned of an armed robbery at the 70th Street trolley station at 7255 Alvarado Road in west La Mesa, said police Lt. Dan Willis.

“A black male suspect approached the [young victim] on the trolley platform and asked for his money,” Willis said. “When the victim refused the suspect pulled out a black handgun and took the victim’s cell phone.  There was a second suspect accompanying the man with the gun.  Both suspects fled and got away.”

But Tuesday, he said, La Mesa police detectives and members of the Special Enforcement Detail followed leads and contacted one of the suspects outside the library in the 8000 block of Allison Avenue.

That suspect, Sterling Lamant Joseph, 27, was later arrested.  The ongoing investigation led detectives to the second suspect—Richard James Goodman, 26, who arrested in the 7300 block of Mohawk St. near the San Diego border, Willis said.

A search of Goodman’s home in the 5000 block of Comanche Dr. led to the recovery of a replica handgun, he said.

Both suspects were booked into County Jail for one count of armed robbery. 

“La Mesa detectives are continuing to work closely with investigators from neighboring agencies to review cases in order to determine if these suspects are responsible for other robberies that have occurred in La Mesa and other jurisdictions,” Willis said.

Joseph and Goodman are being held on $100,000 each with arraignment set for 1:30 p.m. Monday in El Cajon Superior Court.