Week After Signaling Arrest, Police Nab Suspect in Spring St. Trolley Robbery

Apparently delivering on a promise made last week at a Lemon Avenue School forum, La Mesa police have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a Feb. 20 cell-phone mugging at the Spring Street Trolley Station.

At the Wednesday forum, Police Chief Al Lanning told local residents: “We expect  [Spring Street cases] to be resolved.” A week later, police arrested Clinton Gray Jr. of San Diego.

Gray is being held on $100,000 bail, and is scheduled for arraignment at 1:30 p.m. Friday in El Cajon Superior Court, according to court records.

“During the [Feb. 20] robbery, the suspect forcibly took the victim’s cell phone after punching him in the head,” said La Mesa police in a news release Thursday.  “The victim was not seriously injured.”

Police say Gray—listed as 5-feet-11 tall and weighing 140 pounds—was arrested at Grossmont Center when detectives recognized him from surveillance photos taken at the time of the robbery.  The detectives were at the mall on an unrelated matter.

Police Lt. Dan Willis said the surveillance tapes were from the trolley—but it is unknown if Gray is a suspect in other robberies. 

“Right now, other robbery cases are being worked as normal,” Willis said. “There are no current identified suspects at this time.”