HAYWARD — Three men have been arrested on suspicion of carrying out 11 armed robberies over seven months in the East Bay, authorities announced Friday.
The robberies happened in multiple cities between last August and February, the Hayward Police Department said in a news release. Seven were reported in Hayward, one in Castro Valley, one in Fremont, one in Livermore and one in San Leandro.
During each robbery, at least one suspect brandished a gun, police said, and in some cases, the suspects moved employees and customers to other parts of the businesses and forced employees to hand over cash from registers and safes at gunpoint.
Police said the suspects also forced employees and customers to hand over their personal property.
One suspect — identified as a 42-year-old Oakland man — was arrested on Feb. 13 and is believed to be responsible for all 11 robberies, police said.
The other suspects — identified as a 24-year-old Oakland man and a 26-year-old Concord man — were arrested on March 11 and April 4, respectively. Police said they are believed to be responsible for two robberies each in concert with the first suspect.
The suspects were taken into custody on charges including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping, police said.
The investigation into the armed robberies involved multiple Bay Area law enforcement agencies, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI, police said.
“The coordinated effort between our law enforcement partners shows the steadfast commitment to ensure the safety and well-being, not just in our respective communities, but for the entire Bay Area,” Hayward police Chief Bryan Matthews said in a statement.