Crime & Safety

UPDATED: 4 Men to Be Arraigned Today in Fatal Monaco Jewelers Robbery

A sheriff's spokesman said he was unaware of what role the men allegedly played in the botched robbery that left two thieves dead.

The original version of this story was published at 8:57 a.m.

Four men will be arraigned this afternoon on murder charges in connection with a in San Juan Capistrano.

Moreno Valley residents George Anthony Boozer, 39, and Alan Keith Hunter, 35 and Gardena residents James Stephan Paschall, 35, and Eddie Allan Clark, 27, were arrested Wednesday after law enforcement officers served warrants in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

They will each face murder and attempted robbery charges in the incident that led to the deaths of two other thieves pronounced dead at the scene at Monaco Jewelers.

Boozer and Hunter are accused of looking out for police during the robbery, and of fleeing the scene when officers arrived on scene. Prosecutors believe Paschall was the get-away driver and that Clark entered the store, but escaped in the get-away car.

Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino speculated that the four suspects may have the same Los Angeles gang affiliations as Robert Earl Avery and Desmond Brown, both 39. They were fatally shot June 29 during an attempt to rob the jewelery store.

New details of the incident were also released Friday. As the Sheriff's Department now reports, two store employees, "in fear for their lives," were the ones who shot Avery and Brown.

Avery was buzzed into the at first, then pushed his pistol in the stomach of the store's manager, authorities say. Another employee armed himself with a handgun and fired at Avery, who fell to the floor at the rear of the jewelry store.

Brown and Clark reportedly entered the store to help Avery, at which time the armed employee fired at Brown, striking him in the upper torso, authorities say. When Brown continued forward, despite being wounded, another store employee grabbed a handgun and fired at him. He fell to the showroom floor.

Clark then allegedly fled to the front door and got into a stolen get-away car driven by a fourth robber, authorities say.

, but it was postponed when investigators developed new leads during interrogations with the four men they arrested, Amormino said. 

If convicted on all counts, Boozer and Clark Jr. face a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison. Third-strikers Hunter and Paschall each have two prior strike convictions for 1995 and 1996 armed robberies and face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted.

They are each being held on $1 million bail.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.