Police in Brighton say they have arrested two men and two women in connection with an armed robbery of a man outside of a motel late Sunday who was apparently lured into a trap by a marijuana-smoking ruse.
Tahlea Navarro, 26, Donte Beasley, 25, Bridget Josfita Lesperance, 21, and Xavier Anthony Johnson, 18, are each being held on suspicion of aggravated robbery. Police say the four are from Aurora and Denver.
Police say Lesperance was also found to be wanted on several warrants and was also charged with possessing a controlled substance.
Police say the man was robbed after he was lured to the motel at 15151 Brighton Rd. by the two women whom he met at a nearby Sonic restaurant. The women said they wanted to smoke marijuana with him and so they all went back to the motel.
“The man said the three went to the Best Western, where the women led him to a public area on the third floor before indicating they were uncomfortable smoking marijuana in the motel,” police said in a news release Tuesday. “They all returned to his car. The women asked him to move to the south side of the motel, where their car was parked.”
The women then got out of the car saying they were going to buy cigarettes when a man with a gun opened the passenger door, pointed it at the victim and demanded money.
The gunman fled with cash and the group of four suspects, including a second man driving a getaway car, headed out of the motel parking lot, according to authorities. Police say the victim crashed his car into the group’s getaway vehicle after which the suspects fled the scene on foot.
The four were arrested in the area by law enforcement shortly thereafter.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
