Pre-Trial Hearing Begins For Five Men Connected to String of Armed Robberies

Five Newark men facing charges related to a string of armed robberies are scheduled to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing Thursday – nearly two months after they all pleaded not guilty.

Andrew Heilman,19; Omare Murphy,18; Roger Perez,18; Walter Simmons,19; and Orlando Zendejas, 20,  after authorities raided five homes in Newark near Cotton and Thomas avenues, off Cherry Street.

Authorities have said the five men are believed to be connected to a series of 15 armed robberies at gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants spread throughout southern Alameda County.

The five men pleaded not guilty on Nov. 18 to the charges, which include numerous counts of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Det. Bill Veteran of the Fremont Police Department has said the quintet is believed to be responsible for a number of armed robberies, including five that took place in Fremont, four in Newark, three in Hayward and one each in Milpitas, San Leandro and Union City.

Two of the robberies occurred at Wingstop restaurants in Hayward and Fremont, according to authorities.

Veteran has said that in each robbery, the suspects were armed with a shotgun and covered their faces with red bandannas and ski masks.

They are also believed to have been involved in a Newark home burglary where eight firearms were stolen, police said.

The that led to their arrests was one that caught the attention of numerous Newark residents when officers from the Newark, Fremont, Union City, Milpitas and San Leandro police departments and SWAT units began raiding the neighborhood in central Newark as early as 7 a.m. that morning. 

The pre-trial hearings for Heilman, Murphy, Perez, Simmons and Zendejas are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in Department 605 at the Fremont Hall of Justice, 39439 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont.