Trio arrested in armed robbery spree charged with hate rimes

SAN JOSE >> Three men arrested in connection with a South Bay armed robbery spree are also facing hate crime charges because they targeted Asian people, prosecutors said.

In a statement April 20, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said the suspects “targeted Asian people because of their perceived wealth.”

The trio — identified as Tevita Lauti Fefita, 21, of Oakland; Curtis Eddie Charles Freeman, 19, of Stockton; and Siahola Jlan Tupouata, 18, of Oakland — were arraigned April 20 on robbery and hate-crime charges. They face prison time if convicted.

“Those who prey on Asian people should know that both my office and our county are proudly diverse and united against hatred and violence,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said.

The men are suspected of committing three armed robberies April 17 in Palo Alto and Milpitas.

The Palo Alto robberies occurred within 25 minutes of one another. The first was reported at 6:35 p.m. in the 1100 block of Trinity Lane and the second just before 7 p.m. in the 800 block of Marshall Drive. The Milpitas robbery was reported around 7:30 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of McCandless Drive.

In the first robbery, one of the suspects held a gun to a man's head as his wife and two children looked on, prosecutors said.

The suspects were arrested later that night in San Francisco. Prosecutors said officers found much of the stolen property in their vehicle, as well as a replica pistol.

In a separate criminal case, three men have also been arrested on suspicion of committing at least 15 robberies throughout the Bay Area that appeared to target the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. They occurred between Feb. 24 and March 29.