Los Angeles Duo Found Guilty For 10-Day Liquor Store Robbery Spree Ending in Police Chase, Car Crash and Foot Pursuit

LOS ANGELES - Two Los Angeles men have been found guilty today for committing a string of robbers in a 10-day span that ended in the duo leading law enforcement in a chase in Los Angeles County before crashing a stolen car into a tree then running across six lanes of highway traffic during rush hour.

At the conclusion of a three-day trial, a jury convicted the two defendants with Hobbs Act robbery. They will be sentenced by United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera on October 24:

Anthony Flores, a.k.a. "BabyGfar", 28, of Los Angeles; and

Ivin Kitu Sanford, 32, of Los Angeles.

According to court documents, beginning in May 2023, the defendants conspired to rob and robbed two BevMo stores, stealing high-end liquor stored behind security glass and, in some instances, threatened employees with violence. Flores and Sanford would then sell the liquor to individuals on Instagram. The incidents involved the following locations:

• Long Beach: Flores stole approximately $2,604 worth of liquor.
• Lakewood: Flores stole approximately $800 worth of liquor. Additionally, Hardgraves allegedly threatened to shoot a store employee if he attempted to interfere with the robbery.

Furthrermore, Flores and Sanford conspired to rob two additional BevMo stores located in Pasadena and West Covina.

After the robberies, Flores was surveilled and seen selling the bottles. Flores was arrested and released. On June 5, 2023, the two defendants again attempted to rob the Canyon Country BevMo store. Flores and Sanford physically subdued a store victim-employee and attempted to steal high-end bottles of liquor. The defendants fled in a stolen silver Dodge Charger with a stolen license plate and attempted to evade officers during a traffic stop. Flores and Sanford led law enforcement on a chase through Los Angeles County before crashing into a tree. After the crash, defendants ran on foot across the California State Route 14, a 65-mile-per-hour highway, during rush hour traffic. Flores and Sanford were later found in bushes in a desolate area.

"Callous disregard for the law undermines our community's sense of safety," said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. "These defendants' violent robberies and attempts to evade officers put lives at risk. Our Operation Safe Cities initiative aims to ensure that violent crimes are met with serious consequences, and today's convictions demonstrate our steadfast commitment to that goal."

Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.

The case against the third defendant, Jabco Hardgraves, a.k.a. "Jacob Hardgraves," Baby Monster," "Lil Turtle", 27, of Los Angeles is still pending and is not currently set for trial.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, West Covina Police Department, and Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.

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