WOODLAND HILLS : ‘Follow-Home’ Robbery Suspects Arrested

Officers from a controversial undercover unit followed a suspect in a series of San Fernando Valley “follow-home” robberies for three weeks, arresting him and three alleged accomplices Tuesday after they robbed a Woodland Hills woman they followed from a supermarket, Los Angeles police reported.

Bernard Roberts, 24, of Granada Hills, Richard Talley, 22, of Pasadena and Derrick Mosley, 20, of Pacoima were being held at West County Jail on suspicion of robbery, Detective Gus Ruiz said. A fourth suspect, a 17-year-old Pacoima youth, was being held at Sylmar Juvenile Hall.

Ruiz said Roberts, who has been charged in six other “follow-home” robberies, had been tailed for three weeks by detectives of the Special Investigation Section, which specializes in following suspected criminals until they commit a major offense.

About 2:30 p.m., all four went into a Ralphs grocery store near Winnetka Avenue and Ventura Boulevard, police said. They picked out Catherine Rothenberg, 53, inside the store because of a $30,000 seven-carat diamond ring she was wearing and followed her when she left, police said.