INDIO, Calif. – The investigation into a series of armed and attempted armed robberies in February and March led to the arrest of a Corona, California man and a Klamath Falls, Oregon, man.
The robberies took place in Orange County between February 11, 2019, and March 13, 2019, leading to the surveillance on the two suspects by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,Firearms, and Explosives – ATF agents. Detectives from the Irvine, Fullerton, and Brea Police Departments were also part of the surveillance.
On Friday, April 12, 2019, at around 9:45 p.m., as they were being watched by agents and detectives, Manual Luna, 20, of Corona and Matthew Hetrick, 21, of Klamath Falls, robbed the Best Western Date Tree Hotel in Indio. Authorities observed Luna and Hetrick parked near the Best Western, located at 81909 Indio Boulevard in Indio. Luna ran into the hotel wearing a black ski mask, a hooded sweatshirt, camouflage pants, and tactical gloves. Hetrick stood in the vehicle to act as a getaway driver. When Luna entered the lobby, ATF officials said that he jumped over the lobby desk and brandished what appeared to be a silver handgun. He directed employees to the registers and around 30 seconds, he ran from the lobby with the gun in his hand. He ran directly toward agents.
ATF agents ordered Luna to stop running and drop the gun, he failed to drop the weapon and was shot by agents. “The handgun was later determined to be a replica,” ATF officials said. “On scene law enforcement personnel rendered immediate medical aid to Luna, who was later transported to a local hospital for treatment.” They attempted to arrest Hetrick as he waited in the getaway car but he attempted to flee. He crashed his vehicle in the front of the law enforcement pickup truck. He was ordered out of the vehicle and was subsequently arrested.
Both Luna and Hetrick were arrested at the scene and were charged in United States District Court in Santa Ana with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, under the Hobbs Act. If convicted the two face up to 20 years in federal prison on the Hobbs Act Robbery charge.
