Ukiah police arrest two in Subway robbery

Two men are in custody in Ukiah, suspected of a Dec. 12 sandwich shop robbery with a BB gun that left one of them seriously wounded after being shot by a customer.

Ukiah police arrested Dorian Michael Coon, 20, and Alexander Romero, 19, saying the Willits men were involved in the robbery at the Subway restaurant on North Orchard Avenue. Coon, armed with a realistic-looking BB gun, went into the shop while Romero waited in the getaway car, according to law enforcement reports.

The robber went into the bathroom and came out holding the gun, demanding one employee accompany him to the restaurant lobby and another give him money from the register, the store manager said in a December interview. An employee gave the man a bag with about $200 in coins.

As Coon ran for the door, still holding the weapon, a customer pulled out a handgun and fired three times, hitting him twice in the back, according to reports. Coon dropped the bag, ran to a nearby store and collapsed.

The customer had a gun permit and told officers he fired because he feared for his safety and the safety of others, police said.

Prosecutors decided not to file charges against the shooter after reviewing security video footage and statements from employees, customers and the shooter, said Mike Geniella, a spokesman for the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.

“The shooter and the employees and the customers all believed they were in danger. They thought the gun was real and as the guy ran past, there was still the danger of him firing at people even as he was leaving,” Geniella said.

Police and the District Attorney’s Office declined to identify the shooter, saying witnesses aren’t named in criminal investigations.

Coon initially wasn’t arrested due to his critical injuries - law enforcement agencies arresting an injured suspect must guard the person at the hospital, which is costly and time consuming. He was hospitalized for weeks at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and then left against medical advice, but still needed medical treatment and continued returning for outpatient services, Ukiah police Lt. Cedric Crook said.

Detectives tracked Coon’s travels as they continued the investigation. “We’ve been waiting for him to be medically capable of being incarcerated,” Ukiah police Sgt. Rick Pintane said.

Investigators believe Romero was an active participant in the robbery plan, Pintane said. Two or three juveniles were also in the getaway car but weren’t involved in the crime, Geniella said.

Detectives picked up Romero on April 13 and Coon, who was in Shasta County, four days later.

Both men were booked into Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of five felonies, including kidnap for robbery, false imprisonment and? second-?degree robbery.

They also face a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after having the juveniles with them. Bail for each was set at $450,000.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.