Three arrests in Music Annex robbery Three arrests in Music Annex robbery (May 05, 2004)

By Jonas Raab
Special to the Almanac

Three men were arrested on April 19 in connection with a robbery that occurred at the Music Annex recording studio at 970 O'Brien Drive, police reported.

Menlo Park police arrived at the studio around midnight Monday, April 19, to find that the suspects had fled east on Willow Road in a white Chevrolet Suburban, said Sgt. Sharon Kaufman.

Officers Megan Boyajian and Steve Knopp spotted the Suburban on the Bayfront Expressway and followed it over the Dumbarton Bridge. When they stopped the vehicle, two of the four passengers fled on foot.

With the help of Newark and Fremont police, along with the California Highway Patrol, the two men were found by Menlo Park canine "Dag" and his partner Officer Scott Mackdanz, hiding in an apartment complex near where the vehicle was stopped by police.

Mitch Lira, 24, of San Jose and Cleveland Horn, 22, of Modesto were arrested on charges of conspiracy, robbery, aggravated assault and assault with a stun gun, and Lamar Sowels, 25, of Stockton was charged with evading a police officer and driving without a license.

A fourth passenger, who also fled when police stopped the vehicle, was not charged.

People in the Music Annex at the time of the robbery suffered minor injuries, but did not need medical attention, police said.

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