South London train thugs beat up victim for £36 necklace

Attack was part of six week crime spree on rail network
From let to right: Elias Angulo Ruiz, Juan Martinez Vargas, Starling Rodriguez Jose
BTP
Bill McLoughlin24 November 2023
WEST END FINAL

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Three men have been jailed after carrying out a series of robberies on trains across south London

Following a joint operation between the British Transport Police and the Met, Elias Angulo Ruiz, 22, of Hammersmith, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Starling Rodriguez Jose, 24, of Canning Town, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

Juan Martinez Vargas, 22, of Ealing, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.

All received eight-year criminal behaviour orders which barred them from using public transport unless they’ve paid with their own Oyster Card or contactless payment card; carrying a mobile phone, unless they can demonstrate it is registered to them, their employer or their parents; and associating with or being in the company of any of the co-defendants. 

Yoscar Lake
BTP

A fourth man, Yoscar Lake, 22, of Thornton Heath, was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years. Lake was also given 800 hours of community service and a five-year criminal behaviour order. 

All were convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery on November 17, at Inner London Crown Court.

Detective Sergeant Tulin Akdam, investigating officer in the case, said: “Criminals like this should know that we’ll make sure they face justice for the crimes they inflict on innocent members of the public. 

"This cowardly group worked together to intimidate and target passengers across South London.

"The rail network is covered by extensive CCTV, which we successfully used to prove that they were behind this crime spree.   

"Our uniformed and plain-clothes teams patrol the rail network every day to deter robbery and make sure passengers have safe journeys.”

Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 2019, the four committed 14 robberies including one where they assaulted a victim and stole a chain worth just £36 on board a train. 

In other incidents across Elephant & Castle, Tulse Hill and Sydenham, the four took phones, jewellery and on several occasions forcibly  ripped gold chains from their victims’ necks.

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