Two Los Angeles men were arrested Friday in connection with a string of robberies at 7-Eleven stores in Southern California on Monday that left two people fatally shot and three others wounded in a crime wave that has terrorized the region, authorities said.
The arrests of the two men — Malik D. Patt, 20, and Jason Payne, 44 — Friday afternoon ended a manhunt that spanned four California counties and involved at least seven police departments.
At a news conference Friday, authorities did not fully address a motive for the crimes or explain how the men were found.
“This crime has drawn national attention because of the depravity and randomness of the act,” Santa Ana Mayor Vincente Sarmiento said at the news conference.
The crimes took place Monday morning at six 7-Eleven stores, and all on the distinctive date of July 11, or July 7-11, raising questions about how the timing may have played a role. Authorities did not respond to that question Friday. Authorities also believe the robbery at a Yum Yum Donuts store Monday morning is connected to the other crimes at the store that day.
In addition, Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department said that a homicide in the city on July 9 may also be linked to Mr. Pat. He added that his department and agencies in surrounding areas are investigating whether the two men were involved in other crimes in the Los Angeles area.
Authorities said Mr. Patt was the gunman who shot and killed two people and wounded three others on July 11. He is expected to be charged next week with murder, attempted murder and robbery, according to Todd Spitzer, the Orange County district attorney.
“It was a reign of terror,” he said.
It was not clear Friday whether Mr. Patt and Mr. Payne had lawyers.
The police did not specify what role they believe Mr Payne played in the crimes at the store, other than to say he provided assistance.
The shootings and robberies raised fears in the affected communities, where residents frequent the stores, Mr. Sarmiento said.
7-Eleven is celebrating its 95th birthday on July 11 by giving customers free Slurpee drinks. After the scandal, the company offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. It is unclear whether anyone will receive the award.
The slain men were identified by local authorities as Matthew Hirsch, 40, of La Habra, and Matthew Ruhl, 24, of Santa Ana.
John Rule, Matthew Rule’s father, said by phone Friday that his son, who loves music and art and hopes to one day work in film production, was at a 7-Eleven store in Santa Ana Monday morning to bought a drink for his boyfriend.
Matthew Rule tried to protect a homeless man who was robbed at gunpoint that day in the store’s parking lot, his father said. The Santa Ana Police Department said the gunman shot Matthew Rule in the upper torso, killing him.
“He cared about people, and he hated people who bullied others,” John Rule said. He added: “I just want to hug him one last time.”
Mr. Hirsch, an employee at a 7-Eleven in Brea, began recovery after years of battling addiction, working nights and texting his family that he was “so super tired,” CBS Los Angles reported.
Mr. Spitzer, the Orange County district attorney, said at the news conference that Mr. Hirsch was trying to get to his feet.
“You were an addict and you work at 7-Eleven because they gave you a chance to resurrect your life,” he said. “And then someone comes along and fakes a transaction — and shoots you and kills you.”
The July 11 crimes lasted about five hours and covered a stretch of dozens of miles through Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, south and east of Los Angeles.
Police in the six cities where the crimes took place were searching for a masked gunman who was wearing a distinctive hooded sweatshirt. On Friday, authorities identified that man as Mr. Pat.
Several stores in Southern California closed after the shooting.
Shortly after midnight Monday, a masked man armed with a gun robbed a 7-Eleven in Ontario, police said. About three miles away, at about 1:35 a.m., a man walked into a 7-Eleven in Upland and pointed a gun at an employee, demanding cash, said Chief David Valentine of the Santa Ana Police Department.
At 1:50 a.m., the first shooting occurred in Riverside, where police found a man in his 40s bleeding from a gunshot wound inside a 7-Eleven. That person was taken to hospital and survived.
About an hour later, there was a robbery at a Yum Yum Donuts in Santa Ana that authorities say was connected to the other crimes.
At about 3:23 a.m., the gunman had traveled to Santa Ana, about 40 miles southwest of Riverside, and shot and killed Mr. Rule, the police said.
In Brea, a gunman shot and killed Mr. Hirsch, a 7-Eleven employee, as he tried to rob the store about 4:18 a.m., the police said. About 30 minutes later, a gunman shot and killed two people at a convenience store in La Habra. The injured were taken to hospital, the police said.
Mr Sarmiento said the arrests “cannot undo the crimes committed against our community”.
“But what it does,” he added, “is it gives a sense of finality.”
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