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Two suspects in the attempted armed robbery of a jewelry store in North Fair Oaks are in custody and two more are being sought following a car chase and crash in Menlo Park on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 16.

Described as four black men in their 20s, they are wanted in the attempted robbery of Plaza Jewelers on Middlefield Road near Eighth Avenue. The weapon, a black semi-automatic handgun, is in police possession, said Deputy Rebecca Rosenblatt of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. No injuries were reported in the robbery attempt.

Deputies arrived at the jewelry store within 30 seconds of the call and followed the suspects' vehicle, a white sedan, until it crashed into another car and slammed into a telephone pole at
Marsh and Bay roads at 12:32 p.m.

The car's occupants fled, with deputies in pursuit. The occupants of the vehicle that had been struck were not injured, Rosenblatt said.

The search for the men, which included K9 units, was conducted yard by yard in residential North Fair Oaks, Rosenblatt said. At one point, the search included a fixed-wing plane from the California Highway Patrol, she said.

Residents were asked to remain indoors during the search, and those not at home were being kept outside the search perimeter, she said.

Atherton, Menlo Park, Redwood City and Palo Alto police joined the hunt.

Following the crash, police were seen holding shotguns and standing in the street and along railroad tracks near Marsh and Bay roads, a witness said.

— Almanac staff

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