An 18-year-old Riverside man accused of committing multiple holdups at stores in Jurupa Valley and Riverside was charged Wednesday with six counts of armed robbery
Samisoni T. Akauola was arrested Friday following an investigation by a regional task force staffed by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and Riverside police officers.
Along with the robbery counts, Akauola is charged with sentence-enhancing gun use allegations.
He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment before Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for April 13 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Akauola is being held in lieu of $630,000 bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Lodes, the robbery series began in early March, targeting convenience stores in the Riverside area.
Lodes said investigators followed leads that pointed to Akauola as the alleged perpetrator, and a search warrant was obtained and served at his residence on Laurel Drive Friday morning.
“Police located credible evidence linking Akauola to the armed robberies,” Lodes said.
Akauola was taken into custody without a struggle.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.