A South Bay man pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in a crew that committed armed robberies of a liquor store, gas station and convenience store — a crime spree that prosecutors say ended in the death of an innocent driver while the defendants fled from police.
Salagi Iakopo, 32, of Carson entered his plea in Los Angeles federal court to one count of interference of commerce by robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 1.
The defendants — Iakopo, Kaelenn Maea, 28, of Long Beach and Mathew Salanoa, 25, of Placentia — committed three armed robberies in September 2023 in Downey, Compton and South El Monte, according to court records.
In each heist, one of the robbers used a short-style rifle to control the cashier and customers while another robber took full cash registers or drawers before all the suspects fled in a stolen Range Rover, officials said.
In the trio’s final robbery on Oct. 9, 2023, in the South Gate area, the defendants fled in the SUV and almost immediately hit another car while attempting to escape authorities, killing the innocent 34-year-old driver, according to federal prosecutors.
The suspects then ran away, but Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies found Iakopo hiding in a trash can in the area, an affidavit states.
Deputies say they later found clothing believed to belong to Maea beside a small crawl space under a nearby house. Inside the Range Rover, deputies found clothing, identification and a phone also believed to belong to Maea, according to the affidavit.
Maea pleaded guilty to federal charges in April and is expected to be sentenced next month. Salanoa has agreed to plead guilty on Aug. 18 in downtown Los Angeles.