4 accused of pepper spraying employees, smashing store display cases and stealing jewelry at 2 Oakland County malls

Four men are facing charges for allegedly pepper spraying employees and smashing jewelry display cases at two Oakland County malls, then fleeing with stolen merchandise.

The assaults and robberies happened Aug. 11 at the MJ Diamonds store inside Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills and Aug. 24 at Macy’s inside the Oakland Mall in Troy, police said.

The four suspects were nabbed just after the Macy’s incident by Troy police and members of the FBI Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force, who were conducting surveillance in the area to find the vehicle associated with the Auburn Hills incident.

The accused assailants/armed robbers are:

• Hernan Parraquez-Mondaca, charged with five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felonious assault and two counts of malicious destruction of property• Michael Aguilar-Mondaca, charged with five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felonious assault and two counts of malicious destruction of property• Sandrino Rojas-Palma, charged with five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felonious assault and two counts of malicious destruction of property• Nicholas Caceres-Henriquez, charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of felonious assault and one count of malicious destruction of property

In the MJ Diamonds incident, police said, two men wearing surgical masks entered the store at 4:30 p.m., pepper sprayed three employees, used hammers to smash displays and grabbed jewelry, then fled on foot toward I-75. A black Kia Soul was identified as the suspect vehicle, owned by Michael Aguilar-Mondaca. It was also determined the car and suspects had been at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets two days prior, police said.

Nearly two weeks later, the FBI’s Oakland County Gang and Violent Crimes Task Force — which had taken over the case — were conducting surveillance in the Oakland Mall area as part of the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets case when three of the suspects, wearing masks, arrived at the Oakland Mall in a black Kia Soul and entered Macy’s, police said. The vehicle left the parking lot and entered I-75 northbound, turned on its hazard lights and parked on the shoulder across from the parking lot, police said. Meanwhile, the three suspects who had headed into Macy’s went directly to the jewelry counter, doused employees with pepper spray and used hammers to break display case glass, police said. They stole jewelry, fled the store into the parking lot, then jumped the freeway fence and entered the Kia waiting on the shoulder, police said.

Law enforcement then moved in on them as they tried to escape, stopped the Kia and arrested the four without further incident, police said.

Stolen jewelry, along with cash and other evidence was recovered, connecting the four with the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets incident, police said.

The four face up to life in prison if convicted of armed robbery, up to four years in prison if convicted of felonious assault and up to five years in prison if convicted of malicious destruction of property — as well as fines. All were denied bond at arraignment and are held in the Oakland County Jail. A preliminary exam is scheduled for Sept. qq before 52-4 District Judge Maureen McGinnis.