Man arrested for allegedly shooting a Pomona convenience store worker

A man was in police custody Thursday for allegedly shooting a Pomona convenience store employee during a robbery, authorities said.

Josue Cervantes, 26, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and other crimes in connection with the shooting that occurred about 3:30 a.m. Monday at a 7-Eleven on East Grand Avenue, the Pomona Police Department reported.

Cervantes, who was arrested later on Monday, was being held on $3 million bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Officers went to the business on a report of an armed robbery, police said.

“The employee … was outside the store when he recognized the suspect from a prior theft,” police said in a statement. “The victim entered the business, quickly locking the door behind him before the suspect could follow him inside. The suspect, armed with a rifle, demanded entry to the business. The suspect then began shooting at the victim through the glass, entered the store, and stole merchandise.”

Arriving officers found the employee, who was suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover, police said.

“The suspect fled in an unknown direction and hid through the night,” police said. “The next morning, detectives were conducting a follow-up investigation at the 7-Eleven when they located the discarded rifle and other belongings nearby.

“An officer saw a person who matched the suspect’s description running from the immediate area,” police said. “With the assistance of the department’s Special Investigations Unit, K-9, and other department resources, officers located the suspect hiding in the backyard of a nearby residence.”

According to police, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has filed the following charges against Cervantes: attempted murder, robbery, criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an inhabited dwelling, and felon in possession of a firearm.

Anyone with information on the crime was urged to call the Pomona Police Department at 909-622-1241 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.