Two Men Arrested in Alleged Shotgun Robbery Near Nicolet Middle School

Two 19-year-old men were behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of an alleged daylight shotgun robbery near Nicolet Middle School, according to Banning police.

The 16-year-old victim was not a student at Nicolet Middle, though he may have been attending an adult continuation program on the middle school campus, Banning police Sgt. Alex Diaz said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.

The alleged armed robbery was reported at 11:29 a.m. Tuesday in the area of 101 E. Nicolet St., the address for Nicolet Middle School, according to Banning police.

The victim told police he "was walking in the area of Nicolet Street and Alessandro Road when a full size van, possibly white, with a blue stripe, drove next to him," police said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "The passenger of the van . . . produced a black shotgun from within the van and pointed it at the victim."

The victim told police he was ordered to hand over all his personal belongings.

The victim gave the suspect with the shotgun his money and a touch screen cell phone, police said. The victim told police the gunman was a black male and the driver of the van was a white male.

"The vehicle fled in an unknown direction and the victim called 911 from the Nicolet Middle School Office," police said in their statement.

Later Tuesday afternoon, detectives were near Murray Street and Hoffer Street and located a vehicle matching the description of the van driven by the armed robbery suspects, police said.

"Investigators conducted a felony traffic stop on the van and secured the area, the vehicle, and the two occupants with the assistance of patrol officers," police said.

The victim positively identified the two men in the van from photo lineups, police said.

The alleged gunman, identified as Serpentor Karnage Williams, 19, and the driver of the van, identified as Joseph A. Baker, 19, were arrested and booked Wedneday evening at Smith Correctional in Banning, according to police and inmate records.

"The victim also identified the shotgun as the one the suspect pointed at him and also identified the van, a GMC Ventura 1500, as the vehicle the suspects were driving when they robbed him," police said.

The van contained property reported as stolen in Banning and unincorporated Riverside County, police said.

The shotgun used during the robbery, a black Remington 870, had been reported stolen during a residential burglary in Banning on Monday, police said.

Williams and Baker were held Wednesday afternoon on $25,000 bail each, according to inmate records. They have court appearances scheduled Thursday in Banning.

Anyone with further information was urged to call the Banning Police Department's Detective Bureau at (951) 849-1196.