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They allegedly followed him home and robbed him. Now they’re facing charges

Carlos Tapia-Torres appeared in Franklin County Superior Court in Pasco on Wednesday.  Pasco police arrested five people in connection with a robbery Tuesday night.
Carlos Tapia-Torres appeared in Franklin County Superior Court in Pasco on Wednesday. Pasco police arrested five people in connection with a robbery Tuesday night. Tri-City Herald

Five people accused of attacking a man in front of his Pasco home are facing charges.

Prosecutors filed robbery charges against the four men and one woman. They were still in Franklin County jail.

The group followed Uriel Martinez Mesino around 7:45 p.m. into the parking lot of his apartment building on the 700 block of Third Avenue.

Two men in a truck — Jonathon Villegas, 23, and Carlos Tapia-Torres, 24 — approached Martinez Mesino’s car and tried opening his doors.

When that didn’t work, one of them men grabbed a rock, smashed a window and hit the door release to get inside, court documents said.

Miguel Lopez-Arjona, 31, joined the two men, and they allegedly beat Martinez Mesino and busted his nose before stealing his keys.

They left a shoe-shaped cut on his face.

Esther Oliva, 20, was behind the wheel of the pickup, while Leonel Ramirez-Torres, 34, kept watch for the cops from the truck’s back seat.

Pasco officers caught up with the group near 14th Avenue and Hassalo Street. Tapia-Torres allegedly had the victim’s keys in his pocket.

Cameron Probert: 509-582-1402; Twitter: @cameroncprobert
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