Daeon Raishawn Cox, 22, a Riverside an who led a crew that committed at least 15 armed robberies of Inland Empire AutoZone stores, sometimes using an AR-15-style rifle, got sentenced to 108 months in federal prison. Cox pleaded  guilty in July 2019 to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

            From September 5, 2018 until December 13, 2018, when he was arrested after leading police officers on a high-speed pursuit, Cox and his co-conspirators robbed at least 15 AutoZone stores at gunpoint, making off with more than $11,000 in cash. In many of the robberies, Cox or a co-conspirator brandished or pointed a gun at the AutoZone employees in order to gain compliance. These firearms included at least two handguns, and in some instances, an AR-15-style rifle. Cox directly participated in at least eight of the armed robberies, plus one additional attempted robbery.

            One of Cox's co-defendants, Dashon Raymond White, 26, of Moreno Valley,pleaded guilty in July 2019 to conspiracy to one count of interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15, 2021. Cox, White, and co-defendant Jada Shardae Allen, 20, of Perris, were caught after their attempt to use an AR-15-style rifle to rob an AutoZone on December 12, 2018 was interrupted by Fontana police, who had been conducting surveillance at the AutoZone store in that city after learning about the string of AutoZone robberies in the Inland Empire, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in the case. he suspects led police on a high-speed chase on Interstate 15 and threw the rifle out of the car. The chase ended when they crashed and tried to run away. Cox was found hiding in a garbage can. All three suspects were eventually apprehended by officers. Officers recovered the firearm on the side of the freeway. Allen's trial is scheduled for January 26, 2021.