On November 1, 2022 around 6:38 PM, El Cajon Police Officers responded to a robbery at the Vans Store in the 800 block of N. Second Street in El Cajon, which was similar to a series of robberies in the past week. 

Officers began checking the area for a vehicle associated with the other robberies and located it in an apartment complex in the 1300 block of Broadway. During their investigation, officers learned the suspect fled into a specific apartment. Police surrounded the apartment, and several occupants came out. One of the occupants was 28-year-old Traveon Matthews, who ECPD had identified as the suspect in two other robberies in the area on previous days.  

During a search of the apartment, officers recovered several stolen items. Later in the investigation, La Mesa Police located a replica firearm that Matthews may have used in the robberies. Matthews was on state parole and violated the terms of his parole. Matthews was arrested for a parole violation and booked into the county jail. Police later added charges for four separate robberies (3 in El Cajon and 1 in Lakeside). Matthew's arraignment will be on November 4th.  

The El Cajon Police Department would like to thank all agencies who assisted in these cases, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the San Diego Sheriff's Department, the La Mesa Police Department, and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. It was primarily due to the multi-agency cooperation that police apprehended Matthews. If you have any information about these crimes, contact the El Cajon Police Department Major Crime Unit at (619)579-3311 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.