Three Charged in String of Armed Robberies

Three suspects are behind bars for allegedly committing a string of robberies in Fremont over a six-month span. 

According to the Fremont Police Department, Silvelio Fanualelei, 22, of Union City; Anthony Galang, 19, of Hayward; and Wahidullah Noor, 21, of Fremont, have been charged with multiple counts of felony robbery, felony kidnapping during a robbery and robbery with the use of a firearm in connection to the crime spree.

The trio struck Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and Jack in the Box restaurants, along with 7-Eleven stores between March and August of this year, police said.

Each of the robberies followed the same pattern, police said. The masked suspects would enter the store, point handguns at employees, take employees' wallets, try to get into the safe and then force employees into a nearby room before fleeing. In some cases, the employees were forced into large freezers. 

The most recent crime occurred Aug. 24 when Fremont police were dispatched to the McDonald’s on the 4300 block of Thornton Avenue.

Investigators were able to follow leads that resulted in the arrests of Fanualelei, Galang and Noor. The arrests were made in Hayward and Union City, Fremont police said. The firearm believed to have been used during the robberies was located during a subsequent search following the arrests.

Physical evidence, along with witness and suspect statements, linked the trio to the Aug. 24 McDonald’s robbery and other recent robberies in Fremont.

Fanualelei, Galang and Noor were charged in court on Aug. 27 and remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail, according to Fremont police. They are scheduled for further court proceedings in late October.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to contact Fremont Police at 510-790-6900. Anonymous tips may also be left at www.fremontpolice.org/tip or by texting TIP FREMONTPD to 888777 with your message.