Teen IDd as Oakland carpool robber, charged as adult

(09-25) 18:41 PDT OAKLAND --

A 17-year-old boy who was a former prep football star was charged as an adult Wednesday for allegedly helping a 22-year-old man rob a line of casual carpoolers in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood.

Alameda County prosecutors charged Dajon Laron Ford, who turns 18 in October, and Delante Johnson, 22, of Oakland with 10 counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of attempted second-degree robbery and weapons enhancements. Johnson was also charged with carrying a concealed firearm and carrying a loaded firearm.

Ford and Johnson were identified by some of the victims of the robbery, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Monday on Hudson Street near Claremont Avenue, authorities said.

Several guns were found at the home of Ford, a former football standout at McClymonds High School in West Oakland who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 275 pounds, authorities said.

Johnson is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $300,000 bail. Ford is being held at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center in San Leandro.

Ford, Johnson and a third man were stopped in a Honda Accord by Officers Chris Crabtree and Luis Espinoza near 29th Street in West Oakland several hours after the robbery. The third man was later released.

About 20 people were accosted by three robbers, at least one of whom had a gun, as they waited in line for solo drivers to pick them up as part of the self-regulated system. Some of those in line ran away as the robbers demanded purses, wallets, electronic devices and other valuables.

Ford is the second former prep sports star to be accused of pulling off high-profile robberies in Oakland. Noah Blue, 21, a former prep track star at Skyline High School, was charged this month with robbing the same Montclair district bank three times and holding up a fourth in the Fruitvale neighborhood.