Arrests made in violent robbery of Orinda school board member

Suspects were arrested in a violent robbery in Orinda that left a school board member shot and her husband pistol-whipped in front of their home last week, authorities said Tuesday.

Orinda Police Chief Mark Nagel confirmed that arrests were made by the Contra Costa County district attorney’s office in connection with the robbery in his city and a string of similar crimes throughout the East Bay.

Barry Grove, a Contra Costa County deputy district attorney, said six people were arrested, but did not release additional details, including the names of the suspects or where they were taken into custody. A spokesman for the district attorney’s office said more information will be made public as the investigation progresses.

Orinda Union School District board member Carol Brown, 70, was shot in the confrontation in the driveway of her Claremont Avenue home on Sept. 26. Brown’s husband, Tom Spalding, was pistol-whipped during the robbery.

The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office made arrests in connection to the high-profile robbery in Orinda that left an Orinda school board member shot and her husband pistol-whipped. The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office made arrests in connection to the high-profile robbery in Orinda that left an Orinda school board member shot and her husband pistol-whipped. Photo: Paul Chinn Photo: Paul Chinn Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Arrests made in violent robbery of Orinda school board member 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Police responded to reports of gunfire in the couple’s driveway around 9:09 p.m. when Brown and Spalding were unloading groceries from their car. They told police two assailants confronted them, and one brandished a pistol demanding Spalding’s wallet and Brown’s purse, Nagel said.

Although the couple complied with the demands, one of the attackers pistol-whipped Spalding, Nagel added. Spalding stumbled into his home to dial 911 when he heard two gunshots. The muggers shot Brown twice before fleeing the scene, police said.

Detectives are investigating whether a rash of similar robberies, including one in Antioch, are connected to the six people arrested.

Last Wednesday, two men robbed a female victim of her purse at gunpoint in Antioch. The robbery took place in the driveway of the victim’s home on the 3100 block of Ashley Way at about 9:30 p.m., said Antioch police Sgt. Tom Fuhrmann.

“It’s too premature to say that they are definitely connected,” said Fuhrmann. “There are some similarities, but we have to confer with the other agencies and look at the descriptions and details to see if these are possibly related.”

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani