2 Suspects Arrested in Strong-Armed Robbery

Two San Rafael men were arrested Thursday evening after a Marin County Sheriff's deputy heard their descriptions over the police radio and matched them to some strong-armed robbery suspects from a Novato incident hours earlier.

Sheriff's Lt. Steve Deleo said Deputy Rich Johnson was listening to a radio report about two men stopped by San Rafael police on East Francisco Boulevard. Johnson recognized that the descriptions matched those of two men accused of accosting someone at a mobile home park on Armstrong Drive in Novato.

"It was very diligent on his part," Deleo said.

Nicholas Ezinga, 21, and Trent Taylor, 22, were arrested after deputies who had been working on the Novato incident arrived in the 500 block of East Francisco to identify the men.

At about 1 p.m. Thursday, a resident of the mobile home park was assaulted by two acquaintances who left the home with undisclosed property that didn't belong to them. The resident did not require hospitalization after the altercation, Deleo said.

About five hours later, the suspects were pulled over by San Rafael police and their  descriptions, plus that of the vehicle they were in, were overheard by Johnson.

Both suspects were booked at Marin County Jail and face felony robbery charges and probation violations. Ezinga, who listed his occupation as construction, also faces a felony of conspiracy to commit a crime and two felony drug charges. He is being held without bail.

Taylor's bail was set at $75,000.