Suspects charged for alleged attempt to snatch Rolex in Walnut Creek

Two men face numerous felony charges after they struck a man in the head with a handgun as they tried to steal his silver and gold Rolex in Walnut Creek, prosecutors said.

Shaune Walter Rogers, Jr., 34, and David Lopez, 33, were caught by police about a mile from the Ygnacio Plaza Shopping Center where they had drawn handguns as they approached a married couple, demanding the man's watch on August 11, according to authorities

After the man struggled with the armed robbers, his wife used her SUV to block them from fleeing, the Contra Costa County district attorney's office said Monday. 

The thieves rammed her SUV several times before they got away from the plaza in a stolen car, the DA said in a press release. Rogers and Lopez were caught by the Walnut Creek police.

Now, they must face charges of attempted second-degree robbery, assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon and conspiracy to commit a crime. Rogers faces additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of an accident. 

Luxury watches like Rolex have been targeted recently by thieves in the East Bay. Last week, a witness described to KTVU an armed robbery in which a suspect fired a shot while robbing one man in Danville.  In July, a man was followed home from a downtown Walnut Creek restaurant by thieves who pistol-whipped before taking his watch. In early July, thieves nabbed a $40,000 Rolex from a man at a Trader Joe's in Danville.