Three males who are alleged members of the El Rio criminal street gang robbed a cash-advance business last year in Oxnard. Hours after the robbery, the female getaway driver was stopped by police on an unrelated incident and gave the names of those involved in the Dec. 1 robbery.

Weeks later, Salvador "Chava" Morales; Sean "Shady" Dunn and Alfredo "Baby Face" Perez were arrested. Months after the robbery, the driver, Christina Perez, was also arrested.

That's what the testimony at a two-day preliminary hearing that ended Friday showed.

Ventura County Superior Court commissioner Douglas Daily concluded that there is enough evidence to hold Morales, 27, Dunn, 30, and Alfredo Perez, 22, for second-degree robbery and committing gang-related crime along with various other felony crimes.

In addition, Daily said, Alfredo Perez must answer to charges of kidnapping for carjacking, a separate crime committed 12 days after the cash-advance robbery.

Christina Perez, 21, is also in jail in connection with that Dec. 13 carjacking. Christina Perez, who is not related to Alfredo Perez, is also charged with drug and other unrelated crimes.

Prosecutor Karen Wold argued successfully Friday that the crimes were committed for the benefit of, in association with and under the direction of the El Rio gang. She shored up this criminal charge with testimony from Oxnard Police Department gang investigator and expert Ken Peeples.

Defense attorneys hammered officers about the witnesses' identification of their clients. Officers said one of the robbers had a tattoo near his eye, possibly shaped like a tear drop. None of the defendants has a such a tattoo. They also aggressively questioned Peeples' credentials and gang knowledge.

Detective Jeff Kay, who testified for several hours, said a customer in a wheelchair was leaving the cash-advance business as the three were walking in.

"She thought they'd be nice and open the door for her, but they didn't," said Kay.

Officers say that Morales, Alfredo Perez and Dunn had two guns when they went inside the Advance America Cash Advance on Saviers Road at 4:30 p.m. in Oxnard. Christina Perez was in the get-away car outside. Dunn allegedly robbed a customer sitting on a table of $900, a wedding ring, cell phone and his wallet.

"He (Dunn) stated something to the effect that 'everybody has to feed their kids,'" said Oxnard officer Michael Bachich.

A male employee was forced to turn over $1,100 in cash in addition to $400 in personal checks, officers said.

On Feb. 2, Christina Perez was arrested again, this time for an outstanding felony warrant. She admitted she was involved in the business robbery, adding that she and Alfredo Perez robbed two Oxnard men on Dec. 13 and stole a car belonging to one of them.