Gang Members Arrested for Mesa Robbery
Three Males, One Female Tied to Mesa Attack
Santa Barbara police arrested four teenagers, three of which are gang members, in connection with a September robbery which left a 50-year-old Santa Barbara resident in the hospital after being hit in the head over the course of the robbery.
According to Lt. Paul McCaffrey, the Mesa resident was walking in his neighborhood at around 10:15 p.m. when two males, one of whom had a knife, approached him. The two demanded his money, threatening to stab him should he not give them what they wanted.
The man handed over his wallet and, as he turned to run, was hit on the head by an unknown object. The victim made it home and called police, and later went to Cottage Hospital, where he was treated for what police are calling a serious head injury. He was later released.
Over the course of the next two days, credit cards which were in the man’s wallet were used at Sears, Circuit City, and Rite-Aid. Using cameras from Sears, detectives tracked the use to three males and one female making an $800 clothing purchase. Based on the video, gang enforcement detectives were able to name two of the males, both gang members, and the female. The cashier at Sears who handled the transaction is also a gang member, according to police. He, along with the three who made the purchase, were all arrested. The 17-year-old clerk was arrested for violation of probation, and a 15-year-old, 18-year-old, and his 17-year-old pregnant girlfriend were all arrested for burglary. In addition, the 18-year-old was arrested for armed robbery, and committing a crime in furtherance of a street gang.
There is another suspect, seen on the Sears security cameras, who police are looking for. If you have any additional information on who the suspect might be, call Detective Mike Brown at 897-2340.
