Two Suspected Gangmembers Arrested After Carjacking and Stabbing

Santa Barbara police officers arrested two suspected Eastside gang members after a carjacking and stabbing Sunday night. Though authorities have established a rough sequence of events, what role the suspects played in the two incidents – and whether the incidents are related – is still unclear.

In custody are Ernesto Lopez, 23, and Augustine Cruz, 21. Both are frequent fliers in Santa Barbara’s criminal justice system and are booked in County Jail on charges of misdemeanor resisting arrest in this case. Lopez is also charged with violating parole.

According to police spokesperson Sgt. Riley Harwood, officers responded to a rollover traffic accident in the intersection of Punta Gorda Street and Canada Street at around 11 p.m. Witnesses, Harwood said, “reported hearing some yelling that sounded ‘gang related,”’ but the car’s occupants fled the area before police arrived. The black four-door Infinity had apparently struck a telephone pole support cable, causing it to roll on its side.