Arrests Made After String of Isla Vista Armed Robberies

A string of armed robberies and one house burglary were reported this week in Isla Vista. Authorities say three of the incidents were drug-related.

Early Sunday morning, the first incident occurred in an apartment complex at 6530 Seville Road, where three suspects wearing dark hoodies and masks — two were reportedly armed with handguns — entered an apartment to steal a cell phone and laptop. They fled the scene and law enforcement was unable to locate them.

Less than 24 hours later, also at 6530 Seville Road but in a different apartment, residents were heard arguing over drug money. Twenty-seven-year old Savannah Arias, who lives in the complex and is enrolled at SBCC, reported that four or five people she knew — two allegedly had knives — stole money from her. Law enforcement responded and caught five people fleeing the area. During the Sheriff Office’s investigation, one person was released.

Four suspects were charged with burglary, robbery, and transporting cocaine and alprazolam, a prescription drug taken to treat anxiety. Ventura residents Brenden Lewis, 21, and Christianna Horton, 25, along with Buellton residents Trevis Johnston, 19 and Levi Roman, 20, were booked in the County Jail. Roman was also charged with possession of an “illegal knife.”

On Tuesday at about 12:15 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies responded again to a report of a residential burglary at 6530 Seville Road. This time, the deputies arrested Arias, who was the alleged victim in the Monday morning robbery at the same apartment complex. Arias allegedly stole laptop and an Xbox from a neighboring unit.

In an unrelated incident at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday, four or five suspects robbed a male SBCC student as he walked home on the 6600 block of Sabado Tarde. The victim reported that one of the suspects, who were all described as black males, had a gun. The group stole cash from the victim before fleeing. The men are still at-large.