Cops Catch Carjacker
Investigation targets second suspect
Paso Robles police arrested a man Tuesday for allegedly carjacking a Paso robles resident.
William Joseph Lee
According to PRPD, they received a call around 9:15 p.m. regarding a stolen vehicle on the 3200 block of Spring Street.
When police arrived they found an adult male victim.
The victim stated he was completing some errands and when he returned to his vehicle, he was confronted by two armed suspects who demanded he turn over the keys to the vehicle. One suspect held a knife and the other held a gun at the victim.
The victim said he complied with the demands and said one of the suspects drove off in his vehicle while the other suspect got into another vehicle that was waiting nearby. Both vehicles and suspects fled the area.
The victim described the first suspect as a white male adult wearing a bandana that covered the lower part of his face. This suspect was the one armed with a small semi-automatic pistol.
The second suspect was described as a Hispanic male adult with a shaved head and armed with a large knife.
Officers searched the area and located the victim’s vehicle abandoned a short distance away. Police say the stereo had been removed along with some of the victim’s personal property.
San Luis Obispo County Probation Officers who were in the area located the suspects’ vehicle at a service station on Spring Street at 24th Street. The vehicle was occupied by two adult males and two adult females.
The victim identified one of the male subjects as the white male who robbed him at gunpoint. This suspect was identified as William Joseph Lee, 31, of Paso Robles.
Lee was arrested without incident and booked into the SLO County Jail for carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon.
One of the female subjects from the car was arrested for a probation violation and also booked into the SLO County Jail on a probation hold. She was identified as Nacowa Penner, 33, also of Paso Robles. The other two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were detained and ultimately released without charges.
“The investigation supported probable cause to arrest just the one suspect,” PRPD Lieutenant Timothy Murphy said.
Investigators say the knife used in the robbery along with other evidence linking Lee to the crime was located in the vehicle. However, the gun used by the suspects was not recovered.
Several items of the victim’s personal property were recovered and turned over to the victim. Police say the victim was not injured during the robbery.
When asked if the victim was robbed of any money Murphy said, “We are not releasing these details so as to not jeopardize the ongoing investigation.”
As the investigation continues, persons with information about this crime are encouraged to contact the PRPD with information. Those wishing to remain anonymous who have information about this crime, or other crimes, are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers 24-hour hotline at 549-STOP or by texting “SLOTIPS plus your message” to CRIMES (274637)
Read More:
San Luis Obispo Tribune: Man Accused of Carjacking Another Man at Gunpoint
KCOY: Carjacking Leads to Two Arrests in Paso Robles
