Carpinteria – Carpinteria, known among locals as “the last great beach town”, is unique in that one can stand at the principal downtown intersection (one of only two stop lights in the city), and see nearby mountaintops to the north as well as a popular surf beach just blocks away to the south. Aside from that, nothing much happens in Carpinteria…until it does.
Anthony Gomez
It was late in the afternoon of January 12th that things did indeed “happen” as residents looked into the sky to observe the Santa Barbara County Air Unit hovering over the downtown area and saw a pair of Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s K-9 Units prowling neighborhood streets in full “manhunt mode”. All of this activity followed the discovery by SBSD patrol units of a stolen vehicle “reported stolen out of Ventura following residential burglary”, as described by SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, parked in the lot of the city’s only 7-11 store.
While deputies summoned additional law enforcement resources, Martin Trujillo, 30, and Anthony Gomez, 35, exited the store, spotted the cops nearby, and took off on foot. Shortly afterward, the Air Support and K-9 Units arrived on the scene, ultimately tracking Trujillo and Gomez—both later confirmed as active members of a Ventura area criminal street gang—to a nearby apartment complex parking lot.
As reported by Hoover, “during the process of apprehending the suspects and taking them into custody, Trujillo was injured by a K-9”, evidence of which Trujillo carried with him to his portrait session at Santa Barbara County Jail booking, where he was charged with felony resisting with injury, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. For his part, Gomez managed to avoid any obvious wounds at the jaws and paws of the eager K-9 deputies, but was booked on charges of resisting arrest and possession of a stolen vehicle, as well as criminal gang enhancements.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
Read more:
Independent: Ventura gang members arrested
VCSTAR: Suspected Ventura gang members arrested
EdHat: Ventura gang members arrested
