Stolen Rifle Leads To Five Arrests, and Mrs. Doubtfire bandit too
Police Were Checking On Seaside Squatters
The assault rifle Ewing was caught with.
SEASIDE—On Wednesday,February 11, the Seaside Police Department found a stolen assault rifle in a residence that several squatters where using for shelter. After a brief investigation, police determined that the stolen rifle was possessed by 34-year-old Jared Ewing of Seaside. Ewing also had ammunition for the rifle. Two problems existed for Ewing with the possession of the stolen rifle – 1.) it was stolen – 2.) he is a felon and prohibited from possessing any type of firearms.
Fast-forward a month; with police keeping an eye on the convicted felon, they stopped him in a vehicle driven by a wanted subject – 31-year-old Brandon Calantoc. Police arrested both of them.
Brandon Calantoc and Micaela Wimbush, images from Facebook.
During the search of the vehicle police found 30-year-old Micaela Wimbush in the back camper shell of the truck, and in possession of heroin. In the process of being arrested, Wimbush told police that her 1-year-old child was with two other people at the Fireplace Motel in Monterey.
Officers from PRVNT team along with agents from the Monterey County Probation Department were called to perform a welfare check on the child because the two adults that she was left with were also known drug users.
Cameron Ferguson and Julia Ryan booking photos
Police found the two subjects in possession of the child inside the motel room. But that was not all they had, they were also in possession of heroin. Both 22-year-old Julia Ryan and 25-year-old Cameron Ferguson were arrested but later released on citations.
Child Protective Services took the child into custody, her mother now faces an additional charge of child endangerment along with possession of heroin. Ewing faces the charge of possession of the stolen assault rife, and Calantoc faces a charge of a misdemeanor warrant. The two found at the motel face charges of possession of heroin.
Julia Ryan with Cameron Ferguson – image Facebook.
Jared Ewing has been arrested several times in the past few months, according to available records. On September 24 he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia, and possession for sale. He was arrested two days later for driving with a suspended license, which he was also arrested for on July 8, with another drug sales charge. Brandon Calantoc was arrested just before Christmas last year on charges of kidnapping, robbery and conspiracy. He was residing in Sand City at that time, but no further details of that incident were made available. Prior to that, on March 12 while officially residing in Portland Oregon, he was arrested in Monterey County for burglary, possession of stolen property, use of a fraudulent credit card, and conspiracy.
Micaela Wimbush was arrested twice last year on charges of battery, in January and May. Her two babysitters also have a history with law enforcement. Like Calantoc, Cameron Ferguson was arrested just before Christmas on charges of robbery, attempted kidnapping, threats of violence, dissuading a witness or victim, and conspiracy. It is not known if he conspired with Calantoc, but it seems like more than a coincidence that they were arrested at the same time twice. Julia Ryan was arrested around the same time on outstanding warrants, and in September for false impersonation while in Santa Barbara.
CrimeVoice staff contributed to this story
Calantoc as the Mrs Doubtfire Bandit (Santa Cruz PD)
UPDATE 4/23/15 – Brandon Calantoc was arrested twice again recently. He was picked up in Carmel on April 20, and charged with burglary, possessing stolen property, and theft of personal data with intent to defraud, along with committing a felony while released on bail. And while in custody at the Santa Cruz County jail, he was identified as the “Mrs. Doubtfire Bandit”, who had robbed the US bank in Santa Cruz while dressed as a woman. He had worn a wig, dress and necklace when he handed the bank teller a note demanding cash, on Friday, April 3.
Carmel Police had been investigating burglaries of vehicles and the Post Office, according to the Mercury News. When Calantoc was arrested, they found stolen mail and credit cards in his possession, but they also found a purse and necklace that helped link him to the cross-dressing bandit who held up the US Bank, and was also observed in Capitola’s Rabobank, though he did not rob that one. He was arrested for the Mrs. Doubtfire robbery while in custody on April 22, and charged with robbery, attempted robbery, wearing a mask for an unlawful purpose, and again, committing a felony while on bail.
