By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA BARBARA, CA — A Carpinteria man was arrested on March 8 in connection with a series of robberies southern
Santa Barbara County following a multi-agency investigation.
Hipolito Francisco Hernandez, 47, of Carpinteria, was taken into custody on charges of robbery.
On January 13 a robbery was reported at City Market in Carpinteria. The following day, a
second robbery occurred at Mechanics Bank in Santa Barbara.
A third robbery took place on March 3 at a local hairdresser business in Carpinteria. Detectives from the Santa
Barbara Police Department and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office determined the same suspect was involved in all three incidents.
During Hernandez’ officers recovered evidence linked to the robberies, “including a pellet gun,” officials reported.
Hernandez—also known as Hipolito Francisco Hernandez Vargas—was booked into the Santa
Barbara County Jail on multiple robbery charges with his bail set at $1 million.
