Martin Paniagua booking photo
SANTA CRUZ — County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested two Watsonville teens for committing a strong-armed robbery at the El Patio Liquor Store in La Selva Beach in Santa Cruz County.
On Tuesday evening at about 7:11 P.M., deputies responded to the liquor store following reports of a robbery that had just occurred. The clerk told police that two men had walked in with a gun and demanded money.
He also stated that one suspect pointed the gun while the other took money from the register.
After reviewing the surveillance tapes, investigators were able to identify both men and arrest them at their homes in Watsonville.
18-year-old Martin Paniagua and an unnamed 17-year-old were arrested after searches of their homes turned up a sawed off shotgun and other miscellaneous firearms.
Paniagua was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail with bail set at $150,000, while his partner was booked into the County Juvenile Hall.
