According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, three Arizona men were arrested in Goleta on Thursday in connection with a kidnapping and robbery that took place in Carpinteria a few hours earlier.
Deputies were sent to the Chevron gas station on Via Real and Santa Monica Road in Carpinteria at around 5:40 AM, after a woman reported having been kidnapped and robbed by three men, Raquel Zick, sheriff’s public information officer, said.
“Deputies learned that an adult female victim had been forcibly kidnapped and robbed by three suspects who had fled in a vehicle before the deputies arrived,” Zick said, adding that one of the suspects was armed.
The victim did not require medical attention and stayed on site, Zick said.
About three hours later, an alert citizen who heard about the robbery through local media reported to sheriff’s coordinators that the suspected vehicle, a gold-colored sedan with a flat tire, was in a tire shop at block 200 of South Fairview Avenue, Zick. . said.
Delegates gathered in the area and took the three suspects into custody without incident, Zick said, adding that one of the men was in possession of a hidden firearm.
South Fairview Avenue was shut down for a short while while deputies arrested the trio.
The suspects are all from Tucson, Zick said, and were identified as Barry Mullins, 22, Seanray Allen, 22, and James Johnson, 18.
All three were admitted to the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of felony robbery, conspiracy and kidnapping, Zick said.
Mullins was also charged on felony charges, including carrying a loaded firearm in a public place and carrying a concealed weapon.
The bail for each was set at $ 1 million.
“The sheriff’s office would like to thank all members of the community who are looking out for these suspects,” said Zick. “We would also like to highlight the sound judgment of the witness who kept a safe distance, immediately called 9-1-1 and provided useful information to the responding units.”
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