Full Notification

On January 28, 2020, at approximately 7:40pm, five (5) juveniles approached an Arroyo Grande High School custodian near the tennis courts, at the intersection of W. Cherry Street and California Street. The suspects physically assaulted him and stole several items of personal property.  The suspects fled the scene in a grey, 4-door sedan.  The victim received non-life threatening injuries and was treated at a local hospital. 

Arroyo Grande Police Department (AGPD) Officers and Detectives worked with Arroyo Grande High School (AGHS) Administrators in an effort to identify the suspects.  The investigation revealed that earlier in the day, the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) investigated a crime spree where several robberies and a carjacking occurred in their jurisdiction.  SMPD located the stolen vehicle and went into pursuit, travelling northbound on Hwy. 101.  The SMPD terminated the pursuit and it was later determined that the suspects exited the freeway and drove to the A.G.H.S. where they assaulted and robbed the victim.

Later that evening, AGPD and the SMPD located the vehicle and suspects in the City of Santa Maria and Officers were able to successfully take 4 of the 5 juveniles into custody.  The victim’s personal property was located on the suspect(s) and in the vehicle.

There is no correlation between the AGHS or the games that were occurring at the time of the robbery.

The AGPD will be filing criminal charges against the juvenile suspects for Penal Code section 211 – Robbery and Penal Code section 245 – Assault with a deadly weapon.