CAPITOLA — During a standoff that began Friday night at a Capitola apartment complex, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two suspects in connection with a Thursday night robbery at an Aptos liquor store.
Jerry Robles Jr., 25, was charged with robbery. He was being held without bail Saturday night.
Robles
On Friday at about 9:30 p.m., deputies served a search warrant at an apartment on the 1700 block of 44th Avenue.
The occupants did not comply with deputies and refused to come out of the house, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dee Baldwin said.
Over the course of the evening, deputies convinced four adults to exit, one with a child.
The group included Robles, who was identified as the suspect in the armed robbery. At about noon a fifth man exited the home and was arrested for unrelated charges.
The SCSO SWAT team assisted in the arrests Saturday morning at the complex on 44th Avenue.
The suspects were wanted in connection to the robbery, Baldwin said.
Police blocked 44th Avenue during the standoff, and evacuated several neighbors.
SWAT officers entered the apartment after throwing in two concussion grenades, which are used to disorient dangerous suspects.
The robbery occurred at about 6:50 p.m. Thursday when an unknown suspect entered the store at 8035 Soquel Drive and demanded money from the clerk.
The suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of money and was not found.
The suspect was described as a Hispanic male adult, approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall wearing a light-colored camouflaged jacket. No injuries were reported.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking for assistance from the community. Anyone who noticed suspicious activity around the time of the robbery is asked to call Sgt. Jacob Ainsworth at 454-7635.
