A fifth person has been arrested in connection with a home invasion robbery that occurred Nov. 18, 2019, in the 6500 block of Sabado Tarde in Isla Vista, authorities said.
Michael Gebremeskel, 19, of San Francisco, was arrested Jan. 17 following the service of an arrest warrant. Mr. Gebremeskel was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy and being an accessory, Raquel Zick, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, said in a news release.
A search warrant was also issued for Mr. Gebremeskel’s residence in San Francisco. The warrants were served with the assistance of the San Francisco Police Department and a K9 unit from Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail and is being held on $250,000 bail.
At around 10:22 a.m. Nov. 18, 2019, sheriff’s deputies responded to the 6500 block of Sabado Tarde after a victim called 9-1-1 to report that he had just been robbed. Two victims told deputies they had been robbed at gunpoint inside their residence by three suspects.
One of the victims suffered minor injuries, but did not require immediate medical attention. The other victim was uninjured, Ms. Zick said.
The suspects were accused of stealing two laptops, a cell phone, a wallet and an unknown amount of marijuana. At the time of the incident, it was believed the victims were specifically targeted, Ms. Zick said.
On No. 22, 2019, detectives served a search warrant in the 6700 block of Del Playa Drive and recovered numerous items that were taken in the robbery. Heyaw Meteke, 21, of Isla Vista, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and sale imprisonment. Jawad Hebbar, 21, also of Isla Vista, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory.
On Dec. 6, 2019, the two suspects who held the victims at gunpoint during the invasion were arrested. Detectives authored arrest warrants and three search warrants that were served in San Francisco. The search warrants were served at the homes of each of the suspects and at the home of the registered owner of the vehicle that was used to flee the area after the robbery, Ms. Zick said.
While the owner of the vehicle was not arrested, several items related to the robbery were recovered as a result of the warrant, Ms. Zick said.
A minor, whose identity was withheld, was booked into Santa Maria Juvenile Hall on suspicion of residential burglary, false imprisonment, robbery, criminal threats and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Gavin Rapin, 18, of San Francisco, was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of residential burglary, false imprisonment, robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime, and kidnap for the purpose of robbery, Ms. Zick said.
email: mwhite@newspress.com
