SANTA BARBARA An Attascadero man was arrested Friday in connection with a robbery that occured at a tobacco retailer March 31 in the city of Santa Barbara, police said.
The incident was reported around 1 p.m. March 31 at the shop, located in the 4000 block of Calle Real. The suspect, later identified as Eddie Aldo Martinez-Brito, 22, was wearing a surgical mask and “produced a semi-automatic pistol and demanded cash and marijuana ‘bongs,’ while threatening to shoot the victim/clerk,” said Anthony Wagner, spokesman for the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Police obtained security video of the area, which captured the suspect fleeing on foot and a female getaway driver, Mr. Wagner said.
Police detectives located Mr. Martinez-Brito and the driver while serving search warrants in San Luis Obispo County on Friday. Ammunition and a replica handgun were recovered, aong with some of the marijuana paraphernalia taken in the robbery, Mr. Wagner said.
Mr. Martinez-Brito was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of robbery and criminal threats. A charge of being an accessory to robbery were referred to the District Attorney’s Office for the female driver.
