San Benito County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched deputies to Marshall’s Market in Aromas on Saturday regarding a possible armed robbery that had just occurred, according to a press statement.
Sheriff’s deputies shortly after made an arrest in the case.
According to the local sheriff’s office:
Upon arrival, a sheriff’s sergeant contacted an adult male victim who advised an unknown Hispanic male adult pointed a handgun at him in the parking lot area of Marshall’s Market. The suspect male demanded the victim’s wallet. The victim refused and ran into the store to call 911. The victim explained the suspect fled in an older white Toyota Camry. The suspect was also said to have a “W” tattoo on his cheek.
Understanding the dynamic that suspects from other jurisdictions come into our county to commit crimes, our office reached out to members of the Watsonville Police Department and the Santa Cruz County Gang Task Force for help in identifying a possible suspect. Officers from those agencies began to research possible suspects and were also on the lookout for a similar vehicle and suspect that may have returned to the Watsonville area.
Within a short period of time, the San Benito sheriff’s office was contacted by a member of the Santa Cruz task force to advise the Watsonville P.D. had a similar car, and male, stopped in the area of 485 Holohan Road in Watsonville. Sgt Mull with the San Benito office transported the victim to the City if Watsonville where the victim positively identified Carlos Maldonado as the suspect in the robbery. Maldonado was wearing the same clothing, and was in the same car as he was during the commission of the robbery in Aromas, the victim alleged. The handgun used was also recovered at the scene.
Maldonado was arrested and booked into the San Benito County Jail. Watsonville police also have a case on Maldonado as a result of their contact.
