Two Santa Barbara-area gang members arrested last week for alleged sexual-battery are facing new charges after being linked to several other crimes, including armed robbery, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Edgar Jesus Rojas, 18, and Jose Angel Moran, 19, were being held at Santa Barbara County Jail, with bail set at $90,000, said Sgt. Riley Harwood.
Rojas and Moran were arrested Wednesday after a 52-year-old Santa Barbara woman reported that she was accosted as she exited a bus on the city’s Lower Eastside.
The victim was followed by the suspects, who started harassing her with catcalls, Harwood said.
Rojas allegedly groped the victim, touching one of her clothed intimate body parts, while she was walking in the 300 block of South Voluntario Street.
Moran then blocked the victim’s movement on the sidewalk while Rojas made a lewd remark and tried to grope the victim again, Harwood said.
Responding officers located Rojas and Moran on the rear stairway of an apartment building, and they were taken into custody.
The two were found to be in possession of property that was believed to be stolen, Harwood said, including mail and costume jewelry that were taken earlier in the day from an unlocked vehicle on the 1100 block of Indio Muerto Street.
They also had two cell phones, a flashlight, and papers that were taken during an armed robbery earlier in the evening, Harwood said.
“In that incident Rojas, armed with a knife, and Moran, armed with a crowbar, identified themselves as gang members, and robbed a 27-year old man, who is a Santa Barbara resident, on the 200 block of South Voluntario Street,” Harwood said.
The pair were booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of robbery, participation in a criminal street gang, petty theft and possession of stolen property, Harwood said.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.