Two Los Angeles County residents were arrested Sunday after they allegedly beat a guest at a Goleta hotel and attempted to rob him, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies were dispatched at about 9:45 a.m. for a report of a man with a gun at the hotel in the 6800 block of Hollister Avenue, sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick said.
“Deputies arrived a few minutes later, and located the suspects a block away as they were attempting to flee on foot,” she said. “Deputies searched the area and located a hidden replica Glock pellet gun and luggage taken from the hotel room.”
Zick said the victim told deputies that a man and woman followed him to his hotel room, closed the door behind themselves, and demanded the keys to his vehicle.
“The victim refused to give the suspects his keys as one of the suspects battered him with the replica firearm,” she said. “The victim was able to force his way out of his hotel room, and ran to the parking lot area, where witnesses called 9-1-1.”
Deputies checked the victim’s hotel room, and found property that had been left behind by the suspects, including equipment that indicated the crime was planned, Zick said.
The victim was not seriously injured, and declined medical treatment.
Zick said deputies arrested Kelly Espinoza, 43, of Pico Rivera, and John Chavez-Hernandez, 20, of Covina.
Espinoza was booked into County Jail on suspicion of false imprisonment, burglary, conspiracy and robbery, all felonies.
Chavez-Hernandez was booked on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, robbery, and assault with a firearm, also all felonies.
Bail was set at $50,000 each, and both remained in custody Sunday night.
— 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.