A rookie Santa Maria police officer made two big busts just days apart in unrelated cases, crime-solving results his supervisors attribute to a good cop relying on instinct and the power of observation and not good luck.
While working the graveyard shift March 14, Officer John Veres stopped a carload of suspects wanted in connection with three armed robberies in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Two mornings later, he pulled over an alleged reckless driver, not knowing the man would turn out to be the suspect in a fatal hit-and-run collision in a nearby parking lot.
Veres, who graduated from the Hancock College Law Enforcement Academy, has been with SMPD since June.
“Some people would say there’s some sort of luck, but from my point of view, if you’re out there looking and you’re out there putting yourself in the area where these things may occur, obviously your chances are going up,” Sgt. Mark Norling told Noozhawk, noting Veres’ excellent observation skills.
“By employing all those things, I say luck is not what did it. It was actually being out there looking, observing and putting it all together as an officer,” he added.
Just before 12:30 a.m. March 14, Veres was the back-up officer who responded to a report of an armed robbery in the 300 block of West Richard Street, a residential neighborhood a block north of West Battles Road.
“It gave me a good idea of what the suspects looked like, what kind of vehicle they could have possibly been driving,” Veres told Noozhawk.
After learning that two additional armed robberies had been reported — one in San Luis Obispo at 2:20 a.m. and the other in Arroyo Grande at 2:48 a.m. — Veres put two and two together and concluded the crimes most likely were related.
Expecting the suspects would make their way back to Santa Maria, he remained vigilant for a car that matched the reported description.
Just before 4:30 a.m., he conducted a traffic stop for a Vehicle Code violation on a car, suspecting it might be carrying the robbery suspects.
“I had a feeling while I was following behind them before I initiated the traffic stop, just the way they were driving,” he said.
Inside were two juveniles, and Veres said a search of the vehicle turned up evidence pertaining to the three crimes. Both juveniles were arrested and booked in Santa Maria Juvenile Hall on robbery charges.
Around 1 a.m. March 16, Veres was patrolling behind the 200 block of East Main Street near the Santa Maria Town Center when he observed a Chevy Silverado race from a parking lot with tires squealing. Figuring it was a possible drunken driver, he stopped the pickup truck a block away.
While dealing with the traffic stop, he heard a radio call about a disturbance at Louie B’s bar, 213 E. Main St. A pedestrian had been struck and killed in the parking lot, and the driver had fled the scene.
“They did an excellent job as far as relaying the information pertaining to the incident going on at Louie B’s,” Veres said.
He quickly connected damage on the truck he had pulled over to the fatal hit-and-run. The pickup driver, Ismael Lares, 34, of Santa Maria, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, fleeing the scene of an accident and driving under the influence.
Police also arrested the pickup truck’s passenger on an unrelated felony warrant.
Originally from Fresno, Veres served four years in the Marines before pursuing a law enforcement career. He was among a group of new SMPD officers sworn in last June.
“Service is in my nature,” he said. “I wanted to continue to serve so this was my opportunity to serve the people of the community.
“I’m happy to come to work every day. It’s always changing.”
Norling, a veteran member of the Santa Maria police force, noted that Veres’ second case is a reminder that officers don’t always know who they’re dealing with when conducting traffic stops.
“He had no idea,” Norling said of the possible DUI suspect who ended up being someone wanted for felony manslaughter.
“(He’s) pretty new in his career and he’s doing an outstanding job,” he added.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.