In Brief

12/24/05

Power failure closes Santa Maria Costco

SANTA MARIA -- An internal power outage closed the Costco store on Bradley Road on Thursday afternoon, keeping holiday shoppers out until the store reopened Friday.

Dell Davis, the store's general manager, said the failure occurred in the main electrical circuit breaker and the store closed about 6 p.m. After parts were obtained to repair the problem, the store reopened Friday around 3:30 p.m.

He said the store would open at 8 a.m. today, an hour earlier than usual, and stay open until 5 p.m.

-- Staff report

Teens fall victim to armed carjackers

SANTA MARIA -- Two men brandishing semiautomatic pistols carjacked a 16-year-old motorist when he stopped at an intersection, authorities said Friday.

The driver and his 17-year-old female passenger were stopped on Rosemary and East Stowell roads about 7:30 p.m. Thursday when the car thieves, riding in a small gold-colored pickup, blocked their vehicle, got out of the pickup and pulled the victims out of their car at gunpoint, said Sgt. Erik Raney, a county sheriff's spokesman.

The victims were not injured.

One carjacker drove off in the victim's 1997 Toyota Camry, and the other fled in the pickup. Shortly after 11 p.m., the car was found burning on Thompson Road north of Highway 166 in San Luis Obispo County. It appeared to have been stripped of all four tires.

-- Hildy Medina

Police track down two robbery suspects

SANTA BARBARA -- A store receipt led police to two robbery suspects who allegedly walked out of the Footlocker store in Paseo Nuevo with an armful of sports jerseys, authorities said.

Police on Friday arrested Jonathon Aceves, 18, and his 16-year-old brother on suspicion of robbery, possession of illegal weapons and participation in a criminal street gang.

Employees told police that when they confronted the suspects as they walked out of the store with the jerseys on Dec. 17, one of the brothers threatened them with a knife.

"One suspect flicked open a razor-sharp switchblade knife, saying, ÔI dare you to try and take these from me,' " said Lt. Paul McCaffrey, a police spokesman.

The employees remembered seeing the pair inside the store earlier that day in the company of another man, who had placed an order for shoes. The man's name was on a store receipt.

Detective Mike Brown gathered a list of people known to associate with the man and narrowed the list of suspects down to a few people, said Lt. McCaffrey.

At 11:30 a.m. Friday, detectives searched the home of the suspects and seized a switchblade believed to have been used in the crime as well as clothing matching what was stolen in the robbery.

-- Hildy Medina

Motorist arrested in possible hit-and-run

SANTA MARIA -- A 23-year-old man was in jail Friday night after being arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run, authorities said.

Brandon Young of Santa Maria was driving a Ford pickup northbound on Broadway at about 3:45 p.m. Friday near Newlove Drive when he hit a vehicle that was stopped, Santa Maria police said.

Two people in the vehicle that was hit suffered minor injuries, police said.

After the incident, Mr. Young drove away, parked his truck and fled on foot, according to police. He was discovered hiding nearby and taken into custody, police said.

-- Staff report