Several teenagers arrested after robbery in downtown Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBRA, Calif. – Several teenagers were arrested following an armed robbery in downtown Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon, according to Santa Barbara City Police.

A group of six to eight teenagers pulled out a knife and stole the e-bikes of two 15-year-old victims as they rode them on the top level of City Lot 10 – between Ortega Street and Anacapa Street – at around 3:36 p.m. The Santa Barbara Police Combined Communications Center was called to the incident.

According to SBCPD, the downtown corridor filled with officers. Moments later, officers spotted two juvenile suspects riding the stolen e-bikes. However, they attempted to elude officers on foot, knocking an older man to the ground in the process.

The officers managed to arrest the two 15-year-old juvenile suspects and found a knife on one of them.

According to SBCPD, officers had the upper hand because one of the juvenile victims had attached an Airtag to the second stolen e-bike and was able to retrieve it after it was found abandoned. Officers spotted a third juvenile suspect in the same area and arrested him after determining the 15-year-old was also involved in the robbery.

The older man who was struck by one of the juvenile suspects suffered a minor abrasion and was treated by paramedics at the scene, according to SBCPD.

All three juvenile suspects were taken to the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Detention Center and booked on charges of aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime and elder abuse.