On Sunday, February 24th 2013, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 27500 block of Whites Canyon Road in the City of Santa Clarita in regards to a robbery that had just occurred. The victim reported that while walking through a parking lot he was approached by a group of males who surrounded him. One of the males displayed a handgun and demanded the victim’s property along with making reference to the fact that he was a criminal street gang member.

A few hours later, a patrol deputy who was assigned to work that area, continued the search for any possible suspects. The observant deputy located and detained a male matching the description of the suspect from the robbery. The male suspect was standing between two parked vehicles on the 27200 block of Sierra Highway. Patrol deputies conducted an investigation and ultimately arrested Mario Garcia, a 21 year old male from Santa Clarita, for robbery and for an outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrant.

Santa Clarita Valley Station’s Career Offenders, Burglary, Robbery Apprehension Team (COBRA) detectives assumed control of the investigation into the remaining suspects. COBRA detectives were able to identify Pedro Leon-Montalvo, a 21 year old male from Santa Clarita, as the second suspect in the robbery incident.

On Thursday, March 7th 2013, COBRA detectives located Pedro Montalvo and arrested him for his alleged involvement in the robbery. Mr. Montalvo was on active parole at the time of his arrest and was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).

Both Mario Garcia and Pedro Montalvo are currently being held without bail at the North County Correctional Facility. Both are scheduled to appear in North Valley Superior Court on Friday, March 29th, 2013. Both men are alleged to be gang members from the same criminal street gang.

No further information is available at this time.

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