2 Arrests Made In Santa Monica Store Lootings

SANTA MONICA, CA — Two men were arrested in connection with Santa Monica lootings at REI and Vans and an assault on an officer when their vehicle, identified via social-media posts from a recent night of civil unrest, was stopped in Manhattan Beach, authorities said today.

Sebastian Martinez, 24, of El Segundo was arrested on suspicion of looting and burglary, and Christopher Gutierrez, 19, listed as a Los Angeles-area transient, was arrested for suspected looting and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

Detectives said hours spent reviewing stores' surveillance videos and social-media posts led to the arrests as the pair was seen on video from May 31 at Santa Monica's REI "removing thousands of dollars of merchandise" from inside the sporting-goods business, police said.

From social-media posts, officers saw the suspects loading loot into a vehicle, from which they were able to obtain a license plate number.

Manhattan Beach Police Department officers spotted and stopped the car, with the two suspects inside, and called Santa Monica officials. Recovered from inside the vehicle "were several stolen items from both the REI and the Vans store," the department said.

"During the investigation, one of (the) individuals was also identified as the suspect of an assault on a police officer," police added.

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