Photo: Stock Image
Written By: Robert L. McCullough
When Santa Maria Police Department Dispatch Center received a 911 Emergency call reporting an individual brandishing a firearm in a local neighborhood at 1:00 p.m. on Friday January 20th , the cops wasted no time in responding.
According to Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Sgt. Andy Magallon, when officers arrived at the scene moments later, they discovered “two victims of various crimes, including assault with a deadly weapon and robbery.” With victim descriptions of their assailants, the search for a suspect vehicle immediately began.
Just 70 minutes later, SMPD detectives spotted a vehicle matching the victims’ description and promptly conducted a “traffic stop.” Rather than wait for further contact with law enforcement, two of the vehicle’s passengers burst out of the car and took off running on foot as one of them “was seen throwing a handgun” away.
Contact was immediately made with the driver, 18-year-old Santa Maria resident Julius Clayton Booker, Jr. as cops called for K9 backup with a search for the two who had fled on foot immediately ensuing. A search of the vehicle lead to the discovery of a loaded firearm; the second gun—also loaded with ammunition—was found “discarded in a backyard” just prior to the cops making contact with 18-year-old Santa Maria resident Alvaro Martinez. The third suspect, a 16-year-old juvenile was caught with Martinez.
Booker and Martinez were transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where they were booked on charges of robbery, conspiracy, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and assault with a deadly weapon. The juvenile was transported to Santa Barbara County Juvenile Hall where he was booked on similar charges.
