Mammoth Lakes Police K9 Assists in Armed Robbery Investigation and Arrest
On December 22, 2024, Mammoth Lakes Police Department officers interrupted an armed robbery in progress near Mammoth Pacific’s Geothermal Plant. A patrol officer discovered the incident and the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Pablo Ruelas Castro, fled on foot into a wooded area, leaving two victims behind. The victims reported that Castro had stolen their belongings at gunpoint.
Additional Mammoth Lakes Police officers, with support from the California Highway Patrol and Mono County Sheriff’s Office, established a perimeter and apprehended Castro without incident. During the investigation, MLPD’s K9 unit, “Jax,” was deployed to search for evidence in the wooded area. K9 Jax successfully located the victims’ stolen property along with a loaded unregistered firearm, believed to have been used in the robbery.
Castro was arrested and booked on multiple charges, including robbery, assault with a firearm, criminal threats, possession of an undetectable firearm, possession of a high-capacity magazine, and probation violation. Authorities expressed gratitude to the California Highway Patrol and Mono County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the operation.
All charges against Castro remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Photo: Mammoth Lakes Police Dept
