– by F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA MARIA, CA — February 10, 2026 – Santa Barbara County, CA
Santa Maria Police Department detectives continue to investigate a late-night robbery that took
place on February 6, that left two victims injured and led to the arrest of two men.
According to SMPD spokesman Sgt. Felix Diaz, officers responded just before 9:30 p.m. to a
report of “a robbery involving a disabled vehicle.”
Responding officers gathered victim and witness statements that described “three or four” suspects who approached the stranded car and
opened the driver’s door, where a male victim was assaulted. “The suspects opened the driver’s
door and physically assaulted the male victim while the female victim attempted to intervene and
was also struck.”
Investigators determined that one of the victims’ iPhones was taken during the incident.
Detectives later reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby business, which showed a gray
sedan and several individuals who matched witness descriptions. Using that video, officers
tracked the vehicle to a mall parking structure, where multiple people were detained.
Following the investigation, police arrested Santa Maria residents Ivan Lopez Montes, 22, and
Jose Diego Jaimes Vargas, 23.
Both men were transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail,
where they were booked on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy, with bail for each set at
$50,000.
