Police arrest two suspects after shoplifting, pepper spray incident
Incident occurred Wednesday at South County hardware store
– On Wednesday at approximately 8:57 a.m., Arroyo Grande Police officers responded to a shoplifting incident at Miner’s Ace Hardware on the 100 block of Station Way. The male suspect, who left the store with unpaid items, was confronted by store employees near a vehicle occupied by another suspect, leading to a struggle for the property. During the altercation, the second suspect, seated in the driver’s seat, deployed pepper spray against an employee, according to a press release by the Arroyo Grande Police Department.
Both suspects fled the scene in the vehicle, taking the unpaid merchandise with them. Upon arrival, officers interviewed witnesses, reviewed surveillance footage, and disseminated crucial information to law enforcement agencies in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
At around 12 p.m., the Lompoc Police Department located the suspect vehicle, along with the suspects, at a local hotel in Lompoc. A brief foot pursuit ensued, resulting in the apprehension of both suspects. Subsequently, officers from the Arroyo Grande Police Department took custody of the individuals, booking them into the San Luis Obispo County Jail for PC 211 Robbery.
Additionally, merchandise from another theft was discovered and turned over to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.
The suspects were identified as David Michael Samulski, a 27-year-old resident of Lompoc currently on Post-Release Community Supervision, and Alberto Montesdeoca, 31, also a resident of Lompoc. Both subjects were booked on charges of first-degree robbery.
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