Friday, Sep. 07, 2012

Robbery suspect arrested

A 32-year-old man was arrested and two others remain at-large in the robbery of a woman in Los Banos on Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Around 11:25 p.m. a CHP patrol car was flagged down by a woman who reported she'd been robbed of her belongings, according to Officer Matt Pinheiro, CHP spokesman.

The woman described the vehicle as a gold van, and CHP officers caught up with the vehicle near 2nd and H Streets. The driver of the van, identified as Michael Espinoza, 32, pulled over the vehicle.

Two occupants inside the gold Toyota van ran, but Espinoza was arrested at the scene. Officers determined the van had been stolen, and stolen items were also located inside the vehicle.

The other two occupants of the van weren't captured, and their identities are unknown.

Espinosa was booked into the Merced County Jail.

-- Victor A. Patton