Santa Maria Police arrest stolen car suspect directly across street from crime scene

A stolen car investigation resulted in the arrests of three people in Santa Maria on Tuesday afternoon.

One of the people arrested was in direct connection to the alleged crime, while the other two came indirectly as a result of the police investigation.

At about 12:30 p.m., the Santa Maria Police Department was called by someone who reported a car had been stolen in the 1100 block of N. Broadway, around Superior Sound Systems.

A witness followed the stolen car to a neighborhood a few blocks away in the area of N. Barbara Street and W. Bunny Ave.

Santa Maria police quickly arrived on scene and found the car, but were unable to locate the suspect.

Officers then established a perimeter in the surrounding area in an effort to locate the suspect.

During the time of the search, an unknown individual began jumping fences in the area, catching the eye of the police.

The man was caught but was determined to be completely unrelated to the stolen car. However, the person was found to be wanted on a warrant and was taken into custody.

Soon after, a witness reported seeing someone climb through a window at the Laura Lodge on N. Broadway.

The 2-story motel is located directly across the street from Superior Sound Systems, where the car was originally reported as stolen from.

After police made their way to the motel, they were able to quickly contain the area. During their search of the motel, police found a room where a man and a woman were holed up.

Officers determined the man inside was a suspect in the stolen car case. The two people were brought out of the room and taken into custody without incident.

The man was arrested on suspicion of a stolen vehicle, while the woman was arrested on unrelated warrants.

Santa Maria Police have not identified the names of anyone arrested.