UPDATE: Officers attempt to arrest two armed robbery, homicide suspects, one suspect found dead upon arrest
PASO ROBLES, Calif. - One suspect is in custody after fleeing from a string of crimes in Santa Barbara County and leading San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputies on a high-speed chase through Paso Robles and into Kern County, while officers found the other suspect suspiciously dead by gunshot wound.
The suspects, out of Santa Barbara County, are believed to be responsible for several crimes, including a murder that happened on June 5. The two are accused of a shooting, armed robbery in Buellton, and carjacking before being spotted by SLO County Sheriff's officials.
The suspects reportedly robbed a liquor store on the 400 block of Avenue of Flags with firearms just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Santa Barbara County Sherriff's spokeswoman Raquel Zick.
The suspects fled prior to officers' arrival with an undisclosed amount of cash, and the clerk at the liquor store was unharmed.
Deputies discovered that the suspect was potentially related to a "recent homicide and shootings" in Lompoc, as well as a carjacking in Anaheim, Zick said.
Deputies and County Air Support searched the area for the suspects and vehicle, but were unable to locate either as they drove across county lines. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office was notified to be on the lookout for the vehicle.
At 4:40 p.m. Wednesday deputies saw the suspects vehicle near Highway 46 and Golden Hill Road in Paso Robles, but lost sight of the vehicle. Around 5:30 p.m. the suspect vehicle was seen again traveling east on Highway 46 near Mill Road. And the chase was on. At high speeds, the suspects drove from San Luis Obispo County into Kern County and fled on foot into agricultural orchards.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office SWAT team, K9 Unit, and Air Unit all helped locate the two suspects, who fled into an orchard near Kecks Road.
As deputies were preparing to search the area, a witness reported that two males were seen running just a few miles east of the orchard and had possibly left an ATV behind, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.
Officers located the ATV and spotted the suspects running away from the vehicle. Units set up a perimeter and the suspects attempted to hide near a canal, the Kern County Sheriff's Office said.
As ground units approached the two suspects, they arrested one without further incident, but as they approached the second, they found that he was already dead from a gunshot wound.
Officers found a handgun near his body.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office said that no law enforcement officers fired their weapons during this incident, and it is unknown how the suspect suffered the injury.
Due to the circumstances of the case, a homicide investigation has been opened.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is working with all of the involved agencies on this case, including Lompoc Police Department, Anaheim Police Department, San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara Juvenile Probation, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol.
