2 suspected Santa Rosa gang members arrested in alleged attack on 13-year-old
FILE - Handcuffs sitting on a table. (Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Image)
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Two suspected gang members were arrested in Santa Rosa for allegedly assaulting a student walking to school last week, police said Thursday.
On March 14, Santa Rosa officers were alerted to a report of an assault. They found out that the victim, a 13-year-old boy, was attacked while walking to school that morning. Several gang members wearing blue clothing reportedly jumped out of a vehicle and started punching and kicking him.
Police learned that the victim was knocked down into a puddle before the suspects left. The juvenile student suffered injuries as a result of the assault.
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On Wednesday, detectives served two search warrants at residences located in the 500 block of Madrone Way in Windsor and in the 10 block of Pierson Street in Santa Rosa. They had identified 19-year-old Joshua Bazan Ortiz of Santa Rosa and 25-year-old Victor Garcia-Roman of Windsor as the suspects in the assault.
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Police alleged Ortiz was the primary aggressor, as he had punched the student multiple times and even kicked the victim in the head while he was on the ground.
Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of assault likely to cause great bodily injury, participating in a criminal street gang, and promoting or assisting a criminal street gang.
Police said Ortiz was also arrested for a graffiti vandalism offense. According to investigators, he was caught on video using spray paint on multiple fences at Roseland Elementary School with gang-related graffiti last week.
Both suspects were booked into Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.