Two Colombian nationals were arrested in California after automated license plate readers alerted authorities to a stolen Mercedes-Benz linked to a violent carjacking that occurred on July 11 in Hawthorne, California. The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 had been reported stolen during the incident, which involved an assault with a deadly weapon.
Days later, deputies received an alert indicating that the vehicle was traveling through Rolling Hills Estates. Further investigation revealed that the car was also connected to a recent residential burglary in Torrance. Deputies located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near Palos Verdes Drive North and Rolling Vista Drive.
As the vehicle stopped, a passenger exited and fled, prompting deputies to establish a perimeter. The driver, Yareht Pedraza, 26, from Bogotá, Colombia, was arrested at the scene. With the assistance of an LASD airship, the passenger, Alan Pena Sabogn, 21, also from Bogotá, was located and taken into custody. Sabogn faces charges for failing to obey a lawful order, obstructing a peace officer, and providing false identification, and he also had an outstanding felony no-bail burglary warrant from Colorado. The sheriff's department noted that this incident demonstrates the effectiveness of technology and teamwork in law enforcement.