A man and a woman seen on video robbing unsuspecting victims coming from a bar in Santa Ana earlier this month have been arrested, and authorities believe they may be tied to other similar incidents.
The incident captured on video occurred on Aug. 13 after the two men left a bar in the downtown Santa Ana area.
The two had car trouble and ended up pulling over into a parking lot to change a tire. While one man is on the ground — after apparently having too much to drink — and the other is changing the tire, a woman approaches one and starts speaking to him in English, which he doesn’t quite understand.
That’s when the male assailant approached the victim changing the tire and started attacking him.
The victim told KTLA the man pistol-whipped him three times until they struggled to the ground.
The assailant got up first, cocked his gun, pointed it at the victim and demanded his wallet.
“That’s when I got really scared, I thought I was going to die,” the victim, who did not want to be identified, said in Spanish.
He managed to run away and hide, but his vision was blurred from the blows.
Video shows the woman rummaging through the vehicle for other things to steal, and the robbers even stole the other victim’s wallet while he remained on the ground.
Investigators believe the suspects may have been surveilling area bars until zeroing in on the victims.
The suspects, who have not been identified, were arrested in connection with a similar crime in another jurisdiction around 10 days later.
Authorities believe the pair may be responsible for other crimes in the region.
Police are asking residents to be aware of their surroundings, whether they are out grocery shopping or enjoying an evening out with friends.
“We’re asking the public, just be aware of your surroundings, no matter where it is that you are at,” said Santa Ana police officer Natalie Garcia.
