News
Released: November 13, 2026 - Friday, 02:34 PM
When Deputies arrived, they learned that two male suspects had approached a residence and forced their way inside when the door was answered. Once inside, the suspects held the occupants at gunpoint and forced them to be secluded in a room while making threats against them. The suspects made one of the occupants retrieve a safe containing approximately $20,000 worth of jewelry. The suspects then fled the residence with the safe and several firearms.
Deputies obtained a description of the suspects' vehicle and, with the assistance of an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, located the vehicle traveling on Highway 46 near Shandon.
With assistance from the Paso Robles Police Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter, Deputies located and stopped the vehicle approximately 40 minutes after the initial report.
Both suspects were taken into custody without incident. No injuries were reported.
A subsequent search of the suspects' vehicle resulted in the recovery of the stolen property, including the jewelry and firearms.
Eighteen-year-old Leyva was arrested on charges of armed robbery, assault with a firearm on a person, kidnapping, criminal threats and attempting to dissuade a witness. He was also arrested on a warrant from the Newman Police Department for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, willful discharge of a firearm, assault with a firearm on a person, participating in a criminal street gang and criminal threats. He is believed to have ties to a known criminal street gang in Merced County.
A second suspect, identified as a 17-year-old Hispanic juvenile from Gustin, CA, was also arrested on the same charges stemming from yesterday's incident.
Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there is no known ongoing threat to the public.
The investigation remains ongoing. No further information is available at this time.
Armed Robbery
Contact: Tony CipollaPhone: 805-781-4547Date and time of incident: 11-12-2026, Approximately 6:00 PMPlace of Occurrence: Heritage Ranch Victim Information: N/ASuspect Information: Avyel Leyva, 18, Merced, Juvenile, 17, GustinOn 11-12-2026, Sheriff's Deputies responded to a report of an armed home invasion robbery in the Heritage Ranch area.When Deputies arrived, they learned that two male suspects had approached a residence and forced their way inside when the door was answered. Once inside, the suspects held the occupants at gunpoint and forced them to be secluded in a room while making threats against them. The suspects made one of the occupants retrieve a safe containing approximately $20,000 worth of jewelry. The suspects then fled the residence with the safe and several firearms.
Deputies obtained a description of the suspects' vehicle and, with the assistance of an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, located the vehicle traveling on Highway 46 near Shandon.
With assistance from the Paso Robles Police Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter, Deputies located and stopped the vehicle approximately 40 minutes after the initial report.
Both suspects were taken into custody without incident. No injuries were reported.
A subsequent search of the suspects' vehicle resulted in the recovery of the stolen property, including the jewelry and firearms.
Eighteen-year-old Leyva was arrested on charges of armed robbery, assault with a firearm on a person, kidnapping, criminal threats and attempting to dissuade a witness. He was also arrested on a warrant from the Newman Police Department for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, willful discharge of a firearm, assault with a firearm on a person, participating in a criminal street gang and criminal threats. He is believed to have ties to a known criminal street gang in Merced County.
A second suspect, identified as a 17-year-old Hispanic juvenile from Gustin, CA, was also arrested on the same charges stemming from yesterday's incident.
Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there is no known ongoing threat to the public.
The investigation remains ongoing. No further information is available at this time.
