Atascadero police have made several arrests related to a gang-related assault and robbery that took place earlier this year at the Centennial Bridge.
On August 30 police responded to a fight caught on live surveillance cameras around 1:40 a.m. The incident, involving an assault with a bottle considered to be a deadly weapon and the theft of shoes, was identified as gang-related. In the weeks that followed, two juveniles were arrested, and a third suspect was taken into custody after a separate gang fight at Atascadero High School.
On October 30 detectives, with help from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, executed search warrants in Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, and Santa Maria, leading to the arrest of 18-year-old Vaughn Whipple and 18-year-old Kira Westfall. Three more juveniles, ages 14 and 16, were also arrested.
Police say they recovered gang-related evidence during the operation. In total, seven people have now been arrested in connection with the August assault.
