5 suspected gang members arrested in assault case

With the help of the SWAT team, officers arrested five Porterville residents for their alleged involvement in an assault that occurred Friday, the Porterville Police Department reports.

According to police reports, at about 3:20 a.m. on Friday, police were dispatched to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department’s Porterville substation to meet with a person who said he had been assaulted and his wallet and cellphone had been stolen from a residence within city limits.

Officers responded to the residence in the 300 block of North Baker Street, where they found and detained two suspects, identified as Luis Quintero, 26, and Adrian Martinez, 20.

The two were identified as the ones partly responsible for assaulting the victim and taking his property, the PPD reports.

According to reports, after detectives were called to assist with the investigation, they identified at least one more suspect, Pedro Sanchez, 28, who was said to still be in the home.

Police also learned that the homeowner, Jose Villalobos, 21, also believed to be inside the home, had warned the victim not to call police to report the incident.

According to the PPD, the home has a recent history of gang association and during the assault, gang slurs were said to the victim.

The PPD’s SWAT team was used to assist in the service of a search warrant.

The SWAT team was able to call the remaining subjects out of the home without incident, police report.

All of the suspects were identified as gang members and booked into the custody of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

All but Villalobos were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit a felony.

Sanchez was additionally charged with robbery and Villalobos with intimidation of a victim/witness.