‘Scary as hell.’ Amber Alert suspect stopped by Good Samaritans at Cambria gas station
>> >> UPDATE: ‘I just did what needed to be done.’ SLO County man describes Amber Alert suspect’s capture
Sharp-eyed citizens in Cambria spotted and apprehended a San Jose man on Monday who was suspected of kidnapping a 2-year-old after stabbing his girlfriend, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to the San Jose Police Department, officers responding to reports Sunday night of a woman screaming found the woman with at least one stab wound.
Police said officers determined her boyfriend, Victor Magana, 24, attacked her before fleeing with their 2-year-old daughter.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued Monday for Magana and the toddler, who were said to be traveling in a light-green 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The girl’s mother was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.
The CHP alert warned citizens to not approach Magana if seen.
Around 10:20 a.m. Monday, a man matching Magana’s description and driving the same car was spotted at the Shell Station in Cambria, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said. A child was also seen in the car.
A concerned citizen called in the sighting, Cipolla said, and then a group of them delayed the man at the gas station until authorities could arrive.
“While deputies were en route, the citizens physically restrained the suspect until law enforcement arrived and detained the suspect,” Cipolla told The Tribune.
Witness recalls capture of Amber Alert suspect
Magana was spotted at the Cambria gas station Monday morning after going inside to use the restroom, according to Tammy Hall, assistant manager of Old Cambria Marketplace and Shell Station.
“I didn’t recognize him,” Hall said, but station clerk Cody Tarver did.
Meanwhile, a tourist who had stopped at the gas station recognized Magana’s car and license plate number, Hall said.
When Magana left the restroom, the tourist confronted him, Hall said, despite a warning in the Amber Alert that Magana was considered “armed and dangerous” and people shouldn’t approach him.
Magana had “picked up a rock and was smashing the driver’s side window with it,” Hall said, apparently because he’d locked his car keys in the car with his toddler daughter inside.
Magana kept protesting, “That’s not me! It’s not me,” she said, as four male customers surrounded him.
“That dude wasn’t going anywhere,” said Hall, who captured video of the confrontation. “It was scary as hell.”
Station manager Eric Johnson asked Hall if she was sure the detained man was the Amber Alert suspect.
When she said “yes,” Johnson “walked up behind him and put him in a chokehold” until authorities arrived, Hall said.
“He’s a hero,” Hall said of her boss. “It was crazy. It was nuts. This is Cambria. It’s Monday morning. This is a bit much.”
‘Armed and dangerous’
Magana was then taken into custody, while the 2-year-old was turned over to San Luis Obispo County Child Welfare Services. The Sheriff’s Office said it is coordinating with the San Jose Police Department, which issued the Amber Alert.
Soon after the arrest, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office released an additional statement regarding the incident, reminding people to not approach armed and dangerous suspects.
“While law enforcement is grateful for the assistance from the citizens who detained the suspect, we do not recommend approaching or confronting a person who is considered armed and dangerous,” the department said in a news release Monday afternoon.
“In situations like that we advise contacting law enforcement with the suspect’s location and keeping a safe distance until law enforcement has the incident under control.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 11:02 AM with the headline "‘Scary as hell.’ Amber Alert suspect stopped by Good Samaritans at Cambria gas station."
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