The Atascadero police department has made additional arrests in connection to a gang-related assault and robbery that occurred earlier this year.
In late August, Atascadero police observed a fight in progress on live surveillance cameras in the Centennial bridge area. Officers were immediately dispatched, and several subjects in the area fled. Detectives identified the altercation as gang-related with video evidence. Detectives arrested two juveniles for their involvement, and a third suspect was later taken into custody following a separate gang-related fight that occurred on Atascadero high school campus. Detectives continued their investigation to identify additional suspects associated with the case, which culminated in the arrests made yesterday. Search warrants were executed in Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, and Santa Maria, and the following individuals were arrested:
18-year-old Vaughn Elias Whipple of Arroyo Grande for assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury.
18-year-old Kira Kaitlyn Westfall of Nipomo for conspiracy.
Three juvenile males, ages 14, 16, and 16, were also taken into custody during the investigation, and while serving search warrants, detectives recovered gang-related evidence. In total, the APD made seven arrests in connection with the August 30th incident, with an eighth related arrest stemming from the fight at Atascadero high school.
