Carlsbad CA— Thursday night, December 14 at 7:05 p.m., the Carlsbad Police Department was called to Vinaka Cafe located 300 Carlsbad Village Drive in regards to a person with a weapon who attempted to steal from the Café. Officers arrived on scene and observed multiple bystanders holding down two combative male subjects.
Officers conducted an investigation into the subjects who potentially had a weapon. A preliminary investigation was conducted and it revealed that a white male adult and a white male juvenile entered the Vinaka Café and stole the tip jar from the counter. The employees observed what had happened and began to argue with one of the male subject’s about the theft. During the argument one of the subjects produced a firearm that was later identified as an airsoft gun.
Subsequent to the altercation with the employees of Vinaka Café, the adult male, who was outside, assaulted a female bystander who was standing outside the Café. He struck her in the face, damaged her cellular phone, and brandished the airsoft gun towards her. Bystanders who had witnessed the series of events, intervened and forcibly detained the two suspects.
The adult male suspect was positively identified as Giovanni Matteo Ojeda Filippone, a 19 year-old white male, from San Diego. He was booked at the Vista Detention Facility for Robbery, Assault, Brandishing a Weapon, Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, as well as various narcotics charges.
The male juvenile was arrested for Robbery and Assault and transported to San Diego Juvenile Hall where he was booked for the aforementioned charges.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Bystanders Subdue Robbery Suspects in Carlsbad
December 15, 2017