Fort Bragg gang members arrested in assault

Fort Bragg police have arrested two suspected gang members in connection with a violent assault Saturday night after the suspects and a third person used their vehicle to block a car returning home from a trip to the store, authorities said.

The unidentified blocked-in driver was pulled out of the car and attacked with a knife, baseball bat and chain before someone still inside the car threatened to call police, apparently scaring the assailants away, police said.

Police said the incident occurred in the 100 block of Minnesota Avenue, a few blocks west of the local high school, around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

It was unclear if the victims were also associated with a criminal street gang or how badly injured was the driver.

But police said a car containing the same three suspects had earlier been in front of the same home while they were preparing to go to the store. They brandished red bandanas, yelled something unintelligible, then followed the victims for several blocks before speeding away, police said.

It was unclear how investigators identified suspects Andrew Hurtado, 18, and Ricardo Arenas, 21, though both are well known to local police, authorities said.

Hurtado was arrested around midnight Saturday when a large, multiagency group of law enforcement officers served arrest and search warrants at two Fort Bragg addresses, finding Hurtado but not locating Arenas.

Hurtado was being held at the Mendocino County Jail without bail for suspicion of making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon with great bodily injury, stalking, false imprisonment, kidnapping, conspiracy, battery with serious injury and other charges.

Arenas turned himself in Monday evening on an outstanding warrant for suspicion of attempted murder, making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, commission of a felony while armed with a weapon and conduct for the advancement of a criminal street gang.

The third suspect remained unidentified, police said Monday night.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.