Suspect arrested in carjacking crime spree in Merced County

A months-long investigation into a string of armed carjackings and robberies ended Monday with a 28-year-old Atwater man behind bars, facing numerous felony allegations.

Eric Navarette was described by investigators as “the main suspect” in the carjackings and also is believed to be the man responsible for shooting another man during a botched robbery April 20 near the Shaffer Bridge, according to Detective-Sgt. Chuck Hale of the Merced County Sheriff’s Office

Navarette was arrested Monday outside his apartment in the 800 block of Broadway in Atwater. He was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of assault with a firearm, shooting at an occupied vehicle, attempted carjacking, carjacking, and robbery. Navarette remained in custody Monday afternoon with bail set at $650,000, according to jail records.

More than half a dozen armed carjackings and robberies have been reported since the beginning of the year and investigators believe Navarette, and possibly others, are responsible for them.

Detectives said the thieves targeted victims parked on rural roads. In each case, the main suspect was described by the victims as a Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s with a thin build and short hair. A green pickup truck also was seen during many of the robberies.

On April 20, one man attempted to roll up his window and drive away. Deputies believe he was shot by Navarette. The victim survived.

The most recent robbery was reported Friday when a farmworker was held at gunpoint at an almond orchard on Atwater-Jordan Road.

Investigators made a break in the case Friday when Undersheriff Jason Goins spotted a green pickup truck matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle. Goins said he noticed the vehicle Friday afternoon while patrolling in the Winton area. Goins stopped the vehicle and interviewed the driver, who was not arrested.

Investigators tracked down the owner of the truck.

“He’d been letting people borrow his truck and (Navarette) had borrowed it on the days of the robbery,” Hale said.

Detectives identified Navarette as a suspect in the case and went to his Atwater home Monday morning. Investigators seized property from his home they believe was stolen during the string of robberies.

The weapon used in each case was described as a small silver pistol. It has not been located.

Sheriff Vern Warnke praised the detectives and specifically singled out the undersheriff. After the robbery was reported Friday, Goins apparently told the sheriff he planned to go looking for the suspect’s truck.

“About an hour later he had the truck,” Warnke said. “This whole thing came together because (Goins) went out on the hunt for this guy. He doesn’t just drive a desk, he still loves being a cop. Every gunslinger in our office goes out looking for bad guys.

“He (Goins) helped stop a crime spree that has been plaguing the Atwater-Winton area of our county for months,” Warnke said Monday.

Goins said he was just his “part to help keep the public safe.”

“No matter what rank we are, we’re all still just doing our part to ensure the public stays safe,” Goins said in a telephone interview.

Deputies still would like to speak with a woman whose photograph they released late last month in connection with the robberies. Deputies have not released her name, but have described her as “possibly” Navarette’s girlfriend.

Hale said investigators have not ruled out the possibility of tying Navarette to other cases in the Atwater-Winton area.

This story was originally published May 1, 2017 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Suspect arrested in carjacking crime spree in Merced County."