Call of a man carrying a shotgun led Atwater police to armed robbery arrests

Two men were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and other crimes after one was found carrying a shotgun on an Atwater street Saturday, police say..

Jesus Lopez, 35, and Jeffrey Crawford, 25, both of Winton, were arrested, police say in a news release. Police gave an account of what happened:

Officers were dispatched shorty after 7 a.m. to the 1700 block of Sycamore Avenue for a report of a male walking down the street with a shotgun. A resident informed police he had confronted two males who attempted to steal a pair of rims and tires. Lopez is accused of pointing a shotgun at the victim.

Officers detained Lopez and discovered a loaded shotgun concealed in his pants leg. The gun had been stolen in an Atwater residential burglary earlier in the year.

Investigators determined Crawford also was involved in the alleged armed robbery.

A search of a hotel room used by the suspects revealed evidence of possible mail theft, identity theft and other crimes.

Crawford was arrested for various drug charges and a felony warrant for armed robbery, according to authorities. Lopez was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm and possession of stolen property.

Both Lopez and Crawford were booked into the Merced County Jail and the investigation is ongoing, police say.