Deputies arrest two men in Santa Margarita

November 8, 2019

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Authorities chased an allegedly violent, wanted man around Santa Margarita Wednesday morning and ultimately arrested him, as well as a second suspect.

At about 6 a.m., the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail served a high risk warrant at a home in the 4100 block of Stagecoach Canyon Road in rural Santa Margarita. Deputies were trying to locate Max Aaron Gerarden, 28, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

Gerarden was wanted on a variety of charges, including aggravated mayhem, kidnapping, false imprisonment, battery with serious bodily injury, inflicting corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant and threatening to commit a crime of violence. All of the charges stemmed from a single investigation sheriff’s detectives had conducted.

The sheriff’s office had featured Gerarden on its “Most Wanted Wednesday” social media post three times, including as recently as Oct. 16.

When the Special Enforcement Detail tried to serve the warrant, Gerarden fled the rural Santa Margarita location in a vehicle. Deputies pursued Gerarden with help from a CHP aircraft.

The car chase lasted about five minutes. Gerarden then exited his vehicle at a location on Goldie Lane in Santa Margarita and began running onto a property.

Members of the Special Enforcement Detail searched the property, located Gerarden and took him into custody.

Additionally, deputies took a second wanted suspect into custody at the same location. Daniel Jay Romo, 26, was arrested for violating his post-release community supervision on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Both Gerarden and Romo are currently in the San Luis Obispo County Jail. Gerarden remains in custody with his bail set at $500,000.

The sheriff’s office website does not list a bail amount for Romo.

An investigation into the case is ongoing.