Three Santa Ana police officers were charged Monday with petty theft -- with one additionally accused of vandalizing surveillance cameras -- involving a search warrant they served at a marijuana dispensary that sparked a viral video and subsequent civil suit.
Brandon Matthew Sontag, 31, Nicole Lynn Quijas, 37, and Jorge Arroyo, 32, are each charged with a misdemeanor count of petty theft. Sontag also faces a misdemeanor count of vandalism with damage less than $400.
The three were with several other officers on May 26 when the search warrant was being served on Sky High Holistic, a marijuana dispensary on 17th Street.
The dispensary had 16 surveillance cameras that were shut down legally during the search, but there was also a hidden four-camera system that continued to record officers, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Sontag allegedly damaged five of the visible cameras, prosecutors said.
The cameras are worth about $90.
The three are also accused of taking protein bars and cookies from the break room, munching on them and doling them out to other officers, prompting the petty theft charges, prosecutors said.
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Investigators did not find any evidence the officers ate any edible marijuana items at the dispensary.
Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said the department was barred by state law from commenting on personnel matters. An internal investigation is ongoing, he said.
Attorney Matthew Pappas, who represents the collective in a pending lawsuit against the city over the raid, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit alleges that during the raid, the officers "made discriminatory statements about plaintiff Marla James, who is a disabled individual protected by state and federal anti-discrimination laws."
A video of the raid showed officers ridiculing a woman who uses a wheelchair due to an amputated left leg.
