Update: Man won’t be charged for taking police chief’s gun
Update posted Aug. 19
–District Attorney Dan Dow announced last week that no charges will be filed against Skeeter Carlos Mangan (dob 3/20/89), of Los Osos, for taking and possessing a Glock .380 firearm that was mistakenly left by San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell in the bathroom of El Pollo Loco on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo mid-day on July 10, 2019.
“While the evidence in this case does support a misdemeanor charge of Penal Code section 485, after thoroughly considering all the circumstances, I have concluded that it would not be in the interest of justice to charge Mr. Mangan with a crime,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “It is my sincere hope that Mr. Mangan and other members of our community have learned from this widely publicized situation that failure to take immediate steps to find the rightful owner of lost property is a crime of theft under California law.”
Under California Penal Code section 485, failure to return lost property is a crime of theft. The statute reads as follows: “[o]ne who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.”
“I am compelled to thank and commend Mr. Sean F. Greenwood, of San Luis Obispo, for his swift action in contacting Mangan after recognizing him in social media posts as the person who likely had possession of the firearm,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Mr. Greenwood’s actions enabled the quick recovery of this lost firearm and prevented any further harm to come from this unfortunate situation. I consider Mr. Greenwood a ‘Good Samaritan’ whose actions set a positive example for others in our community.”
For media inquiries, please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth, (805) 781-5819.
Update posted July 18
Update: SLO police chief disciplined for leaving firearm in restaurant bathroom
SLO Police Chief Deanna Cantrell.
–San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell will face a one-time pay reduction of approximately $1,600, firearm safety training and a required discussion with all members of the city’s police department for losing her gun at an El Pollo Loco restaurant on July 10, according to a reports. She will not miss any time on the job.
City Manager Derek Johnson issued the following statement detailing the disciplinary actions: slocity.org/Home/Components/News
Update posted July 12
Update: Police chief’s firearm located in Los Osos, suspect identified
–On Thursday, July 11 at approximately 7 p.m., the San Luis Obispo Police Department received a call from the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office telling them they had located the Police Chief’s stolen firearm.
This evening, a man called the sheriff’s office and said his brother-in-law was in possession of the firearm and that he would bring him to the sheriff’s Coastal Division in Los Osos to return the gun. Sheriff’s officials verified the gun Mangan had was the stolen firearm.
Investigators from the San Luis Obispo Police Department then went to Los Osos to recover the firearm and interview the suspect who was identified as Skeeter Carlos Mangan, 30.
During the interview, Mangan admitted to finding the firearm in the restroom at El Pollo Loco, putting it in his pocket, and returning home to Los Osos.
Broad community awareness helped law enforcement quickly identify Mangan.
Original story posted July 11
Gun missing after San Luis Obispo police chief leaves it in restaurant bathroom
–On Wednesday, just after noon, San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell was eating lunch at the El Pollo Loco on Los Osos Valley Road. She went to the restroom and inadvertently left her personal firearm in the stall. Within minutes, she realized her mistake and went to the restroom to retrieve it, but it was no longer there.
Chief Cantrell obtained video footage from the business and observed a man entering the same restroom minutes after she left. He is described as balding, wearing a black jacket, lime green and blue striped shorts and sunglasses (photo attached). He remained in the restroom for approximately two minutes and then left through the same entrance where he had entered, near the Dicks Sporting Goods parking lot.
After the man left the restroom, a boy approximately 10-years-old entered and left, followed by an adult man. Both were still in the restaurant and questioned. Neither reported seeing a firearm.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department is continuing its investigation and asks anyone with information about this incident to call (805) 781-7312.
Cantrell released the following video as a statement in response to the incident:
San Luis Obispo City Manager Derek Johnson released the following statement regarding the incident:
I want to assure our community that protecting the public’s safety is our number one priority. I have personally spoken with Chief Cantrell, who apologized for this mistake and has voluntarily agreed to attend training on firearms safety practices. She has also vowed to use this incident as a training opportunity for all officers in the department. Having carried a firearm safely for 25 years, she is committed to serving as an example of the level of vigilance that must be maintained at all times, regardless of experience or rank.
