Man shot by police during alleged robbery arrested

A reputed gang member who was shot by a Glendale police officer last week during an alleged armed robbery in North Hollywood has been arrested, officials said.

Glendale police officially arrested David Santos, 18, Friday at a hospital where he is being treated for a non-life-threatening wound to his upper torso, police said.

Santos was scheduled to appear Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Van Nuys to answer to charges stemming from the shooting that involved the Glendale officers, as well as a string of robberies that plagued the San Fernando Valley, said Jane Robison, a Los Angeles County district attorney’s office spokeswoman.

He was unable to appear because he remained hospitalized, court officials said.

Glendale police will continue to assist Los Angeles police detectives with their investigation into the robberies, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Glendale police seized evidence and the suspect vehicle during the incident, he added.

Santos and another reputed gang member, Christopher Morales, 21, were taken into custody June 21 at Sylvan Street and Colfax Avenue.

Morales was charged with nine felony counts of second-degree robbery with a gun.

The incident occurred at about 4:15 p.m. when two undercover Glendale detectives who were investigating a separate case allegedly witnessed the pair in an armed robbery, officials said.

The pair saw police and jumped into a Chrysler PT Cruiser, officials said.

Detectives tried to intervene with an unmarked car to block the pair, but they rammed the police cruiser, prompting a detective to open fire, wounding Santos. Neither officer was hurt.

Los Angeles police later linked Santos and Morales to armed robberies that occurred from Nov. 30 to June, officials said.

The police detective who shot Santos was put on leave to for his well-being and so he could seek counseling, Lorenz said.

The detective is expected to return to duty today.

“He is doing fine,” Lorenz said. “He is happy to get back to work.”