Cloudy skies. High 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..
Showers early, becoming a steady rain overnight. Windy. Low near 55F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.
Updated: December 23, 2025 @ 11:25 am
Jose Rodriguez-Barraza
Samantha Weigel
Mitchell Zaragoza
Samantha WeigelTwo men wanted for a violent robbery in December in the North Central neighborhood of San Mateo are in custody, and police are crediting the public in part for the arrests.
At about 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, San Mateo police responded to a man who said he was robbed and punched in the face by two men near East Poplar and North Ellsworth avenues.
Shortly before the robbery, Jose Rodriguez-Barraza, 28, and Mitchell Zaragoza, 30, both of San Mateo, were seen on surveillance inside a local store where the victim was shopping. They exited the store around the same time as the victim and committed the robbery shortly thereafter, according to police.
On Jan. 14, San Mateo police distributed a press release to the media and shared images of the suspects on its social media platforms. Within a few hours of the broadcast, Zaragoza turned himself in to police for committing the robbery. San Mateo police continued working this case in search of the second suspect. Additional information led officers to positively identify Rodriguez-Barraza as the outstanding suspect, according to police.
On Jan. 21, the San Mateo Police Department’s Crime Reduction Unit spotted Rodriguez-Barraza on the 200 block of North Amphlett Boulevard — just a short walk from the original robbery location. Rodriguez-Barraza was quickly apprehended without incident and transported to San Mateo County Jail, according to police.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Come as you are to a peaceful, family-friendly service of carols, candles, and the story of … Read moreChristmas Eve Candlelight Service
Join San Mateo County native and real estate expert Paisley Vartanian for the first-ever in-… Read moreNational Homeowners Day
Navigating Senior Care, Estate Planning, & Funeral Planning Read morePeace of Mind with a Piece of Cake
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.