Neighbors more at ease after arrest of Aptos hammer attack suspect

APTOS, Calif. (KGO) -- Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies arrested a suspect they say was involved in a hammer attack early Monday in Aptos.

The brutal incident left three teenage boys with head injuries. One of them still recovering.

A home surveillance system went up this evening at the home where a group of masked men entered during a Memorial Day sleepover and assaulted three teenage boys with a hammer.

RELATED: Officials say 15-year-old arrested in brutal Aptos hammer attack

Word quickly spread in the neighborhood that a 15-year-old boy from Watsonville was arrested in connection with the brutal crime.

"When there's more understanding about what happened, it's easier to rest easy," said neighbor Dawn Binder.

All three teens received head injuries in the attack.

One of the victims, Alex, 17, continues to recover and is now in stable condition.

"We recognized the importance of this case, in how brutal and violent it was, and the importance of making a quick arrest, in this case, was a priority," said Sgt. Brian Cleveland with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office.

RELATED: Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office searching for suspects in Aptos hammer attack

Detectives say the incident was a robbery that turned into an attack. They're not releasing what was stolen but say drugs were found in the victim's property. Investigators also believe there are more suspects involved and that the attackers knew the victims.

"There were several people that entered this garage and made this attack and participated," said Cleveland. "It's just a matter of time before we're able to make an arrest."

Detectives say they'll continue to work this case until all those responsible are caught. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office.