SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/15/2007 – 3/15/07. The investigation of yesterday’s gang homicide at State and Carrillo Street remains the top priority for the Police Department. Additional information is now available: The victim has been identified as Luis Angel Linares, age 15; a student at El Puente High School. The primary suspect is a 14-year-old male who attended Santa Barbara Junior High School. In addition to homicide, he is being charged with criminal conspiracy and committing the crime (assault) in furtherance of a street gang.

3/15/07. The investigation of yesterday’s gang homicide at State and Carrillo Street remains the top priority for the Police Department. Additional information is now available: The victim has been identified as Luis Angel Linares, age 15; a student at El Puente High School. The primary suspect is a 14-year-old male who attended Santa Barbara Junior High School. In addition to homicide, he is being charged with criminal conspiracy and committing the crime (assault) in furtherance of a street gang.As part of yesterday’s investigation, four other suspects were arrested for their involvement in the fight: A 16-year-old male was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, criminal conspiracy, and committing a crime (assault) in furtherance of a criminal street gang. Three more suspects ages 13, 14, and 16 were arrested for criminal conspiracy and committing a crime (assault) in furtherance of a criminal street gang. Including the primary suspect charged with homicide, all five suspects are affiliated with the same street gang. The five suspects were amongst the approximately twenty-five suspects detained soon after the fight was reported. Detectives believe all five suspects conspired to engage in a fight with a rival gang.

This high-profile incident has raised community concerns of gang violence and public safety. The Santa Barbara Police Department is working closely with all local schools to reduce the problem of gang violence. In addition, SBPD is working with community organizations including: The County Probation Department; La Casa de la Raza; and Los Compadres, a grass roots mentoring program affiliated with the Community Action Commission.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/13/2007 – Santa Barbara Police Detectives continue investigating one of the largest bad check cases in local history.  The suspect, Maria Serdio, age 44, remains in custody following her arrest on 2/16/07.  The investigation began on 2/15/07 when the Santa Barbara Auto Group reported that Serdio had purchased a brand new Jaguar X-Type sedan with a $5,000 bad check.  At the same time, several area businesses reported that Serdio wrote bad checks to finance large purchases of furniture, jewelry, and designer clothing.  The case kept snowballing until there were 18 victim businesses that collectively accepted bad checks amounting to $77,000.  In many cases, the bad checks were only deposits on the much larger total purchase.  The total value of fraudulently obtained property is approximately $200,000.  On 2/16/07 Serdio was arrested at her job in the flower department of Von’s Store on Coast Village Road.  Her new Jaguar was impounded from the parking lot.  Serdio’s purse was burgeoning with receipts from recent purchases plus blank checks on her closed account.  Serdio was jailed on charges of burglary, grand theft, and writing checks with insufficient funds.  On 2/16/07, police recovered fraudulently obtained designer clothing, jewelry, and expensive household items from Serdio’s residence.  Police questioned but did not arrest Serdio’s husband and 17-year-old daughter.  Reportedly, the daughter had been driving the new Jaguar back and forth from high school.  Police questioned a man living at the Serdio’s residence who was hired by Serdio as a personal attendant.  He recounted having accompanied Serdio on “massive shopping sprees.”  Meanwhile, Serdio’s bounced checks kept flowing into police hands.  Police also learned that Serdio had written a bad check in West Lake to purchase a 2006 Nissan X-Terra.  This vehicle was repossessed by the car dealership.  She also purchased a new Toyota from their SB dealership with a bad check.  This vehicle has also been repossessed.  Yesterday, on 3/12/07, fifteen area merchants accompanied police to Serdio’s residence to identify fraudulently obtained property.  Many $1000s worth of property was recovered.  The victim businesses include: Boon Mee, Diani, Patty Montana, Mason K, Kate Lily, Bo-tan-ik, Haywards Furniture, Room with a View, Mischief, J. Charles Knoll, and William Laman Home Furnishings.   Amazingly, the vast majority of the bad checks were written in a five-week period.  Serdio remains in custody at County Jail on $100,000 bail.  Anyone who has accepted a bad check from Serdio is encouraged to contact Detective Eric Beecher at 897-2328.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/12/2007 – On 3/9/07 at 3:22 p.m. police arrested Jason Lee Newton, age 21, for forgery.  Newton had tried to cash three counterfeit traveler’s checks at the Bank of America, 3790 State Street.  An alert teller immediately recognized the notes as bogus.  She stalled Newton until police arrived to arrest him.  On 3/9/07 at 11:30 p.m. a motorcycle officer stopped Cody Fox, age 26 for crossing State Street on a red light.  Fox was arrested for outstanding warrants.  Police discovered crystal Meth and a crack pipe hidden in his sock.  In addition to the warrant he was booked on drug possession charges.  On 3/10/07 at 12:10 a.m. an officer working downtown stopped Daniella Melendez, age 24 for making an unsafe turn in her Ford Thunderbird.  She was unlicensed and uninsured.  Police then found syringes in her purse and crystal Meth hidden on her person.  She was jailed for drug possession charges and being an unlicensed driver.  On 3/10/07 at 12:40 p.m., a police officer stumbled across a hand-to-hand drug deal made on E. Yanonali Street.  Police stopped the ‘buyer’ Joseph Leborio Romero, age 42 as he drove away in a 1991 Toyota.  Police saw Romero toss his glass “crack pipe” out the window just before pulling over.  Three pieces of suspected “crack cocaine” were found in his center console.  Romero was arrested for drug charges and parole violation.  Police then arrested the suspected ‘dealer’ Sebastian Hernandez Castillo, age 21 for drug trafficking.  On 3/10/07 at 5:25 p.m. Eduardo Adame, age 25 stole a 12-pack of beer from the Circle K Store at 200 S. Milpas Street.  A police officer arrested him a few blocks away.  In addition to the stolen beer, Adame had someone else’s wallet in his pocket.  He was arrested for theft and misappropriation of found property.  On 3/10/07 at 9:40 p.m. police tried to stop Raymond Orsua, age 37 riding his bicycle on the sidewalk near Bath and Carrillo Streets.  Orsua, who was wanted for parole violation, refused to yield.  He was chased for a few blocks before being captured.  He was booked for the parole violation and resisting arrest.  Lastly, on 3/10/07 at 10:30 p.m. police stopped Leonardo Santos Vargas, age 20, for playing the stereo loudly in his Chevy Camaro.  Before it was all said and done, Vargas was arrested for DUI, driving on a suspended license, giving police a false name, being an uninsured motorist, and having two warrants totaling $15,000.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/6/2007 – 3/6/07.  A parolee is in custody today after leading police on a wild foot-chase over fences and backyards.  This morning at 1:05 a.m. police responded to a “routine” alarm call at Cantwell’s Market at 1533 State Street.  It so happened that the store owner had spent the night right across the street.  He heard the alarm and dashed over to check out his business.  Two police officers arrived a minute later.  The outside of the business appeared secure, but the interior needed to be checked.  Just as the owner unlocked the back door, it burst open and the suspect bolted westbound on Arrellaga St.  Thus began a 50-minute foot chase in which the suspect was chased, lost, and located three separate times.  The fleet-footed suspect initially lost police as he rounded the corner up Chapala Street.  A passerby directed police to a long, darkened driveway.  A perimeter was set up and the police canine “Ignaz” was called in.  The police dog tracked the suspect through a backyard and over a fence.  As officers approached from the other side, the suspect sprang from a concealed position and jumped over an adjacent fence.  He again melted into the darkness before officers could find him.  Once again, Ignaz’s ‘nosed’ him out from underneath a patio deck.  And again the suspect sprang to his feet and managed to elude officers by vaulting over fences and backtracking to Arrellaga Street.  But by now the original perimeter had narrowed, bringing more officers to bear.  Three officers and the police dog paralleled the suspect and cornered him in a back yard.  The suspect had nowhere to run but did put up a struggle.  He was arrested without injury.  He is identified as Justin Moore, age 23.  He is suspected of breaking into Cantwell’s through the rooftop.  Moore was wearing shoes that matched shoeprints found at the scene.  Moore has been charged with burglary, resisting arrest, and violation of parole.  He is being held without bail.  Moore is a local resident, possibly homeless.  Anyone with information about where Justin Moore has been living is urged to contact Detective Mark Suarez or the Watch Commander at 897-2355.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/6/2007 – 3/6/06.  Santa Barbara Police have charged Steven Neff, age 39, with an additional felony charge of sexual assault.  Neff was already in County Jail facing sexual assault charges filed by the Sheriff’s Department.  The new arrest stems from an incident occurring on November 23, 2002.  Neff had been working at a Santa Barbara company that trains people to work in the field of international athletics.  At the time, Neff had a platonic friendship with a 19-year-old female co-worker.  On the date of the incident, the woman was visiting at Neff’s residence.  There was no one else around.  Without warning, the woman felt a sharp pain to her neck, and slipped into a semi-conscious state.  Detectives believe Neff injected her with Ketamine, a powerful anesthetic.  Absolutely helpless, the woman was sexually assaulted.  The woman reported the incident to police, but was terrified of Neff.  Because of this incident she relocated to another state.  She had periodic contact with law enforcement, but declined to move forward in her investigation.  Last Friday, 3/2/07, Santa Barbara Police detectives assisted the Sheriff’s Department and Mammoth Lakes Police in arresting Neff and conducting a search at his Isla Vista residence.  An SBPD detective contacted the co-worker victim.  When told that Neff was safely in custody, she agreed to cooperate in the investigation.  Neff was already in custody on $500,000 bail.  Neff is expected to appear in court today on the old charges, and now faces a new charge of felony sexual assault.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/2/2007 – 3/2/07.  Yesterday, police detectives arrested a local homeless man for grand theft after he spent $17,800 that did not belong to him.  The story began on 1/29/07 when a wealthy customer deposited $142,400. into the Monterey, CA branch of Santa Barbara Bank and Trust.  The teller mistakenly transposed one digit of the account, which sent the funds into the account of Ruben Thomas Coronado, age 42.  Coronado is a local on-and off-again homeless man who works at a local telemarketing firm.  Coronado was pleasantly surprised to discover his now bulging bank account balance.  In increments ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, Coronado withdrew $17,800. in cash over the next 30 days.  The mistake went undetected until 2/27/07, when the customer discovered the error and contacted the bank.  Police were notified and Detective Andy Hill investigated the case.  Coronado was tracked to the Guest House Inn at 3344 State Street, where he had prepaid a half month’s rent.  The only items of value in his room were several pieces of ‘crack cocaine’ and a crack pipe.  Coronado initially told police that the huge deposit was royalties from his work in the movie “Spiderman.”  He changed his story to blaming the bank, who would only “write off the loss.”  Coronado said “It was like winning the lottery.”  Detectives believe Coronado spent the $17,800 on extravagant meals, drugs, and the hotel room.  Coronado was booked for grand theft, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 3/1/2007 – The Santa Barbara Police Department is issuing a warning on door-to-door sales people.  While some are legitimate, the chances are pretty good that the salesperson knocking at your door is trying to scam you with overpriced merchandize or false claims that they are connected to charity.  Occasionally, a more serious problem is the chance that the salesperson is ‘casing’ out the neighborhood looking for easy targets of theft.  SBPD has recently responded to several complaints about aggressive salespeople.  Citations were issued to men from Idaho and Connecticut.  By City Ordinance, all door-to-door salespeople conducting business in Santa Barbara are required to have a business permit in their possession.
SBPD suggests the following tips when a salesperson knocks at your door:

–Do not let strangers into your home. 
–Inspect credentials and identification–Legitimate salespeople will gladly show these to   you.
–Be suspicious of claims that the proceeds benefit a charity–Be aware that by law, only   pennies on the dollar are required to go toward the actual charity.  The majority can   legally cover ‘Administrative Overhead.’
–Be aware of ‘sound-alike’ charities that mimic legitimate ones.
–Be highly suspicious of any charity that claims to benefit police or fire departments.
–Closely examine the sales contract.  Be aware of what you are being asked to buy.
–Do not deal in cash.  It is impossible to trace.
–If you want to make a purchase, consider getting a phone number and calling back.