Jul
8
SANTA BARBARA, CA – 7/5/2007. In keeping with tradition, last night’s fireworks show was peacefully enjoyed by thousands of residents and visitors. For most, problems were limited to scarce parking and snarled traffic following the show. However, several incidents kept police very busy. Five people were arrested for DUI; two were involved in traffic accidents. Victoria Alatorrie, age 41, from Los Angeles was visiting with a girlfriend. Her girlfriend had been drinking heavily and handed Alatorrie the car keys. Problem was, Alatorrie does not have a drivers license and had been drinking heavily too. Alatorrie only made it a block and a half before sideswiping her friend’s Acura into a parked Honda and a BMW. The Acura suffered major damage, the Honda minor, and the BMW moderate. Alatorrie fled the scene was but was located a block and a half away. She was arrested for DUI, being unlicensed, and hit and run. Also on July 4th, Gayle Douglas Mitchell, age 67, a transient, drove his 1984 Ford Bronco into a parked Toyota pickup. As he backed up to free himself he struck a moving Honda Accord. He pulled forward and hit the pickup again. He backed up, went forward again and this time hit a parked Toyota Camry. He then backed up and knocked over a “no parking” sign. Police arrived and arrested Mitchell for DUI, driving on a suspended license, and a warrant stemming from a prior DUI conviction.
Of note were a handful of minor gang skirmishes that occurred just after the beginning and just after the conclusion of the fireworks show. Before the show began, Police contacted numerous gang members amongst the crowd gathered along Cabrillo Blvd. Some gang members were encouraged to move along. Others met, either by accident or design, at the intersection of State Street and Cabrillo Blvd. Minutes after the fireworks began, spectators witnessed gang members engage in a few one-on-one fist fights. The fighting only lasted seconds and the participants quickly melted into the crowd. Police arrived and calm was restored. At the conclusion of the show, police began escorting thousands of spectators up State Street. Gang members were sprinkled amongst the crowd, with rivals remaining on opposite sides of the street. A few more one-on-fistfights were reported at the 200 block State Street. Numerous police offices arrived and the rival gangs retreated to their respective territories. Seven gang members or associates were arrested: Octavio Marin age 19 for fighting; Rodolpho Garcia age 20 for possession of alcohol, resisting arrest and a $5,000 warrant; and five juveniles aged: three 17-year-olds, a 14-year-old, and a 13-year-old. Charges include: Challenging to fight, fighting in public, violation of probation, and committing a crime in furtherance of a street gang. There were no reports of injury or use of weapons.
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