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SANTA BARBARA, CA – 12/5/2007. A 47-year-old Buellton woman is in custody after taking a stolen delivery van on a short joy-ride. At 12:10 p.m., a delivery-man working for DHL Delivery Service was unloading merchandize at the loading dock at Long’s Drug Store, 2973 State Street. The keys were left in the ignition. As the man was inside the store, a woman jumped inside the van, started the engine and fled. The deliveryman watched helplessly as his distinctively colored bright-yellow van fled south on State Street. He called police dispatch that sent officers into the area. Meanwhile, SBSO Deputy Don Harris, who was piloting a Sheriff’s helicopter, heard the BOL and responded to assist. Together with his spotter, Deputy Mike Moeller, they spotted the stolen van parked in the 2000 block of De La Vina Street. They directed officers to the location, who found the vehicle parked unattended in front of Cares Mental Health facility, 2034 De La Vina Street. It turned out that after taking the van, the suspect, Laura Rojas Alvarado, went to Cares to say she took the van. She was cooperative with police and arrested without incident. Alvarado did have a large butcher knife in her possession. She told officers that she considered using the knife to harm herself or others. Alvarado’s exact motive for taking the van remains unclear. She was booked for auto theft and possession of the dangerous weapon (butcher knife.) In addition to this incident, Police believe Alvarado tried to steal a vehicle at Educated Car Wash 3735 State Street. Shortly before the Long’s incident, a woman matching Alvarado’s description jumped into a customer’s vehicle in the process of being washed. Employees prevented the strangely acting woman from taking the vehicle. They last saw her walking toward Longs Drug Store.
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