Mar
30
SANTA BARBARA, CA–Since March 12th, Santa Barbara Police officers arrested 18 motorists for driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
On 3/12 at 12:30 a.m., Officer Beutel, whose primary assignment is DUI enforcement, stopped John Norman Curulla, age 33, at 200 Cottage Grove, in his 1991 Toyota SUV, for driving with his headlights off. Curulla was arrested for DUI.
On 3/13 at 12:10 a.m., Officer Beutel stopped Anthony Nelson Rucker, age 36, in his 1996 Honda for speeding on Cliff Drive, and for twice crossing over the center divider lines. Rucker was arrested for DUI.
On 3/13 at 12:41 a.m., Officer Lazarus responded to the El Prado Hotel, 1601 State Street, on a call of a domestic disturbance involving a couple associated with a grey Dodge Charger. Officer Larazus contacted David Jeremy Pierson, age 33, and his girlfriend; both appearing under the influence of alcohol. Officer Lazarus determined that the couple had been arguing, but no crime occurred. However, the reporting party, who was also staying at the hotel, reported seeing Pierson drive the Dodge vehicle with his girlfriend as passenger. Based on the witness? statement, Pierson was arrested for DUI. Ironically, before calling police, the reporting party called out for the couple to quiet down. Pierson responded angrily, prompting the call to police.
On 3/17 at 1:24 a.m., Officer Tudor responded to a call of a possible DUI driver at Ralph?s store, 100 W. Carrillo Street. An intoxicated woman tried to buy alcohol, but was refused. She drove away east on Carrillo Street in a dark colored Subaru Outback. Officer Tudor spotted a matching vehicle pull into Sea Side Shell, 101 W. Carrillo Street. Officer Tudor contacted the driver, Cathryn Marie Keyser, age 25, and arrested her for DUI. In her vehicle and purse were over 100 loose pills, many identified as Xanax, Vicodin, and Norco. Additional charges of drug possession were added.
On 3/17 at 5:58 p.m., Officer Corbett noticed a 2007 BMW stopped in the red zone at 400 State Street. Officer Corbett contacted the driver, Matan Revah, age 23, who was talking on his cell phone. Revah explained that he was trying to meet up with friends before driving back to Los Angeles. Revan displayed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol, plus stated that he had taken Vicodin earlier in the day. Revan was arrested for DUI.
On 3/17 at 10:44 p.m., Officer Beutel stopped Dominique Lan Rash, age 29, in her 2000 Volvo, in the 1100 block of Santa Barbara Street. A tail light was out and the vehicle nearly swerved into parked vehicles. Rash was arrested for DUI. Her vehicle was towed and she was released with a citation. She was told to contact a sober friend for a ride home. She was warned not to call any friends she had been out drinking with. Rash agreed to this. With Rash was her friend, a passenger.
On 3/17 at 11:20 p.m., Officer Beutel had just finished handling the DUI arrest of Rash when she saw two women walking up to the police station. One of them, Thanh Trang Thi Nguyen, age 30, said she was the “sober driver” who was picking up Rash. Nguyen was under the influence of alcohol. Officer Beutel determined that Nguyen had just parked her vehicle, a 2006 Toyota 4-Runner a block away, possibly to prevent police from seeing her drive. After determining enough cause to establish that Nguyen had been driving under the influence, Officer Beutel arrested Nguyen for DUI.
On 3/18 at 1:28 a.m., Officer Beutel stopped Dara Ali Zojaji, age 25, at 800 Chapala Street, in his 2000 Honda, for rolling through a red light and unsafe lane change. Zojaji was arrested for DUI. There were 2 passengers in the vehicle.
On 3/18 at 1:45 a.m., Officer Hettema stopped Melissa Jean Garcia, age 21, at 1600 State Street, for crossing over the double yellow lines and banging into the curb. Garcia stated she was confused about where her sister lived. Garcia was arrested for DUI.
On 3/19 at 1:27 a.m., Officer Beutel spotted a silver Mercedes exit City Lot 11 at high speed. The vehicle hit a dip hard and swerved down Anacapa Street. It ran a stop sign before abruptly pulling into a driveway on Cottage Grove. The driver, Telisha L. Perry, age 20, then jumped into the back seat. Officer Beutel smelled a strong odor of burning marijuana. Perry was arrested for being under the combined influence of alcohol and marijuana, driving with alcohol in her system while under the age of 21, and no insurance. A passenger, Ashley Marie Germon, age 20 was arrested for interfering with the investigation.
On 3/20 at 12:40 a.m., Alison Leigh Hansen, age 33, drove her 1997 Toyota into a DUI checkpoint at 800 E. Haley Street. Officer Bacon investigated and arrested Hansen for DUI.
On 3/20 at 12:10 a.m., Ian Macleod Dicey, age 31, drove his 2002 Saturn into a DUI checkpoint at 800 E. Haley Street. Officer Beltran conducted an investigation and arrested Dicey for DUI.
On 3/20 at 1:42 a.m., Officer Beutel stopped Jeff Michael Goebel, age 38, in his large white pickup, at 100 W. Cota Street for running stop signs, crossing into the opposing traffic lane, and weaving. Goebel was arrested for DUI.
On 3/20 at 1:50 a.m., Officer Beutel responded to 500 E. Anapamu Street on a vehicle collision. Lucas Silverio Jacinto, age 18, had crashed the family van through a fence, down an embankment, and onto the basketball courts of Santa Barbara High School. Jacinto was arrested for DUI.
On 3/20 at 8:00 p.m., Officer Beutel responded to a traffic collision in the 3900 block of Via Diego. A silver Mazda Miata had crashed into a fire hydrant, shearing it off at the base. A plume of water soared 60 feet into the air. Officers contacted the registered owner, Leonard Dennis Friedman, in his residence a block away, at 4000 block of Via Diego. His glasses were still wet from the broken hydrant. Friedman said he was driving home after attending a family BBQ when the collision occurred. He vacillated between admitting being the driver, and denying driving. Police contacted his son by phone, who had warned his father not to drive because he drank too much at the BBQ. Friedman was arrested for DUI and hit-and-run.
On 3/21 at 12:31 a.m., Officer Beutel responded to a traffic collision at 1900 Castillo Street. A blue Dodge Neon crashed into a parked truck, causing major damage. Witnesses reported the driver got out, walked around in a daze, then fled south on Castillo Street. Officer Beutel found paperwork inside the vehicle with an address in the 300 block of West Mission Street. Officers went there and contacted a man who identified another man as the owner of the vehicle. He led officers to an address in the 1400 block of Castillo Street. Officers contacted residents who said a man named Pablo Ruiz Garcia, age 27 had just left the residence on his bicycle. Garcia drives a blue car, and told the residents that he just crashed on Castillo Street. Officers determined that his wife works at Carl’s Junior on Milpas Street. Believing he might be headed there, Officer Beutel chose a likely route to look for Garcia. At 300 E. Haley Street were 2 men walking, one who matched Garcia’s description. Officer Beutel contacted them and determined one of them was Garcia, who was very intoxicated. He denied being in a collision, but had red abrasions on his arms described as being consistent with “air-bag burns”. With Garcia was a man he just met. Garcia told this man he was just involved in a collision on Castillo Street. The two witnesses who saw the driver flee the scene identified Garcia as the driver. He was arrested for DUI, hit-and-run, being an unlicensed driver, and having no insurance.
On 3/21 at 8:20 p.m., as officers were working a DUI checkpoint for the southbound lanes of 200 N. Milpas Street, a large white work van with Arizona plates travelling northbound sideswiped a parked vehicle and fled. Officer Beutel gave chase, following the vehicle several blocks to the 1000 block of E. Gutierrez Street. She contacted the driver, Manuel Lucatero Urbina, age 38. Inside the van were his four children, ages 5, 6, 7, and 14. The van was partially filled with carpet remnants and tools; none of the children were on seats or wore seat belts of any kind. The oldest child said she told her father to stop after the collision. Urbina was arrested for DUI, hit-and-run, child endangering, and no insurance.
On 3/23 at 5:40 p.m., Officer Beltran responded to City Lot 12 at Gutierrez and State Street on a call of a possible DUI driver. A citizen reported that while stopped at a red light, a large white Ford van rolled back and hit his car. The driver then drove north on State Street, alternating between driving very slow and speeding up. The van turned into City Lot 12, and the driver went into the Roasting Company coffee shop. There was no damage from where the van struck his car, but the citizen was concerned that the driver was impaired. The citizen pointed out Marilyn Frances Loperfido, age 54, who had dark shoulder length hair and a red tank-top. Just then, Police Dispatch reported that numerous callers were reporting a female DUI driver in a white van on the 101 Freeway. The callers described the driver as a white female with dark hair and a red tank-top. When Officer Beltran contacted her, Loperfido was seated with her head tilted back and appeared to be asleep. Awakened, Loperfido said she had taken Soma pills and was feeling dizzy. Officer Beltran conducted an investigation, and arrested her for DUI, prescription medication.
Mar
30
THE WEEK’S WRAP-UP: Firearms Recovered, Burglary Thwarted, Child Molester Arrested
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SANTA BARBARA, CA–March 25, 2010–Attached is a summary of some arrest cases handled by Santa Barbara Police Officers over the past several days. Note that two cases involved officers initiating contact with men carrying concealed firearms.
On 3/13 at 9:05 p.m., Officers Cruz and B. Larson contacted a group of three young transients drinking beer and making loud noise in the parking lot at 209 W. Carrillo Street. Officer Larson contacted Derek Michael Fossett, age 24, and determined that he had a felony warrant for violation of probation stemming from a grand theft incident. Fossett had several syringes inside his backpack; he said they were for injecting meth and heroin. Officer Cruz contacted Keon McIntyre, age 28. McIntyre was uncooperative and refused to follow simple commands. Officer Cruz saw that McIntyre had a weighted chain inside his vest pocket, consistent with an illegal weapon called a slung-shot. He was arrested and his backpack searched. Inside was a loaded .380 caliber handgun, a set of throwing knives, and a second, larger slung-shot weapon. The handgun was reported stolen out of Eugene, Oregon. Accompanying McIntyre was his girlfriend, Kaydee Jane Marie Hall, age 19. She too was uncooperative. She also had two slung-shot type weapons and admitted knowledge of the handgun and throwing knives. She explained that she and McIntyre have been on the road living a voluntary transient lifestyle since January. They believed their lifestyle necessitated the possession of weapons. While at SBPD, McIntyre was overheard shouting: “you have the right to remain VIOLENT.” McIntyre was booked for: possession of a concealed, loaded firearm; possession of an illegal weapon; and possession of stolen property. Hall was booked for possession of an illegal weapon.
On 3/19 at 2:04 a.m., Officer Beecher was patrolling downtown when he heard the sound of glass breaking. Scanning ahead, he observed a man in front of Outfooters store, 1200 State Street. The man was swinging a terra-cotta pot at the large plate-glass window, smashing out glass fragments to enlarge the hole. Officer Beecher parked and approached without being detected. He confronted the man, David Eugene Colwell, age 51, just as he was reaching through the hole to grab some merchandize. Colwell was arrested for burglary. Note that his hands sustained cuts from the broken glass.
On 3/22 at 4:40 p.m., Officer Tudor stopped Edgar Alexander Hernandez Urrea, age 26 for running
the stop sign at Alisos and Yanonali Street in his Chevy Tahoe. Urrea had gang-style tattoos, and as recently as 2009 admitted being a member of a local street gang. Because gang members are known to carry weapons, Officer Tudor asked Urrea if he was armed. Urrea told police he had a handgun on the backseat. Officer Tudor located a Glock .40 caliber handgun in an un-zippered backpack. It was in an unlocked case complete with two loaded magazines. The circumstances of the gun being in an unsecured case, being easily accessible to the driver or occupants, and the proximity of the loaded magazines constitutes possession of a loaded firearm in public. Urrea was arrested for possession of a loaded firearm in public, and being a gang member in possession of a loaded firearm in public.
This month, Detective Drayton handled a forgery investigation case. The incident began on March 6th when a woman reported that Edgar Cordova, age 24 had altered a personal check. The woman had given Cordova a $48 check for 4 hours work @ $12 per hour. The check was cashed and returned with the following alterations: “$48″ to “$418″; from: “forty eight” to “forty eighteen”; and the comment of “$12 per hour” to “$112 per hour”. The check was cashed at Mi Fiesta store at 833 Milpas Street. The store owner verified that Cordova cashed the check. Detective Drayton inspected the check and opined that the check had obviously been altered. On 3/24 Detective Drayton arrested Cordova at his residence in the 1200 block of Punta Gorda Street for: Forgery, grand theft, burglary, and parole violation.
On 3/24 at 4:00 p.m., Officer Tudor responded to Ortega Park on a check-the-welfare call. He met with a 17-year-old female who was upset, did not want to return home, and did not want to talk about her problem. Officer Tudor gained the young woman?s trust and brought her to the police station. With the assistance of Officer Reader, the young woman described years of sexual abuse at the hands of her biological father, Robert Sabas Ornelas, age 45. Detective Claytor assisted and coordinated the investigation. On 3/24 Detective Claytor arrested Ornelas at a downtown location. Ornelas made statements that corroborated the allegations and was booked for child molestation.
Mar
16
SHOOTING SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN NEVADA: U.S. Marshalls Help Track Them Down
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SANTA BARBARA, CA–March 15th, 2010–Santa Barbara Police Major Crimes detectives have made arrests in the March 1st shooting case that occurred inside a Gillespie Street residence. Today at 11:00 a.m., Jack Mills, age 52 was arrested in Pahrump, Nevada. He was seated in his 1993 Black Volvo sedan; the same vehicle police believe was used as the get-away car immediately following the shooting. Detectives found the Volvo in the driveway of a residence belonging to relatives of his wife: Rebecca Lee Mills, age 50. Rebecca Mills was located inside the residence and was also taken into custody. They were both booked at the Nye County Correctional Facility for:
–Jack Mills, age 52, charged with attempted murder, bail $1,000,000.
–Rebecca Mills, age 50, charged with accessory to murder, bail $500,000.
They will be held in Nevada pending extradition procedures. Detective Mike Claytor was the lead detective in this case and is credited with leading a dogged investigation. Many dozens of leads were investigated; however, the big break was a citizen reported seeing a black Volvo parked at a Goleta area convenience store the day before the shooting took place. The suspects have recently lived in Lompoc; their recent movements and activities remain under investigation. The firearm used in the shooting has not been recovered. Once identified, the suspects were tracked to the Pahrump residence with substantial assistance from the United States Marshalls. More information will be released when available.
Mar
16
SANTA BARBARA, CA–3/15/2010–The Santa Barbara Police Department had another busy weekend, especially March 13th. Here is a sample of activity in that one 24-hour period:
On 3/13 at 12:16 a.m., police responded to Tonic nightclub at 634 State Street on a disturbance call. Nightclub security pointed out Thomas McWilliams Pomare, age 26. Pomare has been banned from Tonic for causing disturbances in the past. Tonight, despite the ban, Pomare tried to get inside. When security denied him, he made threats before his friends pulled him away. The 6-foot 5-inch, 200 lbs plus Pomare broke free from his friends and rushed back to Tonic?s, knocking into pedestrians in the process. He made more threats and tried to provoke a fight by fake-punching security personnel. Officer Alvarado arrested Pomare for disturbing the peace, and for a $5,000 warrant stemming from a prior disturbing the peace incident.
On 3/13 at 12:35 a.m., police responded to an assault that just occurred in the 500 block of State Street. The victim was a 24-year-old Goleta man. Witnesses reported the victim walking down State Street, when a suspect came from behind, grabbed his shirt, and began punching him in the face. A second suspect arrived and punched the victim in the back several times. The victim bent over and covered his face with his arms. The second suspect kicked the victim in the head, knocking him down. A witness reported the victim went unconscious for 1-2 minutes. Officer Epstein arrived in time to find one of the suspects, John Foisy, age 20 located in a breezeway connecting State Street to City Lot 11. Witnesses identified him as the first assailant. Foisy denied any involvement, but had fresh abrasions on his knuckles and blood on his pants. The second suspect was not located. The victim stated that earlier, he had been “talking with a girl.” The two suspects said the girl was with them, and became confrontational. The victim walked away to avoid a fight, but was chased down and attacked. The victim was transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment. Foisy was booked for: Assault with a deadly weapon (hands and feet), Assault causing serious injury, and possession of marijuana.
On 3/13 at 12:52 a.m., Officer Sathre responded to an alarm sounding at Dr. Hurtado’s Dentist Office at 605 State Street. The front window was smashed with a fist-sized hole. Blood led from the window, down the sidewalk, to the next block, and to a bus bench in the 500 block of State Street. Seated on the bus bench was Jeffrey Shutt, age 22. His T-shirt was wrapped around his left hand, which was soaked through with blood. A large pool of blood had puddled beneath him. Shutt had a deep laceration to the knuckles of his left hand that required stitches. Shutt gave police a false name and claimed breaking the window was accidental. The size and nature of the broken window coupled with the laceration to the knuckles made the incident appear to be the result of vandalism caused by intentional punching. Paramedics arrived, but Shutt became combative and had to be strapped to the gurney. At Cottage Hospital, Shutt urinated in the treatment room and struggled with medical personnel. He refused stitches, but agreed to let medical personal use staples to close the wound. After staples were administered, he then demanded stitches, and began pulling out his staples. He was again restrained until medically cleared for discharge. He was booked at County Jail for vandalism and giving police a false name.
On 3/13 at 1:16 a.m., citizens flagged down police to report a fight out front of the Wildcat nightclub, at 15 W. Ortega Street. Of the two men fighting, Reuben Hasani Jimenez Aguilar, age 22 appeared to be the aggressor. Police tried to break up the two, but Aguilar kept fighting despite police presence. He violently resisted being pulled away and handcuffed. A woman came out of the Wildcat to report that Aguilar had been very aggressive with her inside the club. When she came outside to get away, Aguilar followed before fighting with some other man. Aguilar was booked for disturbing the peace and public intoxication.
On 3/13 at 5:00 a.m., police were called to the 1000 block of Santa Barbara Street on a call of graffiti vandalism in progress. The suspect(s) had fled on foot. As police were checking the area, the reporting citizen reported the suspects just drove away in a Toyota RAV-4. Police caught up to the vehicle at 100 W. Haley Street. The vehicle stopped and the occupants fled, but Officer Gaston caught Austin Gerrard Gibson, age 18. Spray paint cans were found inside the vehicle. Gibson was booked for graffiti vandalism.
On 3/13 at 11:10 p.m., police responded to a call of a suicidal man who reportedly cut himself and then drove away in a white Nissan Altima. Police located the driver, who, despite significant lacerations, refused to yield. After a 3-mile chase, police considered the pursuit too risky and disengaged. Minutes later, the driver was again spotted driving on Cabrillo Blvd, at a very slow speed. Police saw he was now bleeding significantly from his face, and again followed. The Nissan sped up and again would not pull over, so police disengaged a second time. 5 minutes later, the driver was involved in a minor-injury traffic collision at 101 N/B near Garden Street. The driver, Alberto Cardenas, age 26, was admitted to Cottage Hospital. The case was referred to the District Attorney for Evading arrest and DUI pending toxicology.
Mar
16
DUI ROUND-UP: Nine DUI Drivers Plus Other Traffic Related Arrests
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SANTA BARBARA, CA–March 12, 2010–Between March 3rd and 7th, Santa Barbara Police officers arrested 9 drivers for DUI including 3 arrests from a DUI checkpoint. In several cases DUI drivers either had passengers or stated that they were en route to pick up passengers. In addition to not drinking and driving, SBPD urges that passengers not ride with those who do, and take steps to prevent others from drinking and driving.
On 3/2 at 8:00 p.m., Officer Beltran monitored a call of a hit-and-run that just occurred on Modoc Road near Las Positas. A large Chevy Silverado pickup slammed into a parked truck, causing a chain-reaction collision involving 3 parked vehicles. The Silverado driver got out, looked at the damage, and drove away. A witness followed the suspect vehicle to the 1500 block of Dutton Avenue, and call 9-1-1. Officer Beltran arrived in time to catch Antonio Ordonez Martinez, age 22, still behind the wheel of his wrecked Silverado. Martinez was arrested for unlicensed driver, hit-and-run, and no insurance.
On 3/3 at 11:30 p.m., Officer Bacon stopped a 2001 Dodge van driven by Ronald Jess Pratt, age 46, for a lane violation at Carrillo and De la Vina Streets. Pratt was arrested for DUI; his passenger Jeffrey Tidd, age 46 was arrested on a $5,000 traffic warrant.
On 3/4 at 12:25 a.m., Officer Kerr was patrolling on east Haley Street when he saw a Chrysler Sebring driving the wrong way on Haley Street, headed right at him. Officer Kerr turned on his red lights and stopped. The Chrysler stopped momentarily before driving around the patrol car and turning onto State Street. Officer Thompson was nearby and made a traffic stop. The driver, Kristen Pfeiffer, age 25 was arrested for DUI. Her female passenger was arrested for public intoxication.
On 3/4 at 1:43 a.m., Officer Beutel, who works DUI enforcement, stopped Dong Tae Lee, age 25, in his 1999 Hyundai, for swerving in the 600 block of Chapala Street. Lee was arrested for DUI. There were 3 passengers in the vehicle.
On 3/4 at 2:35 p.m., Officer Gonzalez stopped Martin Munoz Cabrera, age 42, in his 1999 Dodge sedan, at 1300 Olive Street for running a stop sign and because a passenger was not wearing a seat belt. Cabrera gave a false name, but did not deceive Officer Gonzalez. Cabrera was arrested for being an unlicensed driver, providing a false name, and for a $10,000 warrant stemming from a theft case.
On 3/5 at 1:03 a.m., Officer Beutel saw a 2006 Mercedes driving east on Haley Street run a red light at Santa Barbara Street. The driver then slammed on the brakes and stopped in the intersection. When the light turned green, the driver “jumped” on the accelerator. Officer Beutel made a traffic stop and arrested the driver, Camille Elizabeth Rutherford, age 25.
On 3/5 at 1:21 a.m., Officer Hill saw a 2001 Honda CR-V driving east on 1st block West Carrillo Street suddenly swerve around a bus stopped in front of the Canary Hotel. The swerving Honda nearly collided with the center divider and crossed over the center lane into the on-coming traffic lane. Officer Hill stopped the driver, Kendall Anna Cross, age 19, who appeared very intoxicated. Cross did not have identification and gave her roommate’s name. Cross claimed to be headed downtown to pick up her friends, “to keep them safe.” Cross was arrested for DUI, providing a false name, no insurance, and possession of marijuana.
On 3/5 at 8:29 p.m., Officer Thompson was working a DUI checkpoint at 1400 Cliff Drive. He contacted Krista Lyn Hubbard, age 34, in her 2005 Chevy pickup. She displayed symptoms of alcohol consumption and was arrested for DUI.
On 3/5 at 8:59 p.m., Officer Klug was working a DUI checkpoint at 1400 Cliff Drive. He contacted Collin J. Alexander Parrish Yingling, age 24, in his Honda Civic. Yingling showed signs of alcohol consumption, and was arrested for DUI.
On 3/5 at 9:11 p.m., Officer Tudor was working a DUI checkpoint at 1400 Cliff Drive. He contacted Leslie Jaye Dziatkowicz, age 35, driving a 2001 Toyota pickup. Dziatkowicz showed signs of alcohol use, and was arrested for DUI.
On 3/7 at 2:17 a.m., Officer Mark Corbett stopped Kaiden Christopher Taylor, age 29, in her 1990 Honda Prelude for making an illegal U-Turn at 3500 State Street. Taylor was arrested for DUI. There were 2 passengers in the vehicle.
Mar
10
WEEKEND WRAP-UP: Robbery, Vandalism, Disturbance and Fall
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SANTA BARBARA, CA–3/9/2010–Attached is a sample of incidents handled by the Santa Barbara Police Department over the past several days:
On 3/4 at 9:15 p.m., Officer Sathre responded to the Rescue Mission at 535 W. Yanonali on a call of a robbery that just occurred. The male victim reported being with another man on a bus bench intending to sleep at that location. The suspect approached, holding a stick like a baseball bat. The suspect demanded a cigarette. Sensing danger, the victim tried to stand up to better his defensive position. The suspect then smacked him twice in the face, causing a laceration to his eyebrow area. The suspect grabbed the victim?s backpack and tried to flee. The victim grabbed it too, and got in a brief tug-of-war before being overpowered and letting go. The backpack primarily contained clothing and blankets. The suspect was last seen heading down the tracks toward Calle Cesar Chavez. Officer Palka checked the area and found the suspect hiding under a parked truck. The suspect and his clothing matched the suspect description. The suspect claimed that the night before, the victim had assaulted him and took over his favorite camping spot. When located he had neither the stick nor the stolen backpack with him. A witness came forward with the stick, found in a nearby parking lot. The backpack was not located. The victim?s companion reported that the night before, the suspect, armed with the same stick, menaced him and another homeless man, threatening to “kill you all.” Tonight the suspect, brandishing the stick, appeared and again threatened to “kill you all.” The companion became fearful and ran away. He heard but did not see the suspect smack the victim with the stick. The suspect, Jesus Huerta Velasquez, age 50 was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and robbery.
On 3/5 at 10:00 a.m., Police responded to the Harbor area to assist Harbor Patrol on a vandalism case that just occurred. Minutes earlier, the suspect, James Robert Wolfe, age 48 went to the Harbor Patrol Office because his boat had been impounded. The fees were $800. Wolfe left the office very upset, and punched out the front window to the West Marine store, which measured 24 by 42 inches. Wolfe fled, but a Harbor Patrol Officer caught and detained him in the 200 block of Castillo Street. Wolfe had fresh lacerations and blood on his knuckles, and admitted punching the window. He offered to pay, but instead was booked for vandalism.
On 3/8 at 10:08 a.m., Officers Montag and Washington responded to a fight call involving three men at the Lemon Tree Hotel parking lot, 2819 State Street. Police contacted one man who reported that while buying cigarettes at a neighborhood store, two male acquaintances snatched his cell phone off the counter and refused to return it. The man retrieved his guitar from his hotel room and contacted the pair at an RV parked in the area. An argument ensued, and the guitar man began swinging his guitar “for protection” while being chased by the two men, one armed with a tire iron. As police then went searching for the pair, one of them, named Kelly James Berger, age 42 tried to get away by running through some tall bushes. In this order Berger was: detained, gave a false name, police determined his true identity, was found to have a warrant stemming from a marijuana possession case, and was arrested for the warrant and providing a false name. The third man was identified but not located. The guitar man was cautioned about confronting people with guitar-in-hand. He was last seen searching the bushes for his missing cell phone.
On 3/8 at 8:30 p.m., Officer Lombardo responded to the area of 500 W. Carrillo Street on a call of a man who fell from the railroad trestle to the sidewalk. The trestle height was estimated at 25-30 feet. Witnesses reported seeing the man fall and sustain significant injuries. A passerby in a Range Rover drove the injured man to Cottage Hospital. Reportedly, several of the injured man?s friends had been at the scene, but they all left prior to police arrival. One witness was an off-duty SBPD officer. He reported seeing a group of young men up on the trestle. One of them fell to the sidewalk, shouting an expletive on his way down. Some spray-paint cans fell with him. The companions ran down to help their friend. They flagged down the driver of the Range Rover, helped the injured man inside, picked up the spray cans and left the area. They were not located. At Cottage Hospital, police contacted the injured man, identified as Freddie Gutierrez, age 18. He suffered a badly broken arm and a serious looking laceration to his forehead. He denied that graffiti vandalism had anything to do with the incident, and claimed to have been alone. He did claim gang membership. On his hands was fresh looking silver paint that matched fresh graffiti found up on the trestle overcrossing. Gutierrez was released to the hospital; police will ask the District Attorney for a criminal complaint charging vandalism.
Mar
4
GILLESPIE STREET SHOOTING UPDATE : Suspect Still being Sought
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SANTA BARBARA, CA–March 2nd, 2010–Update on Monday’s shooting incident in the 1500 block of Gillespie Street: The shooting occurred at 11:05 a.m. Prior to that, the suspect along with three associates is believed to have been parked in the area, including around the corner on 700 Alberta Street, for about 1 and a half hours. Their vehicle is described as an older black Volvo, possibly a 1990s model, somewhat dirty or unkempt. Neighbors reported that the vehicle and occupants were noticeably out of place for their neighborhood.
Inside the parked vehicle were four people:
1. A white male, age 40’s to 50’s.
2. A white female, with blond or brown hair.
3. Two black males, one taller than the other.
Detectives believe that while the vehicle remained in the area, the white male suspect walked to the victim’s residence and knocked at the door. It was answered by a middle-aged female resident. The suspect punched her in the stomach, knocking her down. He then brandished a handgun. The woman’s adult nephew stepped up to protect the woman. He was shot in the head at close range. The suspect returned to the Volvo, which fled the area by driving northbound on Gillespie Street.
The shooting victim was conscious at the scene and helped provide an account of the incident. He was transported to Cottage Hospital, where an X-Ray revealed the bulled pierced his skull, traveled partially around the inner circumference of his skull, and lodged in the inner portion of his skull. The bullet was removed and the victim remains conscious and responsive. He is in serious but stable condition.
Anyone with information about the suspects or the black Volvo is urged to contact Detective Mike Claytor, 805-897-2335.
Mar
2
SHOOTING ON WESTSIDE: Victim in Hospital, One Suspect Outstanding
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SANTA BARBARA, CA–March 1st, 2010–This morning at 11:05 a.m., a shooting was reported at a residence in the 1500 block of Gillespie Street, near the corner of Arrellaga Street. The shooting occurred inside of the residence. The victim received a single gunshot wound to his head; however, was conscious at the scene before being transported to Cottage Hospital. The circumstances of the shooting are being investigated. The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s, who does not live at the residence. The weapon used was a handgun. After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene in an older, black colored Volvo vehicle. Inside the vehicle were: a white female with long blond hair and two black males in their 20. All these parties were wearing black or dark colored clothing. They were last seen driving north up Gillespie Street.
More information will be released when available. Anyone with suspect information is urged to contact SBPD detectives at 805-897-2335.
Mar
2
SANTA BARBARA, CA–February 26th, 2010–Yesterday, Gregory Doan, age 58, pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run, and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a traffic fatality collision. The incident occurred on August 30th, 2008, on Las Positas near the intersection of Richelle Lane. In the incident, Doan was driving A 1995 Chevy full size cargo van southbound on Las Positas. Meanwhile, a group of 20 runners were traveling northbound on Las Positas, at the west shoulder, facing oncoming traffic. The runners were part of the Team in Training to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Included in the runner’s group was Carolyn Samuels, age 66. Samuels was an accomplished long distance runner, who had participated in several marathons, including the prestigious Boston Marathon.
The van began drifting to the right until it was wholly in the shoulder, which measured approximately 10-feet wide. The runners saw the van approaching, and started getting out of the way. At the last moment, Samuels and another runner moved further off the shoulder, and up a small embankment. The van took the same course and struck Samuels. The other runners were not struck or injured. The van proceeded further down Las Positas before stopping. The runners came to Samuels’ aid, called 911, and approached the van. Doan got out of his van, made a few statements, then got back in the van and tried starting the engine. Members of the running group grabbed and detained him until police arrived. Samuels was transported to Cottage Hospital where she died of her injuries.
Doan displayed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. A blood sample obtained over 2 hours after the collision returned with a blood-alcohol level of .21, plus evidence of opiate use (heroin.) Inside Doan’s van were empty vodka bottles. Inside his residence were more bottles, heroin, and syringes.
Officer Mark Hunt, the Traffic Accident Investigator for SBPD, supervised the investigation. He determined that Doan had 4 prior drunk-driving convictions between 1992 and 1998. In addition, many friends, co-workers, and acquaintances described Doan as a chronic alcoholic who frequently drove after drinking despite being warned not to.
More than 30 emergency personnel were involved in this investigation, including responding police officers, 9-1-1 Dispatchers, Fire Rescue, AMR Ambulance personnel, CHP, and SBSO deputies. The van was examined and found to have no pre-existing mechanical problems. Doan’s guilty plea reflects this possible sentencing scenario: 10 years for Manslaughter, 5 years for felony Hit-and Run, 1 year each for Assault with a Deadly Weapon for each of the surviving 19 runners, and 1 year enhancement due to aggravated circumstances.