Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies have arrested two suspects in connection with a burglary Sunday morning at a construction in the 4300 block Marina Drive in Hope Ranch.
Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said deputies were called to the site about 6:20 a.m. Sunday after a security company, hired to watch the site where a home was being built, noticed suspicious activity on its surveillance cameras. The cameras detected two suspects in a gold van entering the property.
An employee with the security company called 9-1-1, but the suspects had fled by the time deputies arrived, according to Hoover.
About 20 minutes later, she said, a sheriff’s detective in Carpinteria saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspects’ van in a parking lot off Highway 101 at Casitas Pass Road.
Robert Donohue, 44, of Santa Paula was arrested on charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine.
Joseph Espinoza, 32, of Ventura was arrested on charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of a dagger, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell and transportation of a controlled substance with the intent to sell. He was also charged with driving with a suspended license.
Hoover said both men were booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $50,000.
Detectives are investigating whether the two suspects are connected to more burglaries, she said.
— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at mnelson@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
