The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department has arrested four Carpinteria residents in connection to a burglary and vandalism spree that caused major damage to more than a dozen vehicles.
About 12:13 a.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Venoco Pier parking lot near Dump Road in Carpinteria for a report of several cars being vandalized.
When deputies arrived, they discovered up to 14 vehicles with significant damage, including broken windshields, smashed hoods and smashed roofs. The perpetrators had used rocks, full beer cans and a solid metal chain to do much of the damage, estimated to be $15,000 to $30,000.
Most, if not all, of the vandalized vehicles appeared also to have been burglarized.
Through their investigation, sheriff’s detectives and deputies identified four suspects. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, they had arrested a 15-year-old male and 19-year-old Logan Michael Fraley for felony vandalism.
On Wednesday morning, the other two suspects, a 17-year-old male and 19-year-old Robert Jameson Thornton, came into the Carpinteria Station for questioning and were subsequently arrested.
Fraley and Thornton were booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on $20,000 bail for three felony counts — burglary, vandalism and receiving stolen property. The juveniles were booked into Juvenile Hall.
Upon completion of the investigation, all four suspects may face charges for each vehicle vandalized and burglarized, which would result in multiple criminal counts.
Investigators have been able to recover some of the stolen items but are still looking for more. They are also attempting to talk with each of the owners of the vandalized vehicles.
Victims or anyone who knows a victim is asked to call sheriff’s detectives at 805.684.4561.
— Drew Sugars is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.