Santa Barbara Police Make 32 DUI Arrests in 32 Days

Officers with the Santa Barbara Police Department have not slowed their DUI enforcement this summer, with 32 drivers arrested for DUI in the past 32 days.

» At 5:48 a.m. July 17, an officer stopped a 21-year-old male in a white Honda for speeding through the intersection of State and Micheltorena streets. He was arrested for DUI and provided a breath test of .14 blood alcohol level.

» At 6:44 p.m. July 17, an officer responded to a hit-and-run collision in the harbor parking lot. The suspect vehicle was described as a blue Mercury Villager van being followed by Harbor Patrol.  The officer located the vehicle driving up Castillo Street. It turned onto Haley Street and parked in a parking lot at 200 W. Haley St. A detective arrived to assist and arrested the driver, a 51-year-old male,  for DUI and hit-and-run. He is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, possibly combined with the medication Temazepam. The driver provided a blood sample for analysis.

» At 9:11 p.m. July 17, a citizen called police concerning a possible DUI driver at Calle Noguera and Calle Alamo. A sergeant and a detective arrived to find a 57-year-old female seated in a 2007 Honda, stopped in the traffic lane. The citizen who called police described seeing the woman parked in the street for several minutes. He asked if she needed help. She drove her car a short distance, but stopped in the traffic lane. The woman appeared impaired, but refused several times to relinquish her keys or obtain assistance. The citizen called police. The woman was arrested for DUI, and she provided a blood sample for analysis.

» At 8:30 a.m. July 21, a citizen called to report a chronic DUI driver at a residence in the 3800 block of La Cumbre Hills Road. The citizen had witnessed an argument between a man and a woman, where the woman told him not to drive because he was a drug addict. The citizen had previously seen the man unintentionally drive over his lawn and hit objects in the street. The citizen saw the man drive away in a 1994 Ford Taurus and return 20 minutes later. An officer made a records check, which determined that the suspected DUI driver, a 43-year-old male, had a suspended license. The officer contacted the man, who admitted driving. He appeared impaired and was arrested for DUI, for a combination of alcohol and prescription medication. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 8:10 p.m. July 21, an officer was on patrol when he saw a gray Mazda 3 turn from Cliff Drive to Meigs Road. The Mazda drifted half-way across the double yellow lines. The officer followed the Mazda up and over Meigs Road to Carrillo Street. The Mazda swerved from the center line to the bike lane numerous times. The officer stopped the Mazda at 900 San Andres St. and contacted the driver, a 28-year-old male. He was arrested for DUI. He provided a breath sample of .13 BAC. There were two passengers.

» At 1:17 a.m. July 22, an officer stopped a 39-year-old female in a Jeep Cherokee for a stop-sign violation. Inside the vehicle was her 2-year-old child, plus a crack pipe. The driver was arrested for DUI drugs, possession of the crack pipe, child endangering and resisting arrest. She provided a blood sample for analysis. There were two adult passengers in the vehicle. Child Welfare Services took custody of the child.

» At 4:14 p.m. July 24, police handled a fatal traffic collision on Sycamore Canyon Road. A 41-year-old female was killed when she fell from the hood of a 1994 Mercury Marquis driven by a friend, a 53-year-old male. He was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI of illegal drugs causing injury or death. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 12:55 a.m. July 26, officers were on patrol near a convenience store at 331 W. Montecito St. A 2001 Toyota pickup truck parked in the lot and two men went into the store. The officers noticed the truck was parked unattended with the engine running and windows wide open. When the men returned, the officers intended to remind them about auto-theft safety. Instead, the driver avoided eye contact, and appeared to stumble as he returned to his truck. The officers conducted an investigation and arrested a 30-year-old male for DUI and for not having insurance. He is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol, possibly in combination with Klonopin. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 9:40 a.m. July 26, a sergeant and an officer responded to a hit-and-run collision at 900 San Pascual. A 1998 Honda had sideswiped two parked vehicles before fleeing down San Pascual. The sergeant located a 40-year-old male next to his disabled Honda parked at 800 San Pascual. In addition to hitting parked cars, the Honda struck the curb hard enough to bend the rim and flatten both right side tires. He told police he took Norco and Xanax medication, plus an alcoholic drink. He was arrested for DUI and hit-and-run. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 12:20 a.m. July 27, an officer stopped a 57-year-old male in a 2001 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck at 1600 Payeras for making a sudden and unsafe turn from Cliff Drive to Salida Del Sol. He was arrested for DUI. He provided a breath sample of .17 BAC.

» At 8:10 p.m. July 28, officers responded to the 1200 block of Plaza Del Monte on a traffic collision. A 22-year-old male had crashed a 1984 Mercedes sedan into a parked 1997 Subaru. Both vehicles sustained major damage. He was arrested for DUI. A blood sample was obtained for analysis. There was one passenger.

» At 11:25 p.m. July 30, an officer responded to the convenience store at State and Ontare streets on a call of a possible DUI driver. A citizen reported that a woman walked from her gold Acura inside the store. The officer found the gold Acura at the gas pump and contacted the driver, a 22-year-old female. She was arrested for DUI and provided a blood sample for analysis. She is suspected of DUI prescription medications.

» At 12:10 a.m. Aug. 1, an officer, who works DUI enforcement, responded to Indio Muerto at Soledad Street on a call of a traffic collision. The reporting party, who drives a taxi, saw the suspect vehicle crash into a parked truck. The driver appeared to be very intoxicated. When the taxi driver approached, the suspect fled on foot, leaving a small child in the abandoned car. Minutes later, the suspect came back, took the child and again fled. The officer arrived and saw a 30-year-old male walking in the area. The taxi driver identified the man as the driver. The officer determined that before the collision, the man had been at a party on nearby Punta Gorda Street. Partygoers tried convincing him not to drive because he appeared so intoxicated. He insisted he would be OK, since he lived only a few blocks away. He made it less than two blocks before crashing. After the collision, the man took his child home. The child was confirmed to be uninjured. The driver was arrested for DUI, child endangerment and for driving unlicensed. He provided a breath test of .20 BAC.

» At 8:08 p.m. Aug. 4, officers responded to a store at 200 E. Gutierrez St: A citizen called to report an impaired driver who parked and “stumbled” into the store. The officers found the suspect vehicle parked unattended with a still-warm hood. One officer remained by the car while the other checked inside the store. Based on the driver description, the officer contacted a 50-year-old male. He admitted being the driver and appeared intoxicated. The witness identified the man as the driver. He provided a false name, but his true identity was determined. He was arrested for felony DUI because he had three DUI convictions within 10 years; driving on a suspended license, no insurance, violation of probation stemming a prior DUI conviction, and for providing a false name. He provided a breath test of .13 BAC.

» At 8:35 p.m. Aug. 4, an officer stopped a 46-year-old male in a 2001 Toyota for running a stop sign at Bath and Cota streets. He was arrested for DUI. He provided a blood sample for analysis.

» At 8:45 p.m. Aug. 4, an officer stopped a 20-year-old male in a 2010 Chevy Camaro at 1st W. Cota St. for excessive noise: clearly audible beyond 50 feet. The smell of burnt marijuana was clearly noticeable from the vehicle’s interior. In the man’s possession was marijuana packaged in paper, a meth pipe and an ice-pick stabbing weapon. He was arrested for DUI, possession of marijuana while driving, possession of the meth pipe and possession of an illegal weapon. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 12:52 a.m. Aug. 5, an officer stopped a 48-year-old female at 1700 Cliff Drive in a 2002 Volvo station wagon for a minor equipment violation. She was arrested for DUI. She provided a breath test of .14 BAC.

» At 1:51 a.m. Aug. 5, an officer stopped a 30-year-old male in a 2006 Ford Fusion at 300 Motor Way for unsafe turn and driving the wrong way on a one-way street. The driver was arrested for DUI. He provided a breath test of .13 B.A. There was a passenger in his vehicle.

» At 1:25 p.m. Aug. 5, a detective and an officer responded to 1200 Chapala St. on a call of traffic collision. A 46-year-old female was driving a 1991 Ford Mustang when she rear-ended a 2010 Acura stopped in traffic. The driver was arrested for DUI. She provided a breath test of .27 BAC.

» At 12:10 a.m. Aug. 6, an officer saw a 1999 Toyota Rav run a red light at State and Gutierrez streets. The vehicle veered into the bicycle lane for 30 feet, and then disregarded the police car’s red lights and siren for three more blocks. The vehicle yielded at 1st W. Cabrillo Blvd. The driver, a 22-year-old female, was arrested for DUI. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 1:10 a.m. Aug. 6, an officer was patrolling Highway 101 northbound at Mission when he saw a black 1995 Lexus tailgating another vehicle while driving 75 mph. The Lexus passed the other vehicle with abrupt lane changes, and then sped up to 80 mph. The driver, a male, was stopped for speeding, then arrested for DUI and no proof of insurance. He provided a breath test of .16 BAC. There were two passengers in the vehicle.

» At 1:45 a.m. Aug. 6, an officer stopped a 23-year-old male in a 2005 Acura at 900 Chapala St. for having a brake light out. He was arrested for DUI. He provided a blood sample for analysis. There was one passenger in the vehicle.

» At 2:50 a.m. Aug. 6, a traffic sergeant saw a blue Ford Probe make an unusually wide turn from Bath Street to Carrillo Street and from Carrillo to northbound Highway 101. Three times the vehicle accelerated to 80 mph and then slowed to 55 mph. The officer stopped the vehicle on the freeway and contacted the driver, a 27-year-old male, who was arrested for DUI. A blood sample was obtained for analysis.

» At 9:22 p.m. Aug. 6, a 21-year-old woman was walking at 1st W. Ortega St., crossing the street from the north sidewalk to the south. The streets were full of people celebrating Fiesta. Meanwhile, a 1994 Ford pickup truck was traveling eastbound on Ortega Street, approaching the woman. The truck struck the woman on her right hip area. The woman spun around and completed a full somersault before landing in the street. The truck slowed, paused and then drove away. The collision was witnessed by employees of the nightclub at 15 W. Ortega St. They checked on the woman and called 9-1-1. Other employees ran after the truck, which turned south on State Street. The employees chased the Ford down State Street to westbound on Cota Street. They contacted the driver as he parked on Cota near Chapala Street and started walking away. Police arrived and arrested the driver, a 34-year-old male. He was arrested for felony DUI causing injury, felony hit-and-run and being an unlicensed driver. The woman was treated at the hospital for bruises, scrapes and complaint of pain. The driver provided a blood sample for analysis.

» At 11:20 p.m. Aug. 6, an officer stopped a 36-year-old male in a 2005 Subaru WRX on Haley Street for the right-of-way violation of making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. The driver was arrested for DUI and for no proof of insurance. He provided a breath test of .08 BAC.

» At 12:15 a.m. Aug. 7, an officer stopped a 1994 Jeep SUV driving down lower State Street at an estimated 50 mph in a 30 mph zone. The driver, a 22-year-old male, said he was driving aggressively because he was angry over an argument with his girlfriend, who was the passenger. The man was arrested for DUI. He provided a breath sample of .13 BAC.

» At 12:24 a.m. Aug. 7, an officer was on bicycle patrol at City Lot 12, at 1st W. Gutierrez St. He saw a silver Cadillac drive the wrong way on Gutierrez Street, and then turn the wrong way on Motor Way. He stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, a 20-year-old male. He smelled strongly of marijuana and was arrested for DUI marijuana. He provided a urine sample for analysis. There were two passengers.

» At 10:36 p.m. Aug. 7, officers responded to a vehicle collision at 1st Mountain Drive. A 2001 Jeep Cherokee crashed into a retaining wall, causing major damage. The driver, a 32-year-old male, was arrested for DUI. He provided a breath test of .11 BAC.

» At 1:19 a.m. Aug. 8, an officer and a reserve officer were on patrol when they saw a 1997 Toyota sedan turn from Ortega to southbound Garden Street. The Toyota drove on the wrong side of the road for 50 feet before correcting. The Toyota turned right on Gutierrez Street, running over the curb in the process. When the officer turned on his lights, the Toyota turned into a parking lot, running over the curb again in the process. The driver, a 24-year-old female, was arrested for DUI. She provided a breath test of .19 BAC.

» At 1:24 a.m. Aug. 8, an officer stopped a 35-year-old male in a black Pontiac at 100 E. Cota St. for speeding and running a red light. He was arrested for DUI and provided a breath test of .19 BAC.

» At 9:35 p.m. Aug. 17, an officer responded to a traffic collision at 800 Palermo Drive. A 38-year-old female had crashed her 2003 Toyota into a parked vehicle. She was arrested for DUI. She provided a blood sample for analysis.

» At 12:31 a.m. Aug. 18, an officer assisted a sergeant on a traffic stop of a Ford pickup at 3700 Portofino. He arrested the driver, a 32-year-old male, for DUI. He provided a breath sample of .17 BAC.

— Paul McCaffrey is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department.