Emergency crews responded Tuesday morning for a report of a man refusing to get out of the ocean off Santa Barbara’s East Beach, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department.
He was taken into police custody just before noon, according to emergency radio traffic.
Santa Barbara Police Department Lt. Ethan Ragsdale identified the man as 31-year-old Leonardo Silvestre Castro, of Santa Barbara.
He said Castro had been sought by police after an alleged battery in the area of Garden Street and East Cabrillo Boulevard at around 7:30 a.m.
“While attempting to contact the subject, he fled into the ocean, entered a drainage culvert, and refused to surrender or comply with officers’ commands,” Ragsdale said.
The suspect remained in the ocean for roughly four hours. He was removed from the ocean by officers just before noon.
Castro was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and then to Santa Barbara County Jail.
He was booked on suspicion of several misdemeanors and a felony charge, per Ragsdale. The exact charges were not immediately available.
Battalion Chief Jon Turner told Noozhawk Tuesday morning that crews were initially dispatched for a “subject that was trying to evade police” and was “refusing to comply with officer orders.”
He said the man was in a concrete groin — a structure that helps manage erosion — that extends roughly 50 feet into the ocean.
Three fire engines, a ladder truck, a battalion chief and search and rescue swimmers were initially called to the shoreline at around 7:41 a.m.
Santa Barbara Police, Harbor Patrol, the Crisis Negotiation Response Team and the Co-Response Mental Health Assessment Team were also on scene.
Crews were stationed on East Beach, roughly near the intersection of Cabrillo Boulevard and South Calle Cesar Chavez.
“We have rescue swimmers standing by in case they’re needed for the subject or PD,” Turner said.
A Noozhawk reporter on scene watched Search and Rescue crews and police attempt to get the man out of the groin using buoys at around 8:40 a.m., but he did not come out.
The man was reportedly holding onto a bolt inside the structure, per emergency radio traffic.
Additional information was not immediately available.
Santa Barbara Police Department officers at Santa Barbara’s East Beach Tuesday morning. Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo 
Santa Barbara City Fire crews officers at Santa Barbara’s East Beach Tuesday morning. Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo 
Ocean rescue crews at Santa Barbara’s East Beach Tuesday morning. Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo 
Harbor Patrol crews standby in the ocean of Santa Barbara’s East Beach Tuesday morning. Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo 
A man entered a concrete groin at Santa Barbara’s East Beach on Tuesday and refused voice commands to leave. The man was still inside the concrete structure at the time this photo was taken. Credit: Evelyn Spence / Noozhawk photo
