Santa Barbara — A distinguishing tattoo spotted on the back of the head of a subject who’d presumably stolen seven pairs of sunglasses from a Santa Barbara bike shop proved useful to officers scouring the area in search of the thief. On Feb. 11, officers located the subject walking on Calle Ceasar Chavez.

In his possession, officers found all seven pairs of stolen Oakley’s.

Decorating at a Discount

Montecito — An Alisos Drive resident returned home earlier this month to discover the two decorative flowerpots usually on her front porch missing. Black marks left on the walkway indicate the thief may have used a dolly, or hand truck, to remove the hefty planters. The green, 3-foot-tall containers will cost $400 to replace.

A First Time for Everything

Carpinteria — Yelling outside a Carpinteria motel just before midnight on Valentine’s, an 18-year-old female was causing quite a ruckus. Having already disturbed many of the occupants, the motel manager called authorities enlisting their help to remove the young woman from the property.
During her arrest on suspicion of public intoxication, the subject remained feisty. At one point, she remarked she “wanted” to go to jail because she’d “never been there before.”

A Recipe for a Disastrous Headache

Carpinteria — During his arrest for public intoxication, when asked what he’d been drinking, the subject rattled off a diverse combination of cocktails.
“Beer, Yeager, vino and some shots,” he listed.

Noted in the report, deputies had met the subject earlier in the evening in the Carpinteria area. He obviously failed their instructions to “go home” from the previous contact.

This meeting, however, he was arrested and taken to jail.

Like a Moth to a Flame

Carpinteria — Had the subject not been yelling profanities at a friend during his arrest for public intoxication, there is a chance the taunting male could have avoided his own detainment. However, because the mouthy 25-year-old continued insulting the “friend” being arrested, he was similarly apprehended.

“I’m not going to deny it,” the inebriated man said, “we are wasted.”

At 12:45 a.m., the two were hauled to jail.

Can I Hitch a Ride?

Santa Barbara — Flagging down cars from a seated position on a bus bench, officers spotted the woman at 11 a.m. on a recent Wednesday

“I’m pretty (messed) up,” she slurred.

Smelling strongly of alcohol, the woman was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

All Eyes on Me

Santa Barbara – Using a partial license plate number and the eyewitness account from a hospital security guard who witnessed a thief “smash and grab” an iPod from a car parked on Pueblo Street, officers located the perpetrator’s vehicle later that same night at an inn on State Street.

After positively identifying the subject and finding stolen property inside his vehicle, the 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of two counts of burglary.

Thieves Take Tiny Togs

Santa Barbara — After grabbing handfuls of children’s clothing from a De La Guerra store, Feb. 10, the thieves–both males– fled the scene with the stolen togs in tow. The store manager estimates the suspects took more than $500 worth of fashionable finds in the Sunday-afternoon burglary.

An employee, who got a good look at the shoplifters, said he was “absolutely” sure he’d be able to identify the shoplifters if they were located.

Floored by the Request

Santa Barbara — A woman contacted authorities after the handyman she’d hired, and paid, to complete some “floor work,” returned to her Olive Avenue residence requesting more money. When the woman refused to pay more than the agreed amount, the worker, 30, became verbally abusive threatening her home and safety.

Rightfully so, the woman requested the threats documented.

Padding His Own Wallet

Santa Barbara — A former volunteer for the Filipino Community Association of Santa Barbara is accused of embezzling over $30,000 from the non-profit organization. The fraud began sometime in early 2006 ending with the termination of the volunteer contract this month, according to records.

Organization leaders have given the suspect’s information to authorities. The case is under investigation.