In the Name of … Love?
Santa Barbara – A 51-year-old man living at an East Haley residential facility was arrested after a surveillance camera captured him on tape stealing a pair of panties and a bra from a dryer in the community laundry room on Valentine’s Day. When questioned about the incident, the thief admitted his guilt, stating he had a “crush” on the victim.
Heads Up!
Santa Barbara – Reports of a woman hurling groceries at passing traffic on Chino Street led to the arrest of an agitated 25-year-old female on suspicion of public intoxication.
Officers met with the woman, who explained she was angry with her boyfriend when she began tossing the recently purchased items into the street. Littered about the area, officers collected the thrown objects, which included a store-bought piña colada cocktail and deodorant. Fearing for her safety and the safety of others, the woman was arrested and transported to jail.
Key thief
Santa Barbara – The manager of a West Carrillo Street taxicab company contacted authorities after returning to work and finding four sets of taxi keys missing. Believed to have entered the building through an unlocked window, the burglar left other valuables untouched. The burglary occurred sometime before 4 p.m.
Sleeping Like a Log
Santa Barbara – Rolling up on a car parked on East Montecito Street with loud blaring music, patrol officers attempted to contact the driver but found him sound asleep behind the wheel.
Securing the vehicle at 7 p.m., officers woke the subject and asked him to step out of the car. Unable to maintain his balance, the 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.
Out of This World
Santa Barbara – Officers working undercover in search of street-level drug dealers last month scored a small amount of “Maui Mist” marijuana near the baseball fields at the corner of Cabrillo Boulevard and Calle Puerta Vallarta. The dealer was arrested for making the $20 deal with agents.
Monday-Morning Blues
Carpinteria – A Hickory Street theft left a gardener without his equipment on a recent Monday morning. The victim told authorities that after cutting through a chain securing the gear, the thief took a lawn mower, a hedger and a weed trimmer totaling more than $2,000.
Wheel Weird
Carpinteria – A woman who discovered a skateboard in her backyard turned the found property over to law enforcement. The El Carro Lane resident had no idea how the skateboard ended up on her land.
Rightly Concerned
Carpinteria – Concerned for a female she had seen pushed into a truck, a woman out for a Friday afternoon bicycle ride contacted authorities. The witness told deputies she was near the intersection of Bailard and Carpinteria Avenue at 3 p.m. when she overheard a man yelling at a visibly upset woman.
“Get in the vehicle,” the male demanded. Although the woman said she was “fine,” the witness, unconvinced, contacted law enforcement. Despite the recorded license plate number, deputies have been unable to locate the vehicle. The report was filed as a suspicious circumstance.
Things That Go Bang in the Night
Carpinteria – A landowner along Casitas Pass Road turned an exploded pipe, found on his property, over to authorities last month. The 8-inch pipe wrapped in electrical tape and split open could be related to a loud explosion heard by the property manager the night before the pipe’s discovery.
The manager said that after hearing the loud bang after dark, he saw two unidentifiable vehicles flee the area.
Caught in the Crossfire
Summerland – Responding to a call of a suspicious man dressed in camouflage loitering close to a Summerland school, deputies apprehended the subject at 7:45 a.m. on a recent Friday.
The man, 57, who had an open bottle of whiskey tucked into his pocket, identified himself using his U.S. Marine Corps card. Before being transported to jail on suspicion of public intoxication, the former enlistee required treatment for an open wound for an unexplainable injury on the back of his head.