Santa Barbara police officers arrested a man Saturday on suspicion of trying to steal a golf club from a local store by hiding it in his clothes and was confronted by staff.

Jason Schnell, 33, was arrested on charges of second-degree robbery and providing a false name to a peace officer after he reportedly attempted to steal from GolfMax in Loreto Plaza and fled the scene, police said.

Officers from the Santa Barbara Police Department arrived at the store, located at 3313 State St., Unit A, at 4:51 p.m. after they received a call from the owner. 

“Upon arrival, officers learned that the suspect had entered the store and concealed several items on his person,” Cmdr. Charles Katsapis said. “When confronted, the suspect fled on foot, pushing through an employee and a customer who attempted to stop him.”

Alex Bollarg, GolfMax’s owner and founder, said it is believed that the man had previously stolen from the shop by slipping a club into his pants while using the shop’s dressing rooms. He said the man would then walk out without paying for the items.

“First time, it was $800 to $900 total. Second time was a little bit more, like $1,600,” Bollarg said. “The third time, which was this last Saturday, we knew his face.”

Bollarg said that the first time it happened, more than a month ago, a staff member noticed that Schnell was walking out of the store with a limp that he did not have when he walked in. When they checked the security camera, they suspected Schnell had a golf club hidden in his pants.

The suspect returned about three weeks ago, and staff saw him acting suspiciously on security footage again. Bollarg turned the footage over to the police and informed his staff not to kick the man out, but to call the police and prevent the man from stealing anything before they arrived. 

Bollarg said he was in the back on Saturday when he was alerted that the man had returned. He said he left the shop to call the police and saw Schnell fleeing from the shop with something hidden in his shirt.

The suspect was chased down by his employee, Colt Roberts, and Arief Norman, a customer and employee at the Gelson’s next door.

“As I was on the phone with (police), calling again to make sure that they were coming, he was running outside, followed by Colt and one of our customers, and running with stuff in his shirt and his shorts, and so I was like, ‘Oh snap, I gotta go help,’” Bollarg told Noozhawk.

Bollarg said Schell ran off toward Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, and police later found him and arrested him.

Bollarg said the price of a single golf club can be well into the hundreds of dollars, with the shaft alone being up to $600. The price of the head for a driver also can be in the hundreds.

He said those items have a high resale value and are easy to sell online for quick cash. He said he suspects that the alleged thief knew specific items were more valuable.

“I figure people should just be at least more conscious of not leaving their clubs unattended, just in general, because people are stealing more frequently, maybe, than they used to,” Bollarg said. “And with the access of selling online, they don’t have to just sell to other people, they can just send it off and … pretty much (get) cash instantly from the club.”

Schnell was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office records.