Santa Barbara police officers responded to a home intrusion at 6:30 a.m. Saturday on the 300 block of Ladera Street. The suspect forced his way into the apartment while a family with two children, ages 7 and 9, slept inside.
Phillip Kenneth Matovich, 26, of Santa Barbara has been arrested in the case.
A couple were awakened by a man shouting incoherently at them while they were in bed. He took off all of his clothing and told the couple he was going to kill them and their children. The suspect then ran into the kitchen, where the victims struggled with him to prevent him from obtaining a knife. The suspect ran out of the apartment naked. The victims called the police and officers cordoned off the block. Meanwhile, other witnesses in the area reported seeing a naked man jumping fences within the block.
To evade police, the suspect removed a window screen and entered another residence on the same block. The suspect took a large knife from the kitchen, then burst into the bedroom of a couple sleeping in their bed. The suspect told the 27-year-old female and 30-year-old male that police were looking for him and that he was holding them hostage. He led the couple through their home at knife point and made threats to kill them. The male victim persuaded the suspect to put down the knife.
An officer who responded to the home used a Taser gun on the suspect after finding him holding the female victim with his arm around her neck. The suspect was taken into custody.
An investigation found that the suspect had used ecstacy, cocaine and alcohol that night. He was jailed for attempted murder, two counts of burglary, kidnapping, hostage-taking, false imprisonment, terrorist threats and brandishing a knife.
Lorenzo Duarte is a sergeant with the Santa Barbara Police Department.