Deputies are investigating similar burglaries at four businesses on the South Coast over the weekend, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Each business was burglarized in a similar manner, in which the suspect or suspects forced entry overnight and stole various items, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick.
The first break-in occurred on Friday night at Old Town Coffee, 5877 Hollister Ave. in Goleta, Zick said, adding that a window was smashed to gain entry to the building.
Then in the early hours Sunday, South Coast Deli and Choi’s Market, both located on the 100-block of South Patterson Avenue, were burglarized as the suspect smashed the front glass doors, stole items, and fled prior to deputies’ arrival around 3 a.m., according to Zick.
Less than an hour later, Pierre Lafond Market & Deli, 516 San Ysidro Road in Montecito, was the victim of another burglary with “very similar circumstances,” Zick said.
Detectives are treating the investigations as four separate instances while they review surveillance video and until the incidents can be linked to the same suspect, Zick said, adding that the Sheriff’s Office is not disclosing the exact items stolen in the burglaries as the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the burglaries can call the Criminal Investigations Bureau at 805.681.4150, leave a tip by calling the department’s anonymous tip line at 805.681.4171, or submit information online at sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip.
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.