The adult son of a Santa Barbara county supervisor and a Goleta city councilman is facing felony drug and weapons charges stemming from an arrest that occurred after deputies were called to his residence on a mental-health check.
Richard Daniel Farr, 30, was arrested last month after being placed on a mental-health hold, during which deputies located more than 50 pounds of marijuana, two guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his home, according to Kelly Hoover, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Farr appeared in court earlier this week for arraignment on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of marijuana for sales, according to Superior Court records.
He also is accused of being armed with a gun at the time of the alleged offenses.
Farr is the son of Third District Supervisor Doreen Farr and Goleta Councilman Jim Farr, who are divorced.
The case was forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office, and was referred to the state Attorney General’s Office to avoid a conflict of interest, according to District Attorney Joyce Dudley.
On Aug. 4, sheriff’s deputies went to a house in the 6200 block of Shamrock Avenue in Goleta to conduct a welfare check on Farr, Hoover said.
“Farr’s parents requested the welfare check because their son had been exhibiting bizarre behavior the past several days, and they were concerned he was having a mental-health crisis,” Hoover told Noozhawk, adding that the county’s CARES mobile mental-health crisis unit also was dispatched to the home.
Farr was contacted at the residence, placed on a mental-health hold and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
While at the residence, off Valdez Avenue west of the Fairview Shopping Center, deputies ran a weapons check on Farr and learned he had a firearm registered in his name, Hoover said.
She said a search was conducted under the provision of the law that allows for confiscation of a firearm in possession of a mental patient. The search of Farr’s bedroom yielded a .45-caliber handgun, a shotgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, she added.
“Also discovered within the room were six large black garbage bags containing approximately 50 pounds of loose marijuana, called shake,” Hoover said.
She said detectives obtained a search warrant and discovered several pounds of marijuana in the bedroom along with butane honey oil and concentrated cannabis.
“Clandestine lab equipment, consistent with manufacturing concentrated cannabis or BHO via chemical extraction, was also found,” she said.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and, upon Farr’s release from the hospital, he was booked at County Jail on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of marijuana for sale.
He was released that evening on his own recognizance.
“Farr’s parents have been extremely cooperative throughout the investigation,” Hoover said.
When contacted for comment, Doreen Farr issued a statement to Noozhawk.
“I have never had a child exhibit signs of serious mental illness before — nor be arrested,” she said.
Farr called the incident a “great personal tragedy for me and for the rest of my family,” and thanked the first responders “who demonstrated such skill and professionalism during this incident.”
Farr also asked for the family’s privacy “during this difficult time.”
Jim Farr did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Catherine Swysen, who is listed as Richard Farr’s attorney in the complaint.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
