Though the school district received a $1.2 million grant to pay for re-roofing, there was not a grant available to pay for the other improvements the school needs, which is approximated to cost nearly $5 million. “Right now we are waiting for the state to approve our architectural plans, hopefully that will be sometime within the next school year,” Micale said. “It was a long process and we have a very old campus. Everyone here is appreciative that the voters supported the bond. These are all much needed improvements.”

 

 

Accident on Hwy 154 Claims Two Lives and Injures One in Fatal Crash

20 year old Casey Landi of Santa Barbara was struck head on while driving her Chevy Tahoe along Hwy 154 Saturday June 16 by 60 year old Jeannie Guzman of Oxnard.  The collision took the lives of both drivers and caused serious injury to Guzman’s passenger Jose Ledesma age 65 of Oxnard.

According to Officer Fulmer of California Highway Patrol, they had received several calls by area drivers reporting that the white F-150 pickup driven by Guzman was speeding and driving very erratically near the time of the accident. Officials are awaiting toxicology reports to see if alcohol or other substances may have been a contributing factor.

 

 

Woman Survives Car Accident but Dies after Being Run over by a Passing Vehicle

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating an automobile accident that occurred on June 19 that involved 25-year-old Canoga Park resident Carly Nichole Shelton and 45-year-old Wilward Smith of Santa Maria.

According to the Highway Patrol, Shelton, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was traveling southbound on the 101 at approximately 9:30 p.m. when she lost control of her 1999 Toyota Tacoma, overturned and was thrown from the vehicle into northbound traffic.

“Were assuming that she survived being ejected from the car, but we don’t know for sure,” said Officer John Valenti of the Santa Barbara Highway Patrol. “If she was wearing a seatbelt she would not have been ejected from the car.”

After Shelton was ejected from the car, Smith, who was driving a 2006 Nissan Maxima, struck Shelton while she lay in the northbound lanes.

“It’s still under investigation; but I highly doubt that charges will be brought against Mr. Smith,” Valenti said.

Shelton did have a 22-year-old passenger in the car with her, who was wearing a seatbelt and survived the accident. Police say they suspect alcohol contributed to the fatal accident, which was cleared around 3 a.m. June 20.

“Though it has not been determined that alcohol played a role in the accident, it’s highly suspected, and it was confirmed that there was alcohol used by the 22-year-old passenger.”

 

 

District Attorney’s Office to Begin Real Estate Fraud Prevention Program

The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office has requested that the County consider approving an adoption of a $2.00 recording fee to fund a program to prevent real estate fraud. Though the request was submitted to the Board of Supervisors on June 19, a final decision was not made to approve the request.

“Real Estate Foreclosures have shot up astronomically in recent years to the magnitude that locals haven’t seen for decades,” said Chief Investigator for the District Attorney’s Office Dave Saunders. “Looking at the loans, some of them have serious problems suggesting there could be quite a bit of real estate fraud. There are some other dimensions to real estate fraud that currently, we don’t have the resources to investigate but would like to do so.”

Currently Santa Barbara County does not have a centralized real estate fraud prevention program. The Board of Supervisors is planned to hear and decide on the request on July 10.

 

Two Fatal Accidents Occur on Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara

Two automobile accidents that occurred on Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara over graduation weekend proved fatal.

The first accident occurred on June 16, when 62-year-old Esther Argenal of Santa Barbara ran off the roadway and crashed into a residence at 1310 Cliff Drive. The accident occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m.

“For unknown reasons the driver just jumped the curve, drove and crashed into a house,” said Paul McCaffrey, public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department.

The car fully penetrated the residence, but there were no residents home. However, Argenal’s passenger, 77-year-old Warren Fuller suffered major chest injuries and was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he died June 21. Police are still investigating the accident as well as the reasons why Argenal’s vehicle ran off the road, but say alcohol doesn’t seem to have played a role.

“We don’t think the accidents had anything to do with grad weekend because they didn’t involve students they just happened to happen,” McCaffrey said.

The second accident occurred on June 17at Cliff Drive and Santa Cruz Blvd. Police responded to an accident that involved 72-year-old Juanita “Janie” Owens and 54-year-old Harry Atterbury. According to a statement issued by the police department, emergency crews found Owens in a Pontiac Grand-Am and Atterbury in a Jeep Cherokee and removed them from their wrecked vehicles. Both were then transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Owens was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital and Atterbury was determined to be in stable condition with head and leg injuries.

Though the accident is still under investigation, it was reported that Owens’ vehicle was broadsided by Atterbury’s Jeep Cherokee after Owens pulled her car directly in Atterbury’s path, which was traveling westbound on Cliff Drive. The impact reportedly spun both vehicles in opposing traffic lanes. No other cars or injuries were reported.

“My recommendation is to drive safe and pay close attention to the road,” McCaffrey said. “Most accidents in Santa Barbara are right-of-way violations, where people don’t see the other car.”

 

Santa Barbara Man Arrested for Allegedly Embezzling over $300.000

A Santa Barbara man turned himself in to police custody on June 19 after being charged for allegedly embezzling $324,000 over a period of six years from Select Remedy, his employer at the time. As of June 20 the suspect, 33-year-old Patrick Joseph Roche, was still in custody and his bail was set at $324,000.

According to a statement made by the Santa Barbara Police Department, the investigation into Roche’s criminal activity began in April 2007, after a co-worker questioned Roche about some irregularities in the account books. Roche then admitted to the co-worker that he had embezzled $80.000.

“The paper trail was there, it took a little time to get the bank records and get evidence to present to the DA,” said Paul McCaffrey, public information officer for the Santa Barbara Police Department. “He surrendered himself at the police station after we made arrangements. I’m very confident they would like to get their money back.”

Roche allegedly dumped money into his dummy company, California Consulting Group, by altering the company books to reflect that California Consulting Group was due large refunds from overpayments. Over a six-year period, Roche funneled 38 checks ranging from $2,200 to $18,800. He was taken to the Santa Barbara County Jail and the case is still under investigation. Select Remedy was unavailable for comment.