POLICE
BLOTTER
June 25
Too drunk to drive
A 40-year-old Oxnard man was arrested for public
intoxication in the 3400-block of Highway 246 after being refused his car keys
by parking attendants who observed his highly intoxicated condition. The man
was loud and belligerent toward deputies who were called. He was transported to
Santa Barbara Jail
Love in an alleyway
A 27-year-old Solvang man was
arrested by sheriff’s deputies for public intoxication after being observed in a
compromising situation in a dark alley off Alisal Drive and Mollie Way in Solvang.
Found with a 35-year-old Solvang woman — the pair was interrupted by
deputies — the man was “uncooperative, had difficulty answering basic
questions,” according to authorities. The man was particularly concerned about
being caught with the woman, muttering, “she’s going to kill me,” in reference
to his girlfriend, who was watching from a nearby tavern. He was placed into custody for his own
safety and jailed in Santa Barbara County Jail pending sobriety.
June 24
Broken Window
A school official in the 3500-block of Pine Street in
Santa Ynez found one of the school windows broken. Total damages were estimated
to be less than $400. Deputies took a report and are looking for a suspect.
June 23
Reporting possible dead body
A 48-year-old Buellton woman reported to deputies that she
recently had a conversation with her ex-sister-in-law that revealed that the
woman’s deceased ex-husband had disposed of a body in a car that had been in
storage for the past 14 years. Sheriff’s deputies relayed the information to
the authorities in Fontana, where the car was stored, and, when the car was
searched, no body was found.
Unauthorized credit card use
A 45-year-old Santa Ynez man reported to deputies that his
bank ATM card had been used for purchases in Las Vegas without his
authorization. The man said he recently made purchases on the Internet. He
reported the use to his bank, which will be refunding the unauthorized charges.
I just love this guy!
A 50-year-old Santa Ynez man was arrested on charges of
disturbing the peace after he refused to stop hugging the manager at a
restaurant in the 3400-block of Highway 246. After he was physically pulled
away from the manager, the man became abusive and hostile. He was transported
to Santa Barbara County jail and also charged with public intoxication.
June 21
Passenger drunk
A 26-year-old man with a Marina Del Rey address was
arrested for public intoxication after the car in which he was a passenger was
stopped by deputies for failure to stop at a stop sign at Atterdag Road and
Eucalyptus Street in Solvang. When questioned by deputies, the man slurred his
speech and could not produce any identification. The man could not contact
anyone for transportation and had no place to stay. He was transported to
Lompoc Jail pending sobriety.
Drunk in a Rental Car
A 29-year-old Manhattan Beach man was arrested for driving
under the influence after a report of a reckless driver in a Jeep- or
Hummer-like vehicle on Mission Drive near Skytt Lane. Deputies dispatched to
the scene observed the suspect drive past a stop sign without stopping at
Laurel Avenue and Atterdag Road and made a traffic stop. The man admitted to
visiting the area on a wine tour and said he became lost on his way back to a
local winery. The man did not pass the field sobriety test and was booked into
Lompoc Jail after submitting to a blood sample at Santa Ynez Cottage Hospital.
Yep, that’s mine!
Deputies investigating possible juvenile alcohol use at a
party in the 1600-block of Edison in Santa Ynez found 13 teenagers from 15 to
18 years old at 3 a.m. While the teens sat in the light of the garage, one
18-year-old from Santa Barbara tried to discard a small container of marijuana.
The teen admitted the .8 gram of marijuana was his and he was cited for
possession.
Sleeping it off
Deputies found a 40-year-old Newhall man passed out drunk
at 1 a.m. in a parked vehicle in the 3400-block of Highway 246. Open bottles
and cans were visible in the vehicle. The man was transported to Lompoc Jail
for the rest of the night.
June 20
Impaired driving
Reported by a motorist, a 32-year-old Lompoc man was cited
and released for driving under the influence of a stimulant. Pulled over by
deputies at Fifth Street and Mission Drive in Solvang, the man said that, “It’s
probably that lady that’s been following me!” when told that he matched the
description of a reported DUI. Failing field sobriety tests, the man submitted
to a urine test that was positive for amphetamine.
Window smashed, purse stolen
A 47-year-old Santa Barbara woman reported that her car
window was broken and her purse was stolen from the vehicle while she and her
husband were enjoying the day use area at Nojoqui Falls Park. The woman
canceled her credit cards. Deputies found one latent fingerprint on the
vehicle.
June 19
Traffic collision results in arrest
A 56-year-old Solvang man was transported to Santa Barbara
County Jail for DUI after an investigation by deputies of a traffic collision
at Highway 246 and Alamo Pintado Drive. The driver was unable to perform basic
field sobriety tests due to his physical limitations, but consented to a blood
alcohol breath test. His test registered 0.20 percent, 2.5 times the level
considered presumptive proof of inebriation.
More broken windows
While investigating one act of vandalism, deputies
responded to the report of another in the 400-block of Alisal Road. Deputies
found a window broken but no witnesses at 12:51 a.m. The owner of the shop
reported that there was a similar incident six months ago.
June 18
The price of gas made me do it!
A witness who saw the theft of gas from a neighbor’s truck
and who got the license plate number of the offender led deputies to the home
of a Solvang teenager. The teen returned with the vehicle while deputies were
questioning his father. Denying that he’d been at the location where the gas
theft occurred, the teen allowed the search of his car, which turned up a
plastic hose with gasoline residue, a cap for a gas can, and wet spots on the
bed of his truck that smelled of gas. Confronted with the evidence, the teen
broke down and confessed to being “stupid.” No charges were being preferred by
the victim of the theft, as the teen couldn’t get any gas to flow. The victim
noted that the teen should be getting sufficient punishment and had offered to
make amends.
June 14
Too much wine tasting
A 41-year-old Oak Park woman was arrested by deputies
outside a wine tasting establishment in Los Olivos after being refused service
because of her already intoxicated state. The woman was visiting with two other
women when she was refused service at one wine tasting room. Leaving that
establishment, she could not get into another. The woman confronted the
employee of another wine tasting room and promptly attacked her. The woman’s
two friends joined in, and the victim finally freed herself and locked herself
in the place of business, then called 911. The victim exited the business a few
minutes later and was attacked again by the three women. Deputies arrived and
determined that the offending woman had too much to drink and she was placed
under arrest for public intoxication. A citizen’s arrest complaint was also
signed for battery.
June 13
Angry Chef
Deputies defused a potentially violent situation after a
66-year-old Solvang chef became enraged because he was suspected of “keying” a
car in the parking lot of the shopping center in which his restaurant is
located. The chef initially was reported to have come out of his kitchen with a
large knife when the boyfriend of the woman whose car was keyed came to ask
about the incident. At first the chef locked the doors to the restaurant in the
400-block of Alisal Road, but the chef opened the doors for an employee who was
coming to work. After being confronted by deputies the chef remained enraged
until being calmed by his wife. The chef called his attorney, who assisted in
defusing the situation. The chef agreed to pay for the damages to the woman’s
keyed car, although he refused to admit any responsibility for doing the
damage.
June 7
DUI
A 21-year-old Santa Ynez woman was cited and released for
DUI after being stopped by deputies for driving without headlights on Faraday
Street in Santa Ynez. The woman wanted deputies to release her so she could
walk a few blocks to her boyfriend’s house. Her blood alcohol content was
measured with a Breathalyzer at 0.24 percent, nearly three times the level
considered presumptive proof of inebriation.