Santa Barbara police arrest three during weekend

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara police responded to an attempted burglary at a marijuana dispensary, a possible gang fight, and a vandalism and trespassing call during a busy weekend.

Officers arrested a 17-year-old boy on Friday after he attempted to break into the SBC Patient's Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary at 2915 De la Vina St., authorities said.
After a neighbor called in at 11 p.m. reporting "banging and rustling" noises from the business, which has been burglarized before, police arrived on scene to find a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl waiting in a car in the parking lot.
"A third teen tried to nonchalantly walk up and get in the vehicle," Police Spokesman Lt. Paul McCaffrey said. "Officers noted this subject ... was covered in dirt, had fresh bloody cuts to his hands, and had a pair of pruning shears in his pocket."
The teenager had hopped a fence and cut a hole in a heavy tarp covering the patio, Lt. McCaffrey said, before attempting to pry open the back door, cutting his hands in the process and leaving blood on the doorjamb. Unsuccessful in his attempts and upon hearing the police arrive, he climbed back over the fence and attempted to join his waiting friends, authorities said.
Officers booked the 17-year-old at Juvenile Hall, and questioned and released the other two teens to their parents.
On Saturday, police received a call at 9:30 p.m. about a possible gang fight in the 1300 block of Salinas Place, arriving to see teens jumping over fences in an attempt to flee, authorities said. After tracking them to a nearby home, a resident arrived and told officers no one should be inside.
"Police were granted permission to look inside and found ten juveniles, several with gang ties," Lt. McCaffrey said. "One female juvenile was the daughter of a resident."
Officers arrested a 17-year-old girl for being under the influence of methamphetamine, releasing the other teens after delivering a warning, he added.
At 6 a.m. on Sunday, authorities arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of vandalism and trespassing at Garret's Old Fashioned Restaurant at 2001 State St.
Owners of the restaurant called police after finding the back door torn off its hinges and a man sleeping inside.
"Police contacted Jerry Farmer, age 45, who peacefully lay sleeping on the business floor," Lt. McCaffrey said. "Police determined that a few hours earlier, at 3 a.m., a customer at the AM-PM Mini Mart across the street told the clerk that a muscular man dressed in a white tank-top and jeans confronted him and challenged him to fight."
After the customer retreated into the store, the man — his description matching Farmer's appearance — left the area, authorities said.
"Farmer told police that he started drinking whiskey and beer at 6 p.m. the night before," McCaffrey said. "He did not recall what happened after that."