Friday, September 5, 2008

Panhandling turns violent on Milpas Street

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara Police officers arrested two men yesterday for allegedly kicking a 57-year-old man in the face after he told the duo he didn’t have any money.
Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte, a police spokesman, said the victim was walking to work with his 17-year-old daughter in the 200 block of north Milpas St. on Wednesday when the assault occurred.


The victim was allegedly kicked in the face by 42-year-old Richard Cabral, who Duarte said did so when the victim bent down to retrieve his cell phone during the attack. Officers detained Cabral shortly after the attack occurred. Also arrested was 43-year-old Juan Padilla, who Duarte said was recognized by the victim as a person who regularly panhandles in front of his business.
He said Padilla asked the victim for money, and when he told the two men he didn’t have any, Padilla grabbed the victim.
Duarte said the victim was treated for his injuries at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where his split lip required several sutures.
He said Padilla was booked into county jail on suspicion of public intoxication, attempted robbery, vandalism and providing false information to an officer. Cabral was arrested for alleged assault with a deadly weapon.
According to Duarte, both men are known transients.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

go back to your third world hole you losers! we dont need your kind here. Deport them immediately!

Anonymous said...

To: anonymous said... September 5, 2008 9:31am

Its pretty ignorant of you to assume they are not legal residents of the US. Just because a crime is committed does not mean they are not from here.

What "third wold hole" are you referring to? It is comments and attitudes like yours that give the US a tarnished reputation. Possibly you could ponder the idea of removing yourself from these United States to reside in a location your attitude may be accepted.

Anonymous said...

Now let's see! Let's say I'm a tour'st from out of town, and I'm spending more to stay here then I would north or south of here. If I witnessed such an incident would I want to stay here again? I think not, and that's the problem.. We've lost our town to kids getting drunk, street gangs who are killing each other, and the despartly homeless whom we haven't got a clue as to how to take care of. It's not a police problem, it's a social problem that keeps the police busy after the fact. Some how we have to carry a message that we're all a social civil society, and some things just shouldn't be tollorated. Our police are called out for the same things over and over again in the same area's of OUR TOWN, we should pass city ordiances and laws that will address those area's and civil disturbanes. We're are our city leaders? Why isn't the Chief of Police asking the city concil for more power to control a problem that will make us all broke if it continues.