Police handle mix of unusual characters

DAILY SOUND STAFF REPORT

A medley of unusual and illegal behavior kept Santa Barbara police on their toes in recent days, including a 34-year-old man acting strangely, an attack on a cab driver and drug-related activity.

July 27, 11:05 p.m. — Reports of a disturbance brought police to a home on Santa Barbara’s Eastside, where a woman told authorities her husband had gone crazy after smoking marijuana. Police found the 34-year-old man lying on the ground down the block, masturbating. Once he spotted police, the suspect attempted to run and evade, but ultimately ended up jumping into the back of a squad car.
Police described the suspect as wild and clearly disturbed as he spoke gibberish and climbed in and out of the police car. Once officers wrestled him to the ground, he attempted to suck on the vehicle’s exhaust pipe. Confident that the man was unable to care for his own safety, authorities booked him into jail on $2,500 bail for two counts of disturbing the peace.

July 29, 2:30 a.m. — After receiving reports of cab drivers blocking the intersection of Cota and State streets, police arrived to a chaotic scene. A taxicab was parked askew on the wrong side of the road and cab drivers were detaining a man. The driver of the taxi told officers the suspect, a 29-year-old Santa Barbara man, had attempted to choke him from the rear seat of the cab.
Pulled up from his seat by the force of the chokehold, the driver said he could not see the road or operate the vehicle’s pedals. Witnesses who saw the suspect choking the cab driver jumped to his aid, pulling the suspect away once the car rolled to a stop. Authorities arrested the 29-year-old for assault likely to cause great bodily harm and booked him in lieu of $30,000.

July 29, 2:09 p.m. — Police arrived in the 500 block of E. Yanonali Street after a witness reported seeing a drug transaction take place. The witness told police a known cocaine user pulled up in a car in a high drug sales area. After watching a man walk up and talk with the man inside, the witness noticed the driver take something from the man, then hand back cash and drive away.
Police caught up with the suspected drug dealer, who was positively identified by the witness. The 48-year-old man consented to a search and officers discovered approximately 5.5 grams of rock cocaine in his right sock. Authorities also found $108 in small bills before booking him on $30,000 bail for possession and sale of cocaine.

July 29, 7 p.m. — Police investigating the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Santa Barbara girl discovered the teenager was involved in a consensual relationship with an 18-year-old neighbor. Officers initially arrived at a Santa Barbara residence after the girl reported being raped. She told police a neighbor who had attempted to befriend her on prior occasions had spotted her in a park and forced her into a taxicab.
After being taken to a hotel, the alleged victim said she attempted to escape but the man forced her into a room. She said an attempt to lock herself in the bathroom failed after the suspect broke open the door and pulled her into the room. The teenager told police the man held her down, pulled off her clothing and vaginally penetrated her.
After the act, she said the man became apologetic and ordered her not to tell her parents before leaving the room. Authorities detained the 18-year-old suspect and initially arrested him for rape, false imprisonment, kidnapping and unlawful sex with a minor based on the apparently credible claims by the alleged victim.
The teenage girl even pointed out the hotel room where the alleged assault had taken place. Police confirmed at the hotel’s front desk that the suspect had rented the room the day prior. However, follow-up interviews by detectives revealed the couple was involved in a consensual sexual relationship.
The victim ultimately retracted her earlier claims of forced sex, false imprisonment and kidnapping. Both admitted to having consensual sexual intercourse the prior evening. Officers ultimately took the 18-year-old into custody for unlawful sex with a minor, booking him on $2,500 bail.

July 30, 9:45 a.m. — Employees at Tri-County Produce, 335 S. Milpas St., watched as a man entered the store, headed to the wine aisle and proceeded to stuff two bottles of wine down the front of his pants. The suspect left the store through a back door, but employees managed to catch up to him outside, retrieve the stolen alcohol and bring him back inside.
While being questioned by police, the suspect admitted to entering the store with no money and intending to steal alcohol. He provided a false name to authorities, but a fingerprint scan identified him as a 34-year-old man who had served jail time for a prior theft-related case. Police booked him in lieu of $20,000 bail for burglary, falsely identifying himself to a peace officer, and petty theft with priors.

July 30, 10:25 p.m. — Officers on patrol along East Cota Street spotted a group of young men walking along the sidewalk, including one man holding an open can of beer. After stopping the suspect, authorities asked for his age and name. He provided a false date of birth that made him older than 21, along with a partial name. Under further questioning, he gave two different birthdates before finally admitting to being 19 years old.
A search uncovered more than six cans of beer in his backpack. During a subsequent search at County Jail, a booking officer found approximately 2 to 3 grams of cocaine divided into six equal baggies. The suspect admitted to buying the drugs to give to his friends and women he met. Authorities booked the Santa Barbara resident on $30,000 bail for providing a false name to a peace officer, possession of cocaine, and possession of alcohol as a minor.