Tag archives: sheriff

Montecito Association Meets
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 19, 2023

At this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, President Megan Orloff announced the Association’s new Executive Director: Houghton Hyatt, who served on the MA Board of Directors for six years, and has helped with countless community events. We’ll have more with Hyatt and her ideas for the MA in a future edition.  During Community […]

Deaths in Our County Jails Reveal Serious Failures & Incompetence
By Gail Osherenko   |   August 15, 2023

This summer, the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury investigating four deaths in our jails concluded that the death of JT was not “accidental” as determined by the sheriff-coroner, but needed to be investigated by the California Attorney General as a homicide. The jury concluded: “JT died in a jail cell while suffering from a mental […]

Park Lane Homicide Update
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 27, 2023

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Detectives are continuing their public outreach by sharing additional images related to the May 27, 2022 murder of Violet Evelyn Alberts with a focused request for information from Los Angeles area residents. Earlier this month, investigators released two images of a suspect vehicle along with a reward for information leading to […]

Update to Park Lane Homicide Investigation 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 13, 2023

On May 27, 2022, 96-year-old Violet Evelyn Alberts, a longtime resident of Montecito, was found deceased in her residence on the 900-block of Park Lane. A victim of a home invasion, the autopsy confirmed her death to be a homicide. Through their diligent investigation, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Detectives have identified the motive and do not […]

Four Automated License Plate Readers Are Coming to Montecito
By Sharon Byrne   |   May 2, 2023

The permits have been filed, and installation is on the way. Montecito will host four new Flock Automated License Plate Readers. We first covered this in September of 2022, when the sheriffs came to our Montecito Association Board meeting to show us the new readers, and request help from our community with placing them. These […]

Montecito Association Meets
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 18, 2022

During community reports at this week’s MA meeting, Montecito Union School’s Anthony Ranii said the school’s largest fundraiser, the MUS Carnival, is slated for October 22. The fundraiser for the MUS Foundation raises funds to enhance the school’s academic, athletic, and arts programs; enrich the student experience with technology, curriculum, and improved classroom resources; and […]

License Plate Readers Coming to Montecito
By Sharon Byrne   |   September 13, 2022

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will install automated license plate readers to aid in law enforcement investigations as part of a one-year trial. The trial is part of the National Policing Institute’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) study. ALPRs are helpful in crimes where a vehicle was used.  The purpose of the study is […]

Don’t be a Burglary Victim

Safety Tips From Your Montecito Association and Santa Barbara County Sheriffs We discuss Montecito crime statistics at every board meeting, the second Tuesday of every month at 4 pm. Lt. Arnoldi from the Sheriff’s Office watches trends and keeps us up to date. He also offers the latest tips for how to best protect your […]

Community Reports at Montecito Association Meeting
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 19, 2021

Also at the MA meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on a plethora of crimes that occurred in the area this summer, including a theft from an unlocked vehicle on Butterfly Lane, vehicle broken into on San Leandro Lane, construction trailer broken into on Woodley Road, residential burglary on Cota Lane, vandalism […]

Local Businesses Burglarized
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 5, 2021

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating four recent burglaries at local businesses where the suspects forced entry overnight and stole items. The first incident was Friday, July 23, 2021 in the 5800-block of Hollister Avenue at Old Town Coffee. A suspect smashed a window to gain entry, stole various items from inside the business, […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 2, 2018

The Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the decedent who was fatally injured on July 19, when he was struck by a northbound Amtrak passenger train east of Olive Mill Road in Montecito. The decedent is 50-year-old Rogelio Perez of Santa Barbara. Next of kin has been notified, and his death is being ruled […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 26, 2018

Late on the night of Wednesday, July 18, and into Thursday, July 19, Montecito residents were on edge as Santa Barbara Sheriff’s deputies searched for – and ultimately arrested – three suspects wanted for residential burglary. The incident began Just before 10:30 pm on July 18; the Santa Barbara County Public Safety Dispatch Center received […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 5, 2018

Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Coastal Division have made several arrests the past week on a case involving a number of residential burglaries and auto thefts in the Carpinteria area. Sheriff’s deputies arrested two suspects on June 24, at an illegal camping area in Carpinteria and located items stolen from several residences in the region. […]

Overhead Wires = Aesthetic Blight
By Montecito Journal   |   May 24, 2018

I have lived on Santa Rosa Lane for over 30 years. The ugly power lines have always been a blight on what should be beautiful mountain views. Years ago, I asked Southern California Edison to take a look at the mess for safety reasons and to discuss the possibilities of putting the wires under the […]

Like for Like Fairest Way to Go
By Montecito Journal   |   May 17, 2018

On Tuesday, May 15, the County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted on an amendment that modifies the current “Like for Like” (LFL) ordinance that allows people who want to rebuild their home the same way it was before, to get an exemption from the County Planning and Development (P&D) permitting process. The Thomas fire/debris flows […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   April 26, 2018

In March 2017, we reported that Sepi Consignment shop on the 1200 block of Coast Village Road was a victim of a shoplifting incident. The store manager shared surveillance photos with us, in hopes our readers would recognize the suspect, who came into the shop at around 3:30 pm on March 20 without shoes on. […]

Recharging Our Dried-up System
By Montecito Journal   |   April 19, 2018

With respect to our creeks, their drainage, and the topography, there is a direct correlation with aquifer recharge. But, thus far, there seems to be an absence of discussing the overlap between recharge basin placement and debris basin placement. Is there the possibility that these structures, by their careful placement, could be doing double duty? […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 29, 2018

Santa Barbara County officials are alerting the public to a fraudulent flyer that is being distributed in the Santa Barbara area with a suspect attempting to gain unauthorized access to homes.  According to a fraudulent flyer dated March 22, a “team of land technicians are conducting ground stability testing” in Santa Barbara. County logos and […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 15, 2018

(Information provided by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department) A Santa Paula resident is in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail after she was located in a vehicle on March 3 in the Painted Cave area with a large quantity of stolen mail, stolen packages, and methamphetamine. Some of the stolen property was determined to […]

Sheriff’s Blotter
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 1, 2018

(Information provided by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department) Tuesday, February 23, Carpinteria – Deputies from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Coastal Division, investigated reports that a threat of violence involving a firearm was made by a Carpinteria Middle School student. Numerous deputies were assigned to the investigation and met with staff at the middle […]