Local News

September 3, 2010

Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Detectives have released an artist rendering of a man wanted in connection with the Refugio Rd. shooting on August 26th. The suspect waived down a victim for help with a broken down truck, then demanded money. After the victim replied he didn’t have any the suspect shot him in the leg. The suspect is described as being: a white male in his mid to late ‘30s, 5’10 -6ft tall, 175-180 pounds and light brown hair.
Anyone who may recognize the suspect or have any other information on the shooting is urged to call detectives at 681-4150 or the Anonymous Tip Line at 681-4171.

Early yesterday (Thursday) morning around 2AM, Santa Barbara Police received several calls of gunshots heard in the area of the lower Eastside. Minutes later, a 16-year-old boy called police on his cell phone and told them he had been shot in the arm. Officers found the boy walking near the corner of Canada and Cacique Streets.  He was taken to Cottage Hospital and treated for his wounds. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. The neighborhoods have been canvassed for witnesses, evidence, and leads.  It has not yet been determined whether this incident was gang related. 

In a show of solidarity with a coach who was involved in an altercation with a student last week, dozens of teachers at Cabrillo High School in Lompoc staged a protest by taking the day off.  Nearly 30 teachers did not show up for work on Thursday, forcing school officials to fill the classrooms with certified substitutes.  The teachers say that they’re standing behind coach and counselor Gary West, who was put on paid administrative leave after being accused of pushing a student into a wall and a window.  That student was suspended but has since been allowed to return to school, and some teachers feel he is dangerous.  Meanwhile, Coach West remains on paid leave pending a full investigation.       

September 1, 2010

Workers have removed portions of  the temporary orange colored plastic mesh that was put up on the Cold Spring Bridge as a safety precaution for workers installing the so-called suicide barrier fence. That work was recently ordered stopped by a Santa Barbara Superior Court judge who said that Caltrans did not properly distribute the Environmental Impact Report and allow for proper public input and comment on the barrier.  That process is underway.
It’s not known how long that will take nor when, or if, construction will resume on the barrier fencing.      

Pacific Capital Bank made it official yesterday (Tuesday).  It closed the deal with  Texas-based Ford Financial Fund that will infuse the holding company of Santa Barbara Bank and Trust with $500-million dollars. A senior principal with Ford said at the press conference that the money restores Pacific Capital to its status as one of the “strongest community banks within California.”
Gerald J. Ford, Managing Member of Ford Financial, was appointed Chairman of the Board and named to the Board of Directors of Pacific Capital. Pacific Capital had been struggling over the last two years to meet the demands of Federal regulators to increase its cash reserves in order to protect the bank against its multi-million dollar losses.   

The online software training company, Lynda.com, has bought over 57,000 square feet of office and warehouse space in Carpinteria.  The 31,500 square feet of office space and the  25,920 square foot warehouse space are at 6410 Cindy Lane—the building once owned by the Salvation Army. The price was not announced, but the site had been listed for $6-million dollars. Lynda.com has been in the process of moving its headquarters, staff and employees to Carpinteria from the Ventura area for the past year.

The Santa Barbara driver of a tow truck was arrested after he hit  mother and her two small children at the intersection of Vineland Avenue and Simon Way in Oxnard shortly after noon yesterday (Tuesday).  The children, who are in critiacal condition, were dragged underneath the tow truck for about a quarter mile before pedestrians and motorists were able to get the driver to stop. Oxnard police say the driver, 45-year-old Mehran Khamseh, was making a left turn on a green light when he hit the 19-year-old mother, along with her three year-old daughter and one year old son who were in a stroller.  They were crossing the street on a green light as well, according to police. Again, both children lived, but are in critical condition. The mother received moderate injuries when she was knocked to the ground. The tow truck driver was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.

A woman accused of stealing more than $850,000 from her former employer may be close to settling the case before it goes to trial.  Angela Phillips worked as an administrative assistant for the Windsor Capital Group of Carpinteria.  She voluntarily turned herself into authorities in March, 2009. Her lawyer met behind closed doors with the prosecutor and the judge assigned to case on Monday. Phillips is due back in court next week, but it’s not known if she intends to make a settlement plea at that time.  (She’s facing four counts of embezzlement and 12 counts of forgery).

The woman accused of scamming an elderly Santa Barbara couple out of $19,000 to supposedly help them save their home from foreclosure will have to wait a bit longer to find out if the case can be settled out of court.  Denise D’Sant Angelo was in court earlier this week for discussions on the matter, but was told she’d have to return on September 27th for more talks. D’Sant Angelo has been in custody since late March when she was convicted of scamming a group of nuns out of money meant to help them relocate when the home they were using was sold by the Archdiocese of L.A. She was sentenced to two years in state prison in that case which is separate from the elder abuse charges.    

The Santa Barbara man accused of killing his brother and his brother’s life partner over a business deal gone sour could have his trial begin sometime in October. The prosecution contends that Corey Lyons shot his brother, Daniel, and Barbara Scharton over a dispute that grew out of construction issues of the home on Aurora Avenue where the bodies were found on May 4th, 2009. The case is expected to be in court next week when Superior Court Judge Brian may set a date for jury selection.  Hill suggested he may also allow the exclusion of potential jurors who’ve heard of the high profile shooting.    

August 31, 2010

A fire in a home in Santa Barbara sends a worker to the hospital with second and third degree burns. It happened on the 4500 block of Camino Del Mirasol. Santa Barbara County Fire says the 30 year old man was removing flooring from a small utility room adjacent to the garage when for unknown reasons, a flash fire occurred. The victim had burns over 80- 90 percent of his body. Crews treated the man on scene and then took him to Cottage Hospital. He was later flown to Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Cal OSHA was also notified about the fire.

A Ventura County serviceman was killed over the weekend in Afghanistan -- 20-year-old Army Specialist A.J. Castro died on Saturday when a landmine exploded. Specialist Castro went to Westlake High School. Monday, coaches, staff and students from the school remembered him. A small memorial is set-up on campus. In the month of August alone, 42 U.S. Troops died while serving in Afghanistan.

Construction on the new airport terminal in Santa Barbara get a financial boost, with a federal grant of $1.5 million.  At this point construction is about 30-percent complete. The current terminal has not been renovated since 1976.

On Monday an admitted gang member from Santa Barbara, was sentenced by a federal judge to 15yrs. in prison.  Twenty-one year old, Jesus Martinez, agreed to charges of various crimes he conspired to take part in from 2006-2008 while a member of an Eastside gang, which included: murder, robbery and trafficking in controlled substances.  Judge George Wu in Los Angeles sentenced Martinez to 180 months, followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Wu said, “Hopefully, this would be a wake up call for him.”

Santa Barbara Police closing a local road today for a little while for a film shoot. You might want to avoid getting through on Shoreline Drive between Santa Cruz and Loma Alta Streets between 3 and 4:30 this afternoon. HBO Films is shooting for an upcoming movie called The Loud Family of Santa Barbara. There’s no word yet on when that will air.

Over this last weekend Santa Barbara Police conducted a couple of DUI checkpoints in the city. On Friday and Sunday the checkpoints were on Las Positas Rd., Foothill Rd., Bath St. and San Andres St. Over 950 vehicles were checked. Out of those, only one DUI arrest was made. However, 21 drivers were charged for either driving without a license or on a suspended license. A total of 31 citations were issued, and there were 4 non DUI arrests made during the checkpoints as well.

August 30, 2010

A vigil to honor a family of three killed in that big-rig crash last Tuesday was held late Friday near the site of the accident…at the Hope Ranch Inn on the 4100 block of State Street.
The accident claimed the lives of Lorena Guadalupe-Tellez Pacheco, her husband, Leonel Leon, and 8 year old Jaciel Tellez. Family member, friends, and even complete strangers gathered to pay their respects to the victim's. In the meantime, a memorial fund has been set up for the family. It is at Wells Fargo Bank, the LaCumbre branch at 3804 State Street.

The Santa Barbara tri-athlon was held this weekend, with more than 2,000 participants on Saturday. Racers swam a mile, biked 34 miles, and ran 10 miles. Yesterday was the shorter course Sprint Triathlon. Proceeds from this year's event will go to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, which provides support for families of children with cancer.

Two kayakers who were pulled from the ocean just north of Gaviota State Beach late Friday afternoon are said to be doing much better.  The two men, both in their 20’s, told rescuers that they were being blown out to sea by strong winds and decided to ditch their kayaks and attempt to swim to shore.  A witness on the beach sensed the men were in trouble and called 911.  County Search and Rescue managed to get two rescue swimmers into the water.  They helped the kayakers into the helicopter for transport to Cottage Hospital.  The kayakers were suffering from hypothermia, but recovered quickly over the weekend.  Neither man has been identified.

One of two Santa Maria pedestrians hit by a car last week has died.  50-year-old Marta Colin was crossing at Broadway with 29-year-old Teresa Colin when they were hit on Wednesday.  Colin died Saturday.  Teresa remains in critical condition at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.  The woman driver told police that she was distracted by her son in the car and did not see the women. 

It figures, doesn’t it?  Just as the summer driving season is about to come to a close in the next few weekends, the price of gas starts dropping.  Not that anyone is complaining.  On average, a gallon of gas has dropped 7.4 cents in the past two weeks.  This weekend it was down to an average of $2.70 for regular.  Don’t look for that price anywhere in California as the state’s average is around $3.06.  In our area, one of the lowest prices was posted at Risdon’s 76 in Carpinteria at $2.89 per gallon for regular.  The lowest price in the country is $2.39 a gallon in St. Louis. 

August 27, 2010

A public vigil, followed by a BBQ fundraiser will be held today at the Hope Ranch Inn for the family killed Tuesday when a truck rammed into their home. The vigil begins at 4 p.m. at 4111 State Street. The BBQ continues though 8, for a minmum 5-dollar donation. Funds raised will be used for transportation and burial costs for the family in Mexico. In the meantime, the driver of the gravel truck was released from the hospital. Joaquin Morales left Cottage Hospital yesterday and is now recovering at his home in Oxnard. An investigation is on-going…looking into the driving history of Morales and reported mechanical problems with the braking system. So far, no charges have been filed yet.

Authorities are investigating a shooting off Highway 101 near Refugio. It happened yesterday around 1 p.m. Officers say a man was shot in the leg by a suspect, who was last seen driving northbound on Highway 101 in a red pick-up truck. The 2 did not know each other. The victim says the suspect approached him while he was sitting in his car on the side of Refugio Road. The suspect demanded money from the victim, who refused. The suspect then shot the victim. He was taken to Cottage Hospital, where he remains this morning.

A Cabrillo High School counselor and men's varsity basketball coach is placed on administrative leave after an altercation with a student on campus this week. Gary West and an unnamed Sophmore student reportedly got into a tussle Wednesday. The mother of the 15 year old student tells KCOY that her son needed stitches to close a wound caused by the broken window, allegedly caused after the coach reportedly grabbed and pushed the boy. The exchange happened after the student approached the West. West apparently had issue with something the he said. The case is being investigated.

Authorities with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department are searching for a suspect who they say was spotted inside of a local business before business hours.  Shortly after 10 yesterday morning, deputies surrounded the movie theater at the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta after an employee reported seeing a young man or teen near a back theater.  A K9 unit was used to search the complex, but by then the suspect had fled.  He is described as a white male, between 17 and 22 years old, about 5’8” tall with a thin build, wearing a white t-shirt and red hooded jacket.  A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said it doesn’t appear that the suspect stole or damaged anything. 

Officials and students from San Marcos High School, along with leaders from the Santa Barbara School District, and other local government leaders recognized Marborg Industries for their’ commitment to recycling efforts at three local schools. A sign noting the company’s commitment to recycling efforts was unveiled at San Marcos High. Because of the State Budget crisis, Marborg committed to provide—at no charge—hauling and recycling services at San Marcos and Dos Pueblos High Schools and Goleta Valley Junior High  during this current school year. The recycling and waste hauling donation represents a savings of $80,000 to the district’s general fund. The sign unveiled yesterday will be displayed at each school’s campus.

Goleta Police join other agencies along the Central Coast in the intensive impaired driving crack down called Avoid the 12. A new report shows 32 percent of deaths in motor vehicle traffic crashes involve a driver or motorcycle driver with a blood / alcohol content above the legal level. That means a death every 45 minutes. And often innocent law abiding people suffer. Agencies like Goleta Police are stepping up check points throughout the area. Now thru September 6th most are done during high risk night time hours. Times and locations aren’t revealed. Officers also check for drivers licenses. Consequences from getting caught can be devastating.

Speaking of, In the meantime, a DUI check point will be held in the City of Santa Barbara this Sunday (Aug 29) from 6PM to 2AM. Driver’s licenses will be checked as well. The Santa Barbara PD says they will be on patrol throughout the weekend and would prefer to arrest the DUI driver rather than find them in a collision. Additionally, they encourage everyone to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 9-1-1.

August 26, 2010

Flowers and candles continue to accumulate at the site of the demolished Santa Barbara cottage crushed by a runaway gravel truck Tuesday morning.  Leonel Leon, 22, (correct name and age), his new wife, 27-year-old Loreno Guadalupe-Tellez Pacheco (correct name and age) and her 8-year-old son, Jaciel Tellez were killed instantly when the rig, loaded with tons of gravel, flew off the embankment of a parking lot as the driver struggled to bring the truck to a stop. 
Young Tellez had attended his first day of third grade at Franklin School on Monday. Friends and relatives have set up a makeshift memorial next to the destroyed house and have been carefully sifting through the wreckage to try and recover personal items of those killed. The Mexican Consulate says it’s working with relatives of the family who say they plan to have a funeral service and burial in Mexico in the next several weeks. In the meantime, a fund has been set up for the victims at the La Cumbre branch of Wells Fargo Bank at 3804 State Street.  Contributions can be made out to:  “The Leon and Tellez Memorial Fund” (#3395038585). The CHP says it will take some time to determine exactly what caused the rig to loose braking power and careen across the 101 freeway as it came off Highway 154 near State Street. The 61-year-old driver of the truck was not seriously injured in the crash.  He submitted to alcohol and drug tests and so far neither of those appears to be a factor in the accident. The cottage was next to the Hope Ranch Inn in the 4100 block of State and had been rented by the family for nearly a year.
The accident has also rekindled the debate about big rigs and heavy haulers being allowed to use Highway 154. 

A four year old from Ventura died in an apparent accidental drowning. It happened in Ventura on the 300 block of Omaha Street yesterday. Ventura Police investigators say the child was playing in a small pool while other adults were in a larger pool nearby. The child was found a short time later, underwater, and not breathing. The four year old was pronounced dead while being transported to the hospital. Police are still investigating the incident.

A 29 yr. old transient, James Greynald has been arrested after being found under the influence in a parked car in a hotel parking lot in Carpenteria. The arrest happened Tuesday. Sheriff’s handcuffed Greynald and placed him in the back of a patrol car, with the window rolled down because of the heat.  Greynald was able to unlock the door from the outside and escaped fleeing the scene while responding deputies were gathering evidence from the parked car. Sheriff’s department launched a search of the area with K9 units and air support. Greynald was found in a home on Santa Monica Rd., after the resident called and reported hearing someone in the house, where he was re-arrested.    Greynald was booked on suspicion of residential burglary, escaping from custody, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.  His bail was set for $50,000. 

Governor Schwarzenegger made an appearance before members of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce this week. He talked mostly about the state’s budget. The budget is now 57 days overdue. Schwarzenegger told the crowd that in the last 20 years, the California budget has been submitted on time just three times. Even though last year the Governor had approved a nearly 13 billion dollar tax increase to offset the deficit, this time around he said he would never sign a budget that increases taxes. The budget this past fiscal year reached a 20 billion dollar deficit.

The Goleta Design Review Board yesterday gave conceptual approval to plans for a 171-u