Zachary Coughlin
ISLA VISTA — A Santa Barbara man was arrested Monday night in Isla Vista and is facing felony stalking charges, authorities said.
Just after 10 p.m. Monday, detectives arrested 43-year-old Zachary Coughlin. He was living in a converted bus in the I.V. area and “caught the attention of locals with his references on social media to the tragic mass murder that occurred in Isla Vista in 2014,” said Raquel Zick, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
“His comments on social media also indicate that he shared ideology with ‘involuntary celibate’ (incel) community,” Ms. Zick said.
The investigation involved interviews of witnesses, a behavioral threat assessment of the suspect, and combing through content from several social media accounts. It revealed Mr. Coughlin was stalking a woman in I.V. He was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail with a bail of $200,000. His vehicle was towed following his arrest, Ms. Zick said.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked members of the public for reaching out with concerns regarding this case. An investigation is continuing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Special Investigation Bureau via email at infosib@sbsheriff.org.
