Police release weekly statistics
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Police Department issued an update on police activity from July 13 to 19, which included 1,108 calls for service.
The department wrote a total of more than 250 reports and filed 36 felony reports for the following charges: robbery; assault with a deadly weapon; burglary; domestic battery; DUI causing collision with injury; forgery/fraud; and motor vehicle theft.
Of the 36 felony reports, 11 were cleared with arrests and two were referred to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, said Capt. Marylinda Arroyo, police spokeswoman.
The other 23 felony reports will be reviewed by the department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
— Mitchell White
Man with a gun arrested
Officers located a loaded semi-automatic .22 caliber firearm and 10 rounds of ammunition during the arrest of Brandon Topete.
SANTA BARBARA — A Goleta man was arrested early Tuesday on gun and drug charges, police said.
At 6:50 a.m. Tuesday, officers with the Santa Barbara Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit responded to a parking lot in the 1400 block of San Andres Street on a report of a man with a gun. A witness reported a subject sleeping inside a white Nissan Altima with a gun in his hand, said Anthony Wagner, police spokesman.
Officers arrived and conducted a high-risk contact. Brandon Topete, 23, was detained without incident. Mr. Topete has previously affiliated with a criminal street gang in Goleta, Mr. Wagner said.
Officers located a loaded semi-automatic .22 caliber Sig Sauer firearm. The magazine contained 10 rounds of ammunition and police also located “a significant amount of additional evidence” linked to other potential crimes, Mr. Wagner said.
Mr. Topete was booked into County Jail on several felony charges, including on suspicion of possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, being a prior felon in possession of a firearm, narcotics-related charges, gang enhancements and other weapons charges.
— Mitchell White
