Lompoc man arrested
VANDENBERG VILLAGE — Officers from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Lompoc Police and California Highway Patrol searched for and arrested a man Monday morning on suspicion of multiple felonies.
Andy Aguilera, 32, of Lompoc, was transported to the Main County Jail and booked for possession of a stolen vehicle; carrying a loaded firearm (not owner); commission of a felony while released on bail; and felon in possession of a firearm.
His bail was increased from $35,000 to $100,000 after a bail enhancement for being released on bail for another firearms related charge.
Monday morning, a sheriff’s deputy was patrolling an area experiencing mail thefts, and recognized a small green truck that had been previously caught on video surveillance.
The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, but Mr. Aguilera crashed into a mailbox and ran from the truck, which was reported as stolen from Nipomo on Aug. 16.
Deputies set up a perimeter and began tracking the suspect, and received a call from a local who found a handgun and parts of a cell phone in a nearby intersection. They secured the handgun and the sheriff’s dispatch sent an alert requesting all residents of Vandenberg Village shelter in place.
After a two-hour search, the officers found the suspect entering the backyard of a home in the 100 block of Galaxy Way and took him into custody without further incident at 7:40 a.m.
Minutes after that, another local reported a firearm in the intersection of St. Andrews Way and Clubhouse Road, and deputies recovered it and believe it is associated with this incident.
The Sheriff’s Office thanks members of the community for reporting suspicious activity. The investigation is still ongoing.
— Grayce McCormick
