Tag: Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department

Sheriff’s Detectives Apprehend Scott Lienhart for Child Pornography and Drugs

The UCSB Student Had Lewd Images Stored on Cell Phone

by Jae Brattain | posted 01.16.2014

Scott Lienhart

Scott Lienhart has been arrested after Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies stumbled upon the suspect manufacturing concentrated cannabis in his backyard.  The incident began when deputies were citing his roommate for being under 21 and having alcohol.  The individual being cited ran away from the scene, but was later located at his residence that he shares with Lienhart.  Neighbors in the area provided assistance to the deputies by pointing where the suspect lived.

They found the individual at a house near the corner of Sabado Tarde Road and Camino Pesdacero in Isla Vista, which is only two blocks away from the UCSB campus. His name has not been released.  However, deputies also discovered illegal concentrated cannabis being produced in the backyard by 19-year old Lienhart.  He is a student

The initial incident occurred January 8th, but was followed up with further investigation by the Isla Vista Foot Patrol and Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division.  A search warrant was obtained and then subsequently executed on January 14.

While searching the residence, investigators discovered pornographic images of children on Lienhart’s cell phone.  He was arrested at the scene and taken to Santa Barbara County Jail.  Initially, a bail bond set for the defendant, but he was later released on his own recognizance.  The District Attorney’s Office has been forwarded all of the case information from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

At this time, Lienhart is being charged with possession of child pornography, manufacturing concentrated cannabis, and possession of a controlled substance.  All are felony level charges, which could carry a possible California State Prison sentence.  However, the charges may be reduced to misdemeanors once the case is determined by a Superior Court judge.

Ronal Beltran Taken Back Into Custody for Arson and Weapon Charges

Police Officers stand over Ronald Beltran near Ortega Park after his arrest for arson and weapons charges (Urban Hikers photo)

Already Charged with Attempted Murder, but Released from Jail

by Jae Brattain | posted 01.13.14

Ronald Anthony Beltran

Santa Barbara Police arrested Ronald Anthony Beltran after he set a vehicle on fire near the corner of East Gutierrez and North Quarantina Street.  Firefighters from the City Fire Department were called about 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon.  Upon arrival, they saw a minivan ablaze and quickly extinguished the flames.

Shortly thereafter, family members of the 39-year old Beltran had contacted authorities to let them know his intentions of burning the minivan.  He also verbally indicated that he wanted to commit “Suicide-by-Cop,” which is when a person wants to die, but do not want to kill themselves.  In other words, a suicidal individual tries to provoke a lethal response from an armed officer or deputy through threatening behavior.

At approximately 2:40 pm, officers found Beltran near Ortega park and promptly chased after him.  During the chase, Beltran stopped in his tracks and made verbal threats that he possessed a weapon.  This gave the pursuers momentary pause, but they continued onward and eventually used a Taser gun to bring him down into submission.  Officers placed Beltran into handcuffs and proceeded to search his body.  During their frisk, police found a knife.

He was taken to Santa Barbara County Jail and is being held without bail bond again.  Beltran was released from custody after an incident in which he stabbed a relative last week.  That case is still active and he faced charged of attempted-murder, stealing a truck, and resisting arrest.  No information has been provided by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department about why he had been released when previously he had no bail.  However, according to police, Beltran is expected to have no bail in this new case.  If not released, he is scheduled to go to Santa Barbara Superior Court on Tuesday, January 14.

DUI Arrests Slightly Lower than Last Year in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara Law Enforcement Arrest Over 150 People During the Holidays

By Jae Brattain | Published 01.06.2014

Local authorities placed a heavy emphasis on arresting drivers who were under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the holiday period.  Agencies throughout the County of Santa Barbara were on high alert for a period of 20-days from mid-December to New Year’s Day.  There were 151 people arrested in total according to provisional estimates.  This compared to 154 apprehended last year during the same time.  Some agencies have not reported their arrest totals yet.

Several checkpoints were setup in conjunction with a major uptick in patrol presence.  The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol made the most DUI arrests during the holidays.  Sheriff’s deputies were prepared for an increase in population at Santa Barbara County Jail.  Most individuals were released on citation, but others had bail bonds set for their cases.

There was one fatal crash involving a 68-year old Buellton woman named Linda Wall.  The incident occurred near Chumash Casino Resort on December 19th.  Rebecca Sandoval has been accused of the DUI-related crime and now faces charges of murder.  The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

Linda Wall was killed in this 3-vehicle DUI collision near the Chumash Casino Resort. (Santa Barbara County Fire Department photo)

Law enforcement are planning more DUI/driver’s license checkpoints and increased patrols in the coming year.  For the immediate future, Super Bowl weekend during the beginning of February has been targeted initially, with a follow up in March for St. Patrick’s Day.  No other plans have been indicated, but there may be other times when there is added attention given to potential DUI drivers.

Motorists who suspect fellow drivers of driving impaired are encouraged to call 9-1-1 to report.  It is legal to make emergency 9-1-1 calls on cellular phones while driving as long as it’s to a law enforcement agency, fire department, medical provider, or other emergency service agencies.

Authorities receive funding for the added DUI enforcement through a California Office of Traffic Safety grant via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The  AVOID the 12 Task Force is so named for the twelve Santa Barbara County law enforcement agencies who participate in the program.

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