Sept. 28
Much ado about nothing
At 5:08 p.m. deputies responded to the intersection of Mission Drive and Fifth Street on a report of a fight. Upon arrival, they located two subjects in the patio area of Solvang Market. One appeared to be in distress, and complained of shortness of breath and chest pain. His friend said he and the man had been in line at the market when an unknown man confronted his friend and told him to follow him outside. He heard an argument and then a yell from his friend for help. He went outside and saw his friend with his “chest puffed out,” as if intimidating someone. The victim said a man he didn’t know called him outside and then asked him why he had called the cops on him. After the man said he didn’t know what he was talking about, the other man pushed him twice. The man declined to press charges if the alleged instigator was caught.
Bush-league behavior
At 8:07 a.m. deputies were dispatched to the 1500 block of Aalborg court on a report of suspicious subjects in the backyard of a home. The reporting party said at 8 a.m. she looked out her bedroom window and saw two subjects “hugging” several bushes along the back side of her property. She watched them walk along the rear of the property and into her garden before she went outside and yelled at them. They told her they were looking for another residence. The deputy found the subjects, a 56-year-old male and a 21-year-old Lompoc woman on the lawn of a nearby residence, picking up trash. The deputy asked them what they were doing, and they said they were doing yard work in exchange for a ride home from a friend. The man gave a false name and date of birth to conceal the fact that he was on probation for commercial burglary. The owner of that house came outside and said he’d only met the man once through a mutual friend and had given him a ride to Lompoc. He did not expect the man and didn’t know the female. Both subjects were arrested and booked into county jail. The female admitted she had used methamphetamine a couple days before. She mumbled to the deputy that she believed the man was behind the door listening to her, because she could hear his breathing. A drug test showed she was positive for amphetamines.
Sept. 30
Just the two of us
Deputies were dispatched to a hotel parking lot regarding two subjects passed out in a vehicle. Deputies searched the area and learned the vehicle left the area toward Copenhagen Drive. Deputies arrived and found a woman, 34, of Torrance staggering in the roadway near the driver-side door. She began banging on the driver-side window with her fist, then opened the door and got into the driver’s seat with the engine running. A deputy approached to speak with her and noticed the passenger was lying face-down in the reclined front passenger seat. He tried speaking to the man, 34, of Lomita, who didn’t respond. The woman stepped out and smelled of alcohol. The woman, who had been visiting the area from Los Angeles for the weekend, said she’d driven from the hotel and parked because she was too intoxicated to drive. She claimed she intended to sleep until she was ready to drive. The deputy advised her that she made the choice to drive while under the influence. The woman then said she hadn’t planned on driving around, but was told to leave the parking lot by an employee. The passenger at first refused to leave the car, for fear that deputies would immediately arrest him for being drunk. Five minutes later, he got out. He admitted he had been drinking at a local bar for the majority of the day. As he spoke, he began accusing passersby of “making fun” of him and the driver and challenged them to a fight. A witness confirmed the female appeared drunk before entering the vehicle in the hotel parking lot and driving away. The woman failed a field sobriety test. She and the man were arrested and booked into Lompoc City Jail.
Oct. 1
Tired out
At 2:30 p.m. a man reported a utility trailer had been stolen. The man, of Santa Paula, owns an event company in which the trailer is registered. On Sept. 28 at 8 p.m., an employee parked the trailer near Theaterfest on Second Street in Solvang and locked the trailer’s tongue and a boot on a tire. When his employee returned to pick up the trailer the next day, it was gone. Later, they learned the trailer had been impounded because it had been found on Second Street with a flat tire. The unknown suspects had apparently cut the lock on the tire and attempted to move it, but abandoned it when the tire blew out. The case was suspended, pending leads.
Oct. 3
Takes two to tangle
As 12:09 p.m. deputies responded to the 1600 block of Mission Drive on a report of subjects fighting at the Mandarin Touch restaurant and bar. Upon arrival, they found the victim behind the restaurant. Deputies got a description of the man and searched the area. The man spoke with a witness who received a text from the suspect who had fled the scene. He talked to the man, who agreed to return to the area. When he did, it was apparent he was intoxicated. He admitted to being involved in a fight and said he exchanged words with the victims and reacted after being pushed. The victim was taken to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. He did not want to press charges and said the altercation was a “stupid high school fight.” The other man was arrested and booked into county jail. Earlier, deputies asked three potential witnesses to step outside to talk about the incident. The deputy noticed one of the three was drunk and having a hard time maintaining his balance. The man – slurring, swaying, and unable to answer simple questions – was determined to be unable to care for himself and others, and was arrested for public intoxication. He was booked into Lompoc City Jail.