An incident that began in Goleta led to the arrest of four suspects from Los Angeles for numerous violations including thefts of catalytic converters. 

On Monday, June 13, 2022, Goleta Police were dispatched to a report of a possible catalytic converter theft that had just occurred in the 7300 block of Greensboro Dr. in the City of Goleta. Deputies arrived shortly thereafter and located the suspect vehicle fleeing the area.

The pursuit of the suspects continued into the City of Carpinteria and ultimately ended in downtown Ventura when the suspect vehicle crashed.  The suspects fled the vehicle but were apprehended and arrested.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies located over a half dozen catalytic converters and theft related tools.

The suspects were booked at the Main Jail two were later released without bail in compliance with the local court’s extension of Emergency Rule 4.

The City of Goleta like other communities continues to see catalytic converter thefts.  Here are some prevention tips to help reduce the risk of having your catalytic converter stolen:

• Keep your vehicle in a locked garage or a well-lit area close to your home. 
• Set up cameras to record the parking area can help as a deterrent and in the investigation.
• Install anti-theft devices to make a catalytic converter harder to remove.

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

The City of Goleta is sharing this information from Santa Barbara County Animal Services:

Coyote sightings are being reported with increased frequency in the City of Goleta and surrounding Santa Barbara County areas. Although no humans have been harmed, there have been some reports of coyotes approaching people while walking their dogs. In some cases, it has been reported that the wild animals appear comfortable around people.

Coyotes are medium-sized animals that belong to the dog family. Most adults weigh between 25 and 40 pounds and resemble a small gray or brown dog. Their natural diet consists of mice, rats, ground squirrels, gophers, and rabbits; however, they also eat insects, reptiles, amphibians, fruits, birds and their eggs, and deer fawns. In urban and suburban areas coyotes can also eat domestic house cats, small dogs, poultry, and other animals as well as available pet food and garbage. Coyotes are typically nocturnal, but during cooler seasons or in drought conditions they may be seen during daylight hours.

Never intentionally feed a wild animal. Once wild animals have lost their fear of humans through unnecessary interaction, they can become aggressive or too comfortable with humans for their own safety. Not only is feeding wild animals like coyotes irresponsible and dangerous, it is illegal if it results in a change in an animal’s normal behavior patterns. Please respect and help protect these wild animals.

Helpful Tips to Avoid Coyotes: 

• Remove sources of food and water, especially at night. This includes pet bowls, fallen fruit from trees, and water in bird baths.
• Secure garbage can lids or store them indoors.
• Ensure outdoor enclosures for rabbits, poultry, birds, etc. are well secured.
• Put away bird feeders and leftover poultry food at night to avoid attracting rodents and other coyote prey.
• Do not leave dogs, cats, and other pets outside unattended, especially at night.

What To Do if You See a Coyote in Your Neighborhood:

• Do not approach it.
• Make loud noises.
• If you have a close encounter with any large wild animal, pick up and hold children and small pets. Do not turn your back, instead make loud noises and calmly back away.

Additional Information and Resources:

For more information on coexisting with urban wildlife, residents can visit Animal Services website at www.countyofsb.org/1551/Wildlife-Resources and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Living-with-Wildlife.

For wildlife emergencies (sick or injured animals) residents can call SB City Animal Control at (805) 963-1513, Wildlife Care at (805) 681-1080, SB County Animal Services as (805) 681-5285 or submit an online request.

To report conflicts or sightings of wild animals, citizens can call the local Fish & Wildlife office at (805) 568-1231.