Police Arrest Goleta Man Accused Of Soliciting Sex Acts On Craigslist

Police Arrest Goleta Man Accused Of Soliciting Sex Acts On Craigslist | KEYT.com

KEYT - Cars set on fire blocks apart in Goleta, apartments damaged...

KEYT - Cars set on fire blocks apart in Goleta, apartments damaged...

Goleta Police Department – Marketplace Station Media Coverage

Goleta Gets First Formal Police Station
Santa Barbara Daily Sound

Central Coast Welcomes New Police Station (Video)
KEYT

Caretaker Accused of Sexual Assault Worked in the Community

KEYT (Video)

A Santa Barbara man charged with sexually assaulting a brain injury patient is free on $50,000 bail today. What some people are finding alarming is that Bruce Nelson was a High School Basketball Coach and a care giver to the most vulnerable of patients.

Authorities say Bruce Nelson is suspected of sexually assaulting at least two residents during his employment at Solutions, a rehabilitation home in Goleta for brain injury patients.

The parents of one of those patients, a 22-year-old woman, claim Nelson sexually assaulted their daughter during her two month stay, between April and June of this year.

The 55-year-old Santa Barbara resident served as an Assistant Coach for the last two seasons and in the mid-90s he was Head Coach at Dos Pueblos.

Sheriff's Spokesman Eric Raney says Detectives are concerned there may be more victims.

KEY NEWS Reporter Beth Farnsworth has the story.

Verizon Wireless Outage

KEYT has just reported that there is a Verizon Wireless outage that is affecting customers in the 805 area code. This is due to a fiber cable being cut.

More info as it becomes available...

Update: Bicyclist Killed By Truck in Goleta

SB Independent / Chris Meagher

A bicyclist was killed in Goleta Wednesday morning following a collision with a tractor trailer hauling sand, according to authorities. Sheriff’s department investigators believe the victim is a 26-year-old male resident of Goleta, but haven’t confirmed his identity. There was a Mexican identification card in the man’s possession.

The accident occurred just after 8 a.m. at the intersection of Hollister and Kellogg avenues. The truck was traveling westbound on Hollister, making a right turn Kellogg. Authorities are trying to determine where the cyclist was when he was struck by the truck and if he was moving at the time. According to reports, the driver of the truck wasn’t aware the biker was there. He became aware he hit something after he made the turn, Sgt. Erik Raney said.

Several witnesses were at the scene, but investigators are looking for more witnesses who might have seen the collision, including a group of four vehicles waiting at the traffic light traveling southbound on Kellogg. Anyone with information should call (805) 961-7518.

---
KEYT

Officials Look for Witnesses to Fatal Accident

A fatal accident occurred on Wednesday morning on Hollister and Kellogg in Goleta.

The accident occurred just after 8:00 am when a Tractor Trailer hauling sand turned right onto Kellogg and a bicyclist riding straight on Hollister collided. The bicyclist died at the scene.

Sheriff's Investigator's have interviewed several witnesses, but are looking for any additional witnesses to the accident. One witness reported that four vehicles were stopped at the traffic light on Southbound Kellogg when the accident occurred. Investigators would like to speak with those drivers, as they may have information pertinent to the investigation.

The victim is believed to be a 26 year old Hispanic male and resident of Goleta. The victim's identity has not yet been confirmed.

Any one with information should call Deputy George DeLuca at 961-7518.

Fatal House Fire in Goleta

KEYT

An over-night house fire in Goleta claimed the life of a local man, sleeping in his bed. Flames burned the main structure at La Patera Rancho located on the 900 block of North La Patera Lane.

Santa Barbara County Fire Officials say two ranch workers were sleeping when the blaze broke out around 2 a.m. this morning.

The fire crews on the scene could not find a water supply on the property, so they had to draw from a nearby pond to battle the flames.

The blaze also came close to power lines. Firefighters discovered the victim's body after they doused the flames. The case of the fire is under investigation.

---
SB Daily Sound

A two-alarm house fire early this morning in the Goleta Valley claimed the life of at least one resident, fire officials said.At 2:48 a.m., firefighters arrived at 900 N. La Patera Lane to find the main ranch house fully engulfed in flames, County Fire Spokesman Michael Burke said. Live power lines on the ground and a lack of water made it difficult for crews to knock down the blaze, officials said.

“That area is kind of rural, and basically we bring our own water with us up there, so we had to wait for our water tenders,” Burke said. “They lost pretty much the whole main house there on the ranch.”

At 1 p.m., Burke said investigators are still on the scene, trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Officials had not determined the age or gender of the victim yet, he said, adding that more information will be made available throughout the day.

Developing Story: One Dead in Officer Involved Shooting in Santa Barbara

KEYT

Developing Story: Shooting Witnessed by Dozens of People
An officer involved shooting leaves one man dead on State Street in the downtown Santa Barbara nightclub district. Police Lieutenant Paul McCaffrey says the shooting is under investigation. He did not say why the man was shot. The incident occurred at 11:50 pm on State near Ortega Streets. The identity of the victim is not known. Hundreds of people were in the area, where several crowded bars and restaurants are located.

Witnesses told KEY News Senior Reporter John Palminteri on the scene, multiple shots were fired.

A customer at the Tonic nightclub, George Casique says he saw many people dive to the ground when the gunshots rang out. Casique says several officers had their weapons out, but he did not know if more than one officer fired the shots.

Taxi driver Brian Gray, was parked at the shooting scene. He said one bullet hit his vehicle, and blew out a tire.

The street was sealed off by police who detained dozens of witnesses. Police Chief Cam Sanchez was on the scene but has not made a statement.

The shooting took place as Santa Barbara was celebrating it's annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta. Earlier in the day a parade on State St. drew thousands of people.

Many extra officers, were assigned to the downtown area at the time to help with crowd control.

---
SB Independent

A man was shot and killed by a Santa Barbara police officer outside The Habit Burger Grill restaurant on State Street just before midnight Friday. Witnesses described hearing multiple shots — reports varied from five shots, to seven, to an entire "clip" — and a chaotic scene with people taking cover and ducking. According to Lt. Paul McCaffrey, a fight broke out amongst several male suspects in front of the restaurant at around 11:50 p.m., and one suspect pulled out a handgun. “Moments later, several shots were fired,” McCaffrey said in a release. Police officers, who were out in full force due to the Fiesta holiday, responded immediately. "When we first arrived it was obviously chaotic," McCaffrey told a group of media gathered at Ortega and State Streets. "Every officer in De la Guerra Plaza was on the run," one witness said. Clubs, bars, restaurants, and all other businesses were almost immediately shut down, and patrons were forced to leave.

Police had State Street blocked off at Cota and Ortega Streets and, as of 3 a.m., were still working at the scene. Some media was lingering, as well as a cab driver whose cab was locked behind the police line and could not be accessed.

Another cab driver, Brian Gray of Yellow Taxi, said his cab had been parked right outside the Habit, and the front tire on the passenger side of his car had been shot. "I saw a cop shooting," said Gray, who was inside his vehicle at the time. "I think he unloaded a clip.”

Witnesses report seeing an African-American man wearing a "do-rag" being "dragged" to a police vehicle, but there were no official reports of arrests being made. McCaffrey said there were quite a few witnesses taken to the police department and he was unsure if any of them will be taken into custody. "Literally hundreds of people heard the shots," he said.

Police Chief Cam Sanchez was spotted on the scene around 2:30 a.m., but refused to comment on the incident. McCaffrey was also was mum on the details. "When there’s an officer involved in the shooting it’s important to make sure I’m right the first time," he said. "It’s important to be factual." He said any information he releases to the public has to first be run by the higher-ups in the department.

The forensic unit was on the scene taking photographs and investigating. A flood light, which was sitting in the middle of State Street, as well as a fire truck's aerial ladder, were used to help officers light and photograph the scene. Evidence near the body, which was covered with a white tarp, appeared to be a weapon, and McCaffrey confirmed a gun had been recovered.

No information is available about the deceased man. There were no other injuries, and the incident is still under investigation. Police reopened the 600 block of State Street at around 9 a.m. Saturday morning, but because of the uncertainty regarding when the street would reopen, the route of the Children’s Parade — which was supposed to end at State and Ortega Streets — will now run along State Street from Victoria to Canon Perdido Street.

Officials Hosting Meeting on Zaca Fire Wednesday

KEYT (Video)

Zaca Fire Officials are holding a town hall meeting for residents affected by evacuation orders and warnings Wednesday night. Officials say they want to inform the public of the current status of the fire and evacuation plans, in case the fire threats more areas.

All residents are asked to attend, especially those of Paradise, Camino Cielo, Stagecoach, Painted Cave, Rosario Park, Hidden Valley and Trout Club areas.

The meeting will be held at the County Schools Administration Auditorium at 4400 Cathedral Oaks Road at 6pm Wednesday.

Attendees can expect all questions in regards to the Zaca Fire to be addressed.

Local Fire in County Contained

KEYT (Video)

Firefighters are on the scene of a fire in Santa Barbara which broke out around 2pm today. The fire made a big scare for local residents who identified the smoke in the local area but the fire has been contained after a few hours.

The fire was at 1500 More Mesa near Hope Ranch and has burned 5 acres, according to County Fire Officials. The fire burned in an open field of about 40 acres between Goleta Beach and Hope Ranch.

Fire crew[s] from Zaca fire responded, along with air and hand crew.

Teacher in Court for Sharing Marijuana with Students

KEYT

A local teacher pleaded not guilty to smoking marijuana with her students. Melissa Dunning appeared in court this morning for her arraignment.

The former teacher is accused of smoking pot with two 14-year-old boys during a tutoring session at her Santa Barbara home. Police say there may have been three different occasions when she did this with students.

Dunning worked at Goleta Valley Junior High School as a temporary teacher.

She faces three felony counts including contributing to the delinquency of minors. She will be back in court next month for her preliminary.

---
KCOY

SANTA BARBARA - A former Santa Barbara County teacher accused of smoking marijuana with a couple of her students says she didn't do it.

Melissa Dunning Monday pleaded not guilty to a felony county of furnishing pot to a minor and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Dunning worked as a temporary teacher at Goleta Valley Junior High School.

Investigators say she smoked marijuana with a 14-year-old student a few times, while tutoring him at her home.

On one occasion, deputies say another student smoked with them.

Judge lowers bail for cheerleader charged with vehicular manslaughter

KCOY

SANTA BARBARA - A Santa Barbara college cheerleader accused of killing a prominent doctor in a hit-and-run collision could be getting out of jail after a judge lowered her bail.

A judge Monday approved a defense motion and reduced Heather Hulsey's bail.

The amount dropped from $250,000 to $50,000.

Hulsey is awaiting trial on vehicular manslaughter charges in the death of Doctor Ronald Schlensky last year in Montecito.

A couple of months ago, officers arrrested Hulsey at UC Santa Barbara, where she was suspected of being drunk in public.

Hulsey is expected back in court next month.

---
KEYT

Bail Reduced for Student in Manslaughter Case
Heather Hulsey to be moved to sober-living facility

Under very strict conditions a Santa Barbara Judge reduced bail for local college student accused of killing a doctor while driving drunk.

Judge Frank Ochoa reduced the bail for Heather Hulsey from $250,000 to $50,000. Bail was increased just last month when the defense convinced the Judge that Hulsey was a threat to society while facing other charges on public intoxication.

Today's bail agreement was under conditions that Hulsey resides in a sober-living arrangement and follow their guidelines.

She has to test daily for alcohol use and surrender her driver's license.

Hulsey, who used to attend Santa Barbara City College, allegedly struck and killed her neighbor, Dr. Ronald Schlensky last July while driving drunk. She will appear back in court next month.

Checking Local Homes For Dog Licenses

KEYT (Video)

Santa Barbara Animal Control is trying to put a "paw-sitive" spin on getting your dogs licensed and vaccinated against rabies.

KEY News reporter Martha Bull has the details on the door-to-door canvassing program.

Woman charged with smoking pot with student makes court appearance

KCOY (Video)

SANTA BARBARA - A judge ordered the teacher accused of smoking marijuana with a couple of her students to stay away from them and their families.

Investigators say 31-year-old Melissa Dunning, a temporary teacher at Goleta Valley Junior High, smoked marijuana with a 14-year-old student three different times in recent months.

They say one time another student was there.

The district attorney's office has charged Dunning with furnishing a student with marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

---
KEYT

A teacher accused of smoking marijuana with her students appeared in court. Goleta Junior High School Teacher Melissa Dunning was arraigned on three different felony counts including smoking marijuana with two fourteen year old boys and contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Dunning worked at the Middle School as a temporary teacher for about since March of this year.

Authorities say one of the victim's parents suspected her son had be smoking pot when she picked him up after a tutoring session at Dunning's home.

Investigators say this same incident happened on three separate occasions.

District Attorney Joyce Dudley says the parents of both boys believe justice will be served.

Dunning was ordered to avoid all contact with the boys and their families. She will make another court appearance later this month to face charges.

Driver Arrested for Fatal Hit and Run

KEYT

Police have arrested a man suspected of killing a truck driver a hit and run in Goleta early Tuesday morning.

The drive of the truck pulled over onto the right shoulder on the 101 northbound and Los Carneros. He was outside of the vehicle when struck by a car. He was taken to the hospital after suffering major injuries in the collision and then pronounced dead.

The driver, Andrew Swanson, fled the scene but was later located at a residence and taken into custody for DUI, Felony Hit and Run and Gross Vehicular Manslaughter. His passenger was also taken into custody for not reporting the incident to police.

---
KCOY (Video)

LOMPOC - 38-year-old Andrew Swanson, of Goleta is in county jail on charges of felony DUI, felony hit and run, and gross vehicular manslaughter.

CHP investigators say he was driving drunk when he hit a man on the shoulder of Highway 101.

The CHP says 45-year-old Miguel Cabrera, of Lompoc, pulled his tractor-trailer onto the shoulder just south of Los Carneros Road around 12:30 Tuesday morning.

They believe he was having mechanical problems.

They say Cabrera was standing near his big-rig when Swanson, in this pick-up truck, hit him.

Swanson didn't stop, but officers tracked him down at his house a few hours later, and arrested him.

Cabrera died at the hospital.

Goleta Fire Leaves Two Without A Home

KEYT

Two Goleta women are without a home this morning after an overnight fire trapped them in a Mobil home. Flames broke out just after midnight on Old Mill Road in the Rancho Santa Barbara Mobile Home Park.

County Fire crews found the mobile home engulfed in flames that partly spread to other homes on both sides.

Fire crews helped the women escape before the home completely collapsed. Heat from the fire badly damaged one of the homes next door.

No no-life threatening injuries reported and Red Cross is offering assistance. Edison is inspecting nearby power lines exposed to the intense heat. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damages total to $150,000.

---
KCOY (Video)

GOLETA - Two Goleta women are looking for a new place to live after their mobile home burned to the ground.

It happened early Tuesday morning on Old Mill Road near San Marcos Pass Road and Calle Real.

Police say two women were able to escape from the burning mobile home, although one was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Fire crews say the homes on either side of the burning trailer were threatened, but were not seriously damaged.

Firefighters say the home had a working alarm.

No word on what may have caused the fire.

UCSB Students Leave Tons of Trash

KEYT (Video)

The end of the school year at UC Santa Barbara means tons of trashis being left behind by students leaving the college town of Isla Vista.

Even with extra trash pickups, there are giant piles of debris, furniture, clothing, and leftover food in front of apartment buildings.

Scavegers are picking through the trash looking for usable items.

Santa Barbara County, and the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District are stepping up cleanup efforts due to health and safety concerns.

Some of the departing students also tossed their belongings off ocean bluff balconies into the ocean.

Goleta Fire Displaces Nineteen

KEYT (Video)

Nineteen people are displaced after a fire at a Goleta apartment complex. Santa Barbara County Fire was called to the 400 block of Linfield Place just before 1pm this afternoon.

Crews were able to quickly knock down the flames in the two alarm blaze. Fortunately there were no injuries but there were frightening moments for those who live near by.

Four people live in the apartment where the fire originated. An electrician is trying to restore power to the adjoining units that would enable the remaining fifteen people to return to their homes. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Red Cross is offering assistance to those displaced by the fire.

KEY News Reporter Michelle Cole has the story.

---
SB Independent
By Chris Meagher
Thursday, June 14, 2007

Twenty-seven firefighters responded to a fire which devastated an apartment in Goleta Thursday, leaving up to 19 complex residents possibly displaced for the night. Santa Barbara County fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which occurred around 12:35 p.m. Thursday at a six-unit apartment complex at 449 Lindfield [sic] Place.

A woman and a boy were in the apartment of origin when fire alarms sounded. The two were able to make it out safely, according to Capt. Eli Iskow. Responding firefighters — six engine companies and one truck companies’ worth — were able to douse the fire down quickly, containing the fire to the one apartment.

Other apartments in the complex suffered smoke damage, and depending on whether or not the electrical system can be rerouted, 19 people may have to sleep somewhere else Thursday night. The occupants of the original apartment and the one above are displaced. The Red Cross is assisting those who need help.

---
KCOY (Video)

GOLETA - 19 people are without a home Thursday night after a fire broke out an apartment building.

Firefighters say the fire started around noon at the complex in Goleta.

The fire broke out at the bottom unit.

There are six units in the whole building where eight adults and 11 children lived.

Firefighters responded quickly, so the fire damage was contained to the one unit, but the smoke from the fire affected the entire building.

Most of the neighbors will be allowed to return in the next few days, but one single mother and her children who live in the unit where the fire broke out won't be able to come home for awhile.

She was home with one kid at the time of the fire while her other two children were at school.

Some neighbors from the building and around the block were home and called 9-1-1 when they smelled the smoke.

As of now the cause of the fire is under investigation, but the woman tells us that it was most likely electrical.

Small Plane Crash At Santa Barbara Airport Causes Delays

KEYT

A close call at Santa Barbara Airport Sunday as a plane skidded off the runway.
A private charter jet left the runway Sunday afternoon.
That's when the pilot realized he did not have enough speed to lift off.
The plane hit a ridge where the front wheel snapped off.
Then it skidded until coming to a rest six hundred feet past the runway.
The 15 passengers were not injured.
But, shaken from the experience.
The accident could have been worse.
A creek outside the runway had recently been filled in.
Delays are expected to affect flights through Sunday night.
That's when the plane is expected to be cleared from the runway.

Sex Offender's First Offense Wasn't Against a Child

KEYT

A registered sex offender who worked as a local Pony League Umpire has a past conviction for a violent crime.

Sheriff's Deputies arrested Manuel Jimenez last Wednesday outside his Goleta home after someone spotted him several weeks before sitting inside his car without a shirt on outside a school campus.

At first, authorities would not say what crime Jimenez committed to make him a registered sex offender. Now KEY News has learned and confirmed through the Sheriff's Department that Jimenez was convicted of burglary and rape.

Authorities also say Jimenez received permission from his Probation Officer to become a Pony League Umpire but it appears he never notified league officials about his criminal history. Pony League officials notified parents last week in a letter that Jimenez will no longer work Little League games and that Umpires will be required to have the same background check as coaches do.