Over the weekend, the Isla Vista Foot Patrol responded to several criminal incidents in Isla Vista involving UCSB students, Isla Vista residents and individuals from outside the community.
Police officers responded to cases including a false report of stolen property, assault, possession of illegal drugs and the sale of marijuana without a license. The weekend began with a report of assault that took place on the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive.
On Friday night, deputies responded to an assault case on 6671 Del Playa that involved a student from San Diego State University and an unidentified victim. Isla Vista Foot Patrol Lt. Robert Plastino said in-field witnesses assisted officers with the investigation.
“A 21-year-old SDSU student sucker-punched the victim from behind, knocking him unconscious, causing lacerations requiring sutures and breaking a front tooth,” Plastino said. “[There was] no motivation to punch the victim. It was for no reason — out of the blue.”
The suspect was charged with assault and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail. That same night, officers arrested an out-of-town visitor for indecent exposure and possession of illegal drugs at the residence of 6563 Trigo Road.
“A 20-year-old Claremont resident was observed by multiple reporting parties and incoming deputies to be actively exposing his genitals for gratification purposes,” Plastino said. “He was arrested and also found to be in possession of cocaine.”
During the daytime on Saturday, deputies arrested Isla Vista local Jamal Blue for selling marijuana on the 6600 block of Trigo Road. According to Plastino, deputies watched Blue conduct a hand-to-hand transaction with a UCSB student.
“Investigation found that Jamal had provided the student with marijuana. He was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail,” Plastino said.
According to Plastino, a stolen iPhone was recovered at Freebirds last Wednesday. He said the victim texted the suspect who was in possession of the phone.
“The suspect, [a] Freebirds employee, confirmed the serial number and said he had purchased it from a UCSB student,” Plastino said.
When the victim demanded the phone back, Plastino said the employee requested a $180 reimbursement from the victim. According to Plastino, the suspect was eventually discovered to be speaking falsely about the circumstances surrounding the recovery of the phone.
“The suspect was lying. He had found the phone and was trying to force the victim to pay him in order to get it back,” Plastino
Plastino said IVFP took measures to detain the suspect, who was found not only to be in possession of the iPhone but also of a meth pipe. With this finding, the suspect was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.
A version of this story appeared on page 1 of Wednesday, April 30, 2014’s print edition of the Daily Nexus.
