Police arrested a 20-year-old Goleta resident and busboy in Isla Vista on Saturday for first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and threatening crime with intent to terrorize.
He was arrested on Del Playa Drive early Sunday morning. Courtesy of SBSO
The suspect, Marguan David Lara Mendoza, broke into an occupied house on the 6600 block of Del Playa after discovering an unlocked side door late Saturday night, Kelly Hoover, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, said.
Two people were in the rear bedroom of the house when Lara Mendoza entered.
A third resident of the house came home to discover Lara Mendoza had broken in and was in the process of stealing items from the living room.
A physical altercation ensued between the third resident and Lara Mendoza, which resulted in the latter’s eventual escape from the property.
Police were initially unable to apprehend the suspect as he had fled the property before they arrived.
Lara Mendoza was eventually found by law enforcement around 3 a.m. on Sunday at the corner of Camino Del Sur and Del Playa. He was arrested and taken to Santa Barbara County Jail.
He is currently in custody and being held on $100,000 bail.
Lara Mendoza is not a UC Santa Barbara student, according to UCSB’s directory.
