Following eyewitness accounts of a Trigo Road burglary on Saturday night, police have arrested a suspect.

Victims of the burglary allegedly saw Scott England steal laptops from a Trigo Rd. residence at about 12:45 a.m. The witnesses then followed the suspect through the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive while notifying the police. England was pointed out to the police by one of the victims and soon fled. He was caught shortly after and booked into Santa Barbara County jail. Two laptops were later recovered from the scene.

Addressing those who would protect themselves from such crimes, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Dept. spokesman Sgt. Alex Tipolt said the answer to burglary is simple: If it’s valuable enough to be stolen, keep it secure.

“Regardless of when it is, remember to lock your doors [and] keep everything locked up when no one is home,” Tipolt said. “Also, lock windows, especially if you are on the ground floor. We typically remind everyone that, but it seems to fall on deaf ears sometimes.”

He said the rate of burglary in I.V. rarely fluctuates throughout the year. Tipolt also said residents should recognize that theft is an ever-present problem that most often occurs because of an occupant’s failure to observe precautionary measures.

“[Burglaries happen] all year long and at any time of the day, it all comes down to if people decide to lock their doors,” Tipolt said. “It’s been happening for many years, and it is a crime of opportunity.”

Tipolt said that the victims in this case were fortunate to have identified a suspect.

“Based on the number of burglaries or [automobile burglaries] that we do have out in that area, it’s a small dent, but then again, it’s still a good bust that means one less burglar on the street,” Tipolt said.