SANTA BARBARA – Finding out your ex-girlfriend has a new love in her life is never fun, but when you forget the adage that “there are more fish in the sea,” unchecked emotions can frequently get a young man in serious trouble.
That seems to be the case of Tobias Seth Minehan, 19, who apparently recruited his friend Ryan Timm Larson, 19, in an effort to retaliate against his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend by way of a home invasion scenario and violent battery.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood, Minehan and Larson “went to an apartment on the 100 block of Oceano Avenue to beat up” a young man for having a relationship with Minehan’s ex-girlfriend. As detailed in his report to the media, Harwood indicated that four individuals were in the apartment on November 26th when Minehan entered the apartment in the company of Larson—who wore a ski mask and toted a replica Uzi sub-machine gun.
Ryan Timm Larson
“The victim whom Minehan sought to batter was asleep in his bedroom,” Harwood detailed to the media, adding that “Minehan entered that victim’s room and repeatedly punched him on the head while clenching a roll of quarters wrapped in duct tape to increase the severity of the blows.”
Only when his victim fought back with a metal bar did Minehan cease his attack and exit the room where Larson awaited with the fake Uzi. He uttered threats to kill Minehans’ assault victim and both perpetrators summarily fled the scene at that point. Pursuant to multiple reports of the incident by those who had been in the apartment and held at bay by Larson, investigation into the identity of the two assailants ensued. The investigation led police to the Santa Barbara City College campus where Larson was arrested. Minehan, who had fled to the Cal Poly University campus, returned to Santa Barbara on December 4th and surrendered to authorities.
Minehan was promptly charged with burglary, false imprisonment, intimidating a witness by force or threat of violence, conspiracy, and assault with a deadly weapon. Larson was charged similarly, as well as with brandishing a replica firearm. Both men were transported to Santa Barbara County jail with bail set at $100,000 each.
Read more:
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