SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara County is not the place to even think “Maybe” when it comes to having a holiday cocktail and then hopping into your car.
Proof of that comes almost every week in this internationally-renowned tourist destination, and the Christmas season is no exception. Santa Barbara County Sheriffs, according to SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, work in close concert with both the Santa Barbara Police Department, Alcohol and Beverage Control, and the California Highway Patrol in the widely-publicized “AVOID The 12” campaign designed to deter those who might think “maybe…”, etc., and to rid the roads of those under the influence of alcohol or drugs. “AVOID The 12”, Hoover explained in her report to the media, references the total number of law enforcement organizations participating in this intiative, which is designed to bring increased public awareness to the need for sober driving.
Between 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. on December 22nd, such an operation was conducted in the heart of Santa Barbara’s commercial district as part of “seventeen DUI enforcement operations that will be or have been conducted throughout the county” during a 20 day “Winter Mobilization Period” between December 13th and January 1st.
On December 22nd, 550 vehicles were screened, resulting in five arrests and 18 additional citations for a variety of motor vehicle violations. A total of eight vehicles were impounded pursuant to those violations.
Among those arrested on charges of DUI were Lori Elizabeth Bates, 53, Bahtia Eryon Bilow, 24, Kristi Ann Krenta, 36, Marc Dohn Riotzema, 36, while Felip Monterosa, 22, was charged with felony possession of a concealed knife and possession of marijuana. Each suspect was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, with no bail amount disclosed.
Photo: Courtesy KCRW.com
Read more:
edhat Santa Barbara: AVOID the 12 Winter Holiday DUI Arrest Update
