Santa Barbara – Proving once again that the arms of law enforcement are long indeed, Santa Barbara Police, working on a report of alleged forcible rape that allegedly took place on the night of August 31st in a Santa Barbara apartment complex unit, tied that case to a prior open case connected to a rape report made earlier.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood, Officer Michael Claytor first responded to the August 31 report made by a resident of San Diego who had been in Santa Barbara visiting friends and sleeping on their couch when she was “accosted” and “forcibly raped” by Herbert Keith Wells, and 18-year old Long Beach native.
Pursuant to the victim’s report, SBPD Crimes Against Persons detectives contacted her in San Diego and made arrangements to collect evidence relating to the crime. While this work was in process, Officer Claytor, according to Harwood, “became aware of another rape involving a different victim” that had occurred several days prior in the same apartment complex…and that Wells was the suspect identified in that assault as well.
With a $100,000 arrest and search warrant for Wells in hand charging him with forcible rape, SBPD Detective Charles Katsapis served the search warrant on his Santa Barbara apartment only to discover that he had fled the jurisdiction and returned to Long Beach. Katsapis then contacted Wells by phone to inform him of his alleged criminal status, whereupon Wells returned to Santa Barbara the following evening on September 3rd and surrendered himself to authorities.
Wells was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on $100,000 bail.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
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