Antonio Turner and his kit
Santa Barbara County – Two parallel criminal phenomena seem to be taking place throughout Santa Barbara County: a rash of auto burglaries going hand-in-hand with the ongoing increase in arrests associated with methamphetamine use and possession.
Certainly the April 20th arrest of Antonio Tanner, a 23-year-old hailing from Santa Maria, bears that out. It was in the middle of the morning on “420 Wednesday,” according to Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, that personnel working out of the SBSD Special Investigations Bureau had Tanner’s name in their pocket, as he was being sought on “an outstanding arrest warrant for a probation violation.”
Tanner was contacted on the public thoroughfare in downtown Santa Maria pursuant to that warrant, at which time he was searched by deputies.
It proved to be a fruitful examination, as “they discovered he was in possession of about ½ ounce of methamphetamine with a street value of $1,200,” as well as implements known by law enforcement as tools specifically designed for “forced entry” into automobiles and trucks.
With that evidence in hand, Tanner was summarily transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges of possession of methamphetamine for sales and possession, as well as for possession of burglary tools.
Due to the plethora of recent vehicle burglaries in northern Santa Barbara County which remain unsolved at this time, Hoover reports that further investigation is being conducted to determine if Tanner bears any responsibility in those cases as well.
Photos: courtesy Santa Barbara County Sheriff, Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
