Vanessa Vasquez and Joanna Savoy
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Compliance Response Team—tasked with enforcing the terms of parole and/or probation imposed by both the courts and the California Department of Corrections—sometimes enjoys a bit of simple luck in the pursuit of their mission.
It was certainly a bit of providence that came their way on June 30th when, working with the SBSD Special Investigations Bureau and State Parole Officers, the CRT was endeavoring to locate Santa Maria resident Joanna Savoy, 35.
According to SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, while they were searching for Savoy—“wanted for violating the terms of her Community Supervision following her conviction for possession of a controlled substance for sale”—they were notified of a nearby traffic stop in Santa Maria in which 35-year-old Marin resident Bernell Quillens was identified.
Bernell Quillens
Quillens, it was quickly discovered, was wanted by the authorities in the state of Georgia on a drug charge, as well as by law enforcement in Texas for “trafficking of a child for sexual purposes.” Learning that, Quillens was promptly arrested and transported by the CRT Team to Santa Barbara County Jail and booked on his outstanding warrants.
While Quillens was enjoying his free ride, “investigation continued into Savoy’s whereabouts.” Later that day, she was located at a Pismo Beach hotel in the company of Vanessa Vasquez, a 30-year-old resident of Santa Maria who was both on parole and out on bail for various drug offenses.
At the hotel with those two ladies was an unidentified male “found not to be in violation of any laws,” and Clarissa Bautista, 30, who was “in possession of a usable amount of methamphetamine.”
Bautista was cited and released, while Vasquez and Savoy were found to be in possession of “more than one ounce of methamphetamine” and were transported to San Luis Obispo County Jail where they remain on drug and parole violation no-bail holds.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking, San Luis Obispo County Jail Booking
