Photo: Christen Aceves
Santa Barbara County – Possession of a dead owl you say? In the pre-dawn hours of September 10th, 911 Dispatch operators received a call reporting a residential burglary in progress.
According to SBSD Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, when patrol deputies arrived at a home in the exclusive Hope Ranch community just after 4:00 a.m., the homeowner “reported hearing someone in her basement” and having seen someone in a white t-shirt walk through her front yard. Deputies began a search of the area, looking for the reported subject.
Just minutes later, another call came into the SBSD Dispatch Center. It reported a subject “in a white t-shirt” who had attempted to open the back door of another Hope Ranch residence. Deputies immediately secured a perimeter around the neighborhood.
A short time later, deputies “observed a woman, later identified as 32-year-old Santa Cruz resident Christen Aceves” driving through the area. Deputies conducted a routine traffic stop. They noted that Aceves was “out of breath and had dirt on her face and clothing.” She could not explain her presence in the residential community at that early hour of the morning. During their conversation, deputies “observed a knife in her hand.” They removed her from the vehicle at gunpoint and “detained” her.
Deputies transported Aceves to Santa Barbara County Jail and booked her on charges of –
- vehicle theft;
- burglary;
- loitering on private property;
- driving without a license
- and impersonation to make another liable. Her bail is $70,000.
While in custody, on September 18th SBSD detectives received notification of an outstanding failure-to-appear arrest warrant on Aceves. This warrant came from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Charges were pending regarding a July 7, 2018 incident in which Aceves was arrested on multiple auto theft and possession of stolen property charges, In addition, of course, is the unlawful possession of a bird of prey, to wit: a dead owl.
Those dead owls will get you every time.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
