Photo: Gary McCluer
Santa Barbara County – Sometimes cops just get lucky, and sometimes high-profile, most wanted subjects of an ongoing manhunt just do stupid things.
43-year-old Lompoc resident Gary McCluer’s actions on the afternoon of November 28th appear to fall into the latter category.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, it was around 2:30 p.m. when deputies responded to a 911 dispatch notice of “a subject passed out in a car with the engine running” outside of Giovanni’s Pizza Restaurant in downtown Orcutt.
The reporting party indicated that the subject “appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance” and was unconscious behind the wheel of his car.
As deputies rolled up to the reported location however, the suspect vehicle was gone from the area. Moments later, however, they received a report that the car was heading west through Orcutt.
It didn’t take the cops long to locate the car, whereupon they “conducted a traffic stop to check the driver’s welfare.”
The driver, McCluer, was quickly determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance. An immediately ensuing records check indicated McCluer was the subject of multiple arrest warrants and was, in fact, “on the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Most Wanted list,” for suspicion of identity theft, forgery, obstructing an Executive Officer, and violation of probation terms.
Deputies then searched McCluer’s vehicle and found drug paraphernalia, heroin, and multiple prescription drugs. Additionally, his vehicle displayed stolen license plates and registration documents.
He was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail for booking, with his bail set at $25,000.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking.
