Photo: Mitchell Medina
June 1, 2020 – Santa Barbara County – If you’re wanted for felony vehicle theft in the state of Missouri, what better place to flee to than the Santa Barbara area where nobody knows your name or suspects your criminal activity?
Well … maybe that’s not such a good idea after all, as evidenced by the May 22nd arrest of 34-year-old Mercer County, Missouri resident Mitchell Medina.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, a warrant for Medina’s arrest issued by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office landed on the desk of SBSD detectives indicating his presence at an address in the city of Buellton.
With that warrant in hand, deputies arrived at the indicated address and observed “a maroon Chevrolet truck,” reported as stolen in Missouri.
At that point, deputies used their patrol unit’s PA speaker system to “call out” to Medina, suggesting in no uncertain terms that he exit the residence.
Medina responded by opening the front door of the house and then quickly ducking back inside and slamming the door shut. Sgt. Woodill then approached the living room window and made verbal contact with Medina, “reassuring him that his child would be cared for if he agreed to surrender.”
The SBSD Hostage Negotiation Team, a K-9 unit, and the Special Enforcement Team then arrived on scene, a clear indication that Medina would be taken into custody one way or another. Representatives of Santa Barbara County Child Welfare Services then arrived and took Medina’s child into their care, whereupon Medina surrendered without further incident.
Medina was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was book for resisting arrest, child endangerment, and on the warrant from Mercer County, Missouri. He remains in custody while arrangements for his extradition are under way.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
