Photo: Stock Image
March 20, 2023 – Santa Barbara, Ca. – From a high-altitude perspective, looking down on the City of Santa Barbara as it lies on a sliver of terrain sloping upward from the westernmost edge of the continent and rising into the foothills of the towering Pacific Coast range, one might think it has the metaphorical appearance of a homeless person catching a few winks on a narrow park bench. There just isn’t much room for the city to spread welcoming arms in any direction north or south, but that doesn’t prevent the city’s leaders from taking a tolerant view of those who actually do live on sidewalks, in the parks, and under freeway structures.
But that tolerance appears to have been pushed to its limits by 37-year-old local area transient Philip Spencer Vinke, who was taken into police custody and arrested late on the night of March 19th . His contact with law enforcement came following a 911 Emergency call to Santa Barbara Police Department Dispatch at approximately 10:15 p.m. reporting suspicious activity in a commercial district on the city’s eastside.
According to SBPD spokesman Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, “officers arrived and contacted a subject exiting through a window of a business” at an hour when all businesses on the street were shuttered. When Vinke spotted the cops, he took off running and “attempted to flee from officers.” With the majority of SBPD patrol officers enjoying fitness levels superior to the general citizenry, the foot chase was brief and Vinke “was quickly detained.”
Investigation at the scene indicated that Vinke was responsible for a recent rash of crimes in the area, including “commercial burglary, two vehicle burglaries, vehicle tampering, and vandalism.” He was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on those charges, with his bail set at $20,000.
