Photo: Stock Image
Violent crimes of any nature in the tony enclave of Montecito, just south of the City of Santa Barbara and home to major international celebrities and billionaires, are not the stuff of everyday news. Whether this is due to the vigilance of the residents—a large percentage of whom live behind stone walls and iron gates with full-time security personnel and well-trained canine protectors on duty—or it’s the product of frequent patrols conducted by The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Barbara Police Department’s vigilance, no one can say.
But the fact is, crime in Montecito is usually limited to local teenagers running stop signs on $3,000 electric bicycles provided by parents who buy their kids every expensive “fad” toy imaginable.
That almost non-existent crime rate may be why the January 4th arrest of a local citizen suspected of a strong-arm robbery at a local smoothie shop raises eyebrows. The case currently swirling through the local gossip mill involves 28-year-old Montecito resident Raider Damron, whose social media profiles portray a young man of some privilege with an outgoing and adventurous spirit who enjoys a wide range of dare-devil watersports and acrobatics.
According to SBPD spokesman Lt. Benjamin Ahrens, Damron was the subject of a 911 Emergency call for service from the local Blenders smoothie store on the afternoon of
January 4th, reporting “a strong-armed robbery” in progress. Law enforcement responded with appropriate alacrity “and began searching for the suspect” who had by that time made himself scarce.
The ensuing investigation, aided by “a detailed description of the adult male suspect,” led to the discovery of Damron hiding “in an underground pathway” running beneath the U.S. 101 freeway. At first resisting any attempt to surrender, Damron was ultimately apprehended “with the assistance of a police dog.” He was then transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was charged with strong-arm robbery with his bail set at $100,000.
