How Not to Be Out On Bail
Some people simply will not learn.
Santa Barbara – With the beginning of the school year last month, Santa Barbara High School proudly announced the assignment of Santa Barbara Police Department Officer Christina Marshall as their roving Police Resource Officer whose job it is, according to SBPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood, “to head off problems before they occur.”
Among the many areas of concern on the city’s public school campuses are students possessing drugs, gang activities, cyber bullying, and personal threats circulating throughout the student body. In the initial publicity about the new police presence on the high school campus, Marshall was quoted in the media as saying “I’m really getting involved with the kids. I’m going to be more of a mentor with them.”
A lovely sentiment and a worthy objective, but on August 27th, only the third day of her new assignment, Officer Marshal found herself using handcuffs to “mentor” her charges. Responding to a report by the high school faculty of a disturbance caused by a former student and Eastside gang member, Christian Ariel Hernandez, 19, Marshal made contact with the suspect just off the campus grounds. When he attempted to flee on a skateboard, Marshall engaged in a foot pursuit, caught up with him, and placed him under arrest for resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.
Pursuant to that arrest, Marshall performed a field body search and found Hernandez to be in possession of a knife, bindles of cocaine and marijuana, assorted paraphernalia associated with drug sales, and an unspecified amount of cash in twenty-dollar denominations. He was then booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on various drug charges, posted $20,000 bail, and was released by the court on his own recognizance.
While enjoying his freedom at 10:45 p.m. on September 27th, however, SBPD Lt. James Pfleging observed a jaywalker crossing a busy eastside Santa Barbara thoroughfare dressed in dark clothing and dark knit gloves. Pfleging detained the errant pedestrian whom he identified as Hernandez. A cursory field search and investigation revealed that Hernandez was in possession of two bags of marijuana, a scale, and an illegal dagger.
He was arrested on charges of possession of controlled substance for sale and for possession of an illegal weapon, then booked into Santa Barbara County Jail where he remains at this time.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
Read more:
Noozhawk: Suspect Facing New Drug, Weapons Charges
KeyT: New School Resources Officer Making an Impact
