Downtown small business burglarized; police look for suspect

New surveillance images of a computer thief in downtown Santa Barbara shows a man wearing a light-colored sweatshirt, light pants and a baseball cap.

A police spokesperson said the suspect ripped off computers from a small business last Wednesday and tried to break into one next door but was unsuccessful.

Police refused to reveal the names of the businesses in an effort to protect them.

Could this burglary be linked to a recent computer crime-spree targeting local schools?

Sergeant Riley Harwood of the Santa Barbara Police Department said, “There’s definitely that possibility. We do know burglars that commit crimes like this do them over and over again.”

Detectives believe the suspect is either white or Hispanic, and made off with thousands of dollars in computer equipment.

If you think you recognize him, contact the Santa Barbara Police Department at (805) 897-2331 or call anonymously to (805) 897-2386.