Wanted suspect on the run as search continues in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Police officers continue a search for a suspect who broke free from an officer Tuesday night as he was being addressed for allegedly committing a vehicle theft.

Multiple police officers came to 160 Conejo Road near Sycamore Canyon where the suspect was spotted.

KEYT NewsChannel 3 reporter John Palminteri originally reported this on our social media sites about 9 p.m. last night.

That’s when a foot pursuit was taking place in the area of Stanwood Drive, Conejo and Ealand.

This afternoon the suspect was identified as 24 year old Michyl Jordan. He is known to police and a photo from police records has been released.

The suspect is familiar with the area, and has lived at a home there. When police surrounded the site where Jordan was last seen they announced the K-9 dog was going in. “Michyl Jordan we know you are in there. We know you are in the house, Come out now or the dog is going to come in and bite you, ” said an officer loud enough that it could be heard on or off the property.

The scooter taken was a short distance away from a home near Parma Park where Jordan was contacted while he was allegedly trying to start the vehicle through the “hot wire” process.

A motorcycle was also nearby and it is believed to be connected. That bike has been impounded.

The scooter has been returned to the owner and it is now in a repair shop.

Owner Peter Hale said he noticed his scooter was missing, called police and the responding officer saw the suspicious scene en route to Hale’s house. “When he got to Parma park he saw my bike and the guy working on it.. So he stopped to chat and got his license and handcuffed him. But the guy still ran away”

He then heard a full response from police to try and corner the suspect. “Then we heard another siren and another siren and we thought ‘there’s something going on here’ and we got a call from the officer who said could you come down here,” said Hale. Ryan Neely owns Ooty’s Scooters in Santa Barbara where the bike was purchased. He is surprised at the run on scooter and dual sport motorcycle thefts lately. There have been more than two dozen. “This is not Los Angeles this is small town Santa Barbara so it is a bummer for everybody,” said Neely. His customers have been victims. The scooters are “stolen at at night, brought around the corner,” where they could be stashed and retrieved another time of hot wired on the spot. He says the one stolen last night “is still usable, but usually they are demolished.”

Hale was impressed with the responding police officer who helped him bring the scooter up a steep hill to his garage. “He helped me push that bike all the way up here, and that bike is heavy. We were both exhausted by the time we got up here. He didn’t have to do that. He was great.”