Deltopia 2019: Arrests and citations rise as more attend unsanctioned party

Deltopia 2019 is in the books and preliminary numbers from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office show a rise in citations and arrests from previous years.

This year's weekend party led to 94 citations, the highest total since 2015. 38 arrests were made which is higher than last year, but slightly lower than Deltopia 2017.

Those arrested were a mixture of locals and visitors from out of town.

Attendance of the annual unsanctioned spring break party rose from the 10,000 estimated last year. 12,000 to 15,000 people are estimated to have taken part in this year's party. The total number of estimated partygoers is still significantly lower than in 2014, when the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office estimated 20,000 to 25,000 people were in attendance.

The number of medical transports were down this year from 2018 with 19, but that number is the second highest recorded in the last five years.

One of the people taken to the hospital was a young woman who fell and hit her head after she slipped off a rock. Another woman fell off the cliff side on the 6800 block of Del Playa Drive during a domestic dispute. Sheriff's officials say both incidents involved alcohol. Neither of the women appear to have life-threatening injuries.

About ten large parties were broken up by deputies and campus police. One young man was knock unconscious during an incident on the 6500 block of Del Playa. Law enforcement arrested 18-year-old De'shon Wilson of Corvallis, Oregon in connection to the incident. He could face charges for assault causing great bodily injury.

The party reportedly began to die down after 6 p.m. when students headed to the Thunderdome for the scheduled TroyBoi concert.

Sheriff's officials say that partygoers were mostly cooperative and supportive this year.