Orcutt residents told to shelter in place while police located burglary suspects
ORCUTT, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management sent an alert asking residents near Bauer Avenue in Orcutt to shelter in place just after 5 a.m. Sunday morning while police searched for suspicious subjects in the area.
At 3:17 a.m., Santa Maria police responded to the Walgreens on the 700 block of North Broadway for a commercial burglary.
Officers determined the suspects had forced entry into the store and stole an undisclosed quantity of prescription medications.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said that, around 4:26 a.m., Santa Maria police sent out a broadcast that they were searching for the two suspects responsible for window smash commercial burglaries at the Walgreens store and an Ulta Beauty in Santa Maria.
Sheriff's deputies responded to the call and began checking businesses in Orcutt for the suspects.
The deputies ended up locating two suspects who were reportedly prowling in front of the CVS near the corner of Clarke Avenue and Bradley Road.
The Sheriff's Office said the suspects fled eastbound on food while a vehicle believed to be associated with the suspects was seen leaving the area.
Deputies ran after the suspects who began jumping fences and crossing the backyards of residences on Bauer Avenue in an attempt to get away.
Once a perimeter of the area was established, deputies called Sheriff's Office K9 units to the scene and sent an alert out to homes in the immediate area.
Deputies then conducted a house-to-house search and successfully located the suspects, described as an adult and a juvenile, who were taken into custody and handed off to the Santa Maria Police Department.
Upon contact, Santa Maria police said they were able to determine these two suspects were the same ones involved in the Walgreens burglary.
The adult, identified as 19-year-old Ramon Sustaita of Fresno, was arrested and booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail. The juvenile was also arrested, but no further information could be provided.
Santa Maria police clarified the suspects' arrests are currently only tied to the burglary at Walgreens on North Broadway. However, both the Walgreens and Ulta burglary cases are still open.
Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact the Santa Maria Police Department at 805-928-3781 ext. 2278.
