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Civilians help police stop reckless driver in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara police officers were able to arrest a reckless driver with the help of civilians on Wednesday afternoon.

At around 9:30 a.m., a Santa Barbara Police officer responded to the area of Cabrillo Boulevard and Stearns Wharf due to reports of a suspect attempting to fight with people.

The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the suspect who was driving in a car. The suspect failed to yield and a pursuit began.

The officer lost sight of the car but responding units set up a perimeter in the Natoma Avenue neighborhood.

The suspect's car was then located several minutes later but the suspect had fled on foot into an alleyway off West Mason Street according to a civilian witness.

After an extensive search, a resident on the 200 block of Bath Street contact police to report a suspicious man prowling and loitering near their garage. They described his description to police and police confirmed a match with the suspect.

Officers then located the suspect and identified him as a 27-year-old Santa Barbara man.

The suspect was arrested for evading an officer in a car with willful disregard, driving without a license, reckless driving and obstructing an officer.

He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with a bail set at $75,000.

In their investigation, police found that the suspect nearly hit a family riding their bikes on West Cabrillo Boulevard and ran a red light.

Article Topic Follows: Crime & Courts

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Julia Nguyen

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