Santa Barbara police arrest man after series of crimes committed against women

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Santa Barbara police arrested a man on Thursday after they deemed he was connected with predatory and violent crimes against four women.

Police said it started on Tuesday, Oct. 5, around 6:47 a.m. The police department's Combined Communications Center received a call reporting a battery that had just occurred near the 600 block of W. Gutierrez Street.

When officers arrived in the area, they contacted a 24-year-old woman who said she was walking to her vehicle when she was approached by an unknown man who reportedly spat in her face.

About 30 minutes later, a short walking distance away from the first incident, Santa Barbara police responded to another call reporting a battery.

Officers said an unknown man approached another 24-year-old woman, grabbed her by the arm and shoved her into a vehicle that she was already preparing to get into.

The woman fled the encounter and the man reportedly spat on the car.

A short time later, a police officer spotted a person in the area of the crime who matched the descriptions provided by both women.

The person was detained and identified as a 39-year-old Santa Barbara man.

Officers conducted a follow-up investigation the next day and looked into an incident that occurred around 6 p.m. on Monday near the Amtrak parking lot. Police said a 21-year-old woman had parked her car in the lot when she was confronted by a person who made demands and advanced towards her.

The woman began to move away from the person when he allegedly spat in her face. After further investigation, police determined an attempted robbery had occurred and the suspect was identified as the same Santa Barbara man.

The man was also found to be connected with an incident that occurred Thursday morning at 6 a.m.

Officers saw the man standing in the street in what appeared to be a confrontation with a woman driving a vehicle.

The driver told officers that the man was blocking her from moving forward.

An officer attempted to order the man to leave the street, however, the man challenged the officer to a fight, threatened him, and began approaching the officer.

Backup officers arrived at the scene and attempted to arrest the man who they said violently resisted before finally being arrested.

The Santa Barbara man was booked on numerous charges stemming from the four incidents including multiple counts of battery, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery and resisting arrest.

The man's bail was set at $500,000.

The police department said two of the officers involved in the violent fight with the man Thursday morning were minorly injured.