Three Lompoc men arrested for planning to steal vehicles after being seen prowling in neighborhood
LOMPOC, Calif. - Deputies arrested three Lompoc men on Thursday after a resident reported some people were checking vehicle door handles in their neighborhood.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office responded to the call around 3:39 a.m. Thursday morning.
After arriving at the 100 block of Oakmont Avenue, crews said the suspects fled the area on foot.
Two of them were located in the immediate area within a few minutes. One man, identified as a 33-year-old Lompoc man, was found with a loaded and unregistered firearm in his pocket along with tools usually used to steal cars.
The second person, identified as a 25-year-old Lompoc man, also reportedly had burglary tools in his possession.
A few hours later, deputies said they found the third suspect, identified as a 26-year-old Lompoc man, in the area of Burton Mesa and Harris Grade around 8:27 a.m.
The sheriff's office said the first two men found were booked into the Lompoc Jail for misdemeanor charges including conspiracy to commit vehicle theft and conspiracy to commit vehicle burglary. The man with a gun was also charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Both men were released immediately per the state's zero bail order.
The third man who was found around 8:27 a.m. was booked at the County's Main Jail for prowling, possession of burglary tools, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy. His bail has been set at $100,000.
