Police arrest 31-year-old man for felony kidnapping and robbery in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara Police Department said officers arrested a 31-year-old man on Thursday for felony kidnapping and robbery.

The department said it received a report on Wednesday from a victim who said a man had stolen her cell phone and dragged her by her neck for about 100 yards near a transient campsite on the hillside of Loma Alta Drive.

The victim suffered minor injuries, according to the department.

Police said that the woman was able to capture a few photos of the man after he threw the phone back at her, and the officers recognized the man through the photos as a 31-year-old transient.

The department said that officers had arrested the man on April 8, 2022 for unrelated misdemeanor warrants, and booked him in jail for about four days before he was released just prior to the attack.

Officers were able to establish probably cause, and they arrested the man on Thursday just after midnight on the 400 block of Loma Alta Drive, according to the department.

The 31-year-old was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on bail of $100,000 for felony kidnapping and robbery, according to police.