Full Notification

Gabriel Eduardo Alvarez, age 20, Manuel Carlos Cabrera, age 20, Lisa Ybarra, age 43, and a 17-year old female juvenile, all from Santa Barbara, are in custody for felony drug charges following a three-week investigation into narcotics activity in and around a residence on the 1100 block of E. Mason Street, across the street and 178 feet away from Franklin Elementary School.  A fifth subject, Pedro Omar Palencia, age 31, of Santa Barbara, was cited for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.  Cabrera and Palencia are associated with Santa Barbara area gangs.

Upon receiving a citizen’s complaint of suspected drug sales in and around a residence on the 1100 block of E. Mason Street, detectives from the Santa Barbara Police Department’s Narcotics Unit conducted a three-week investigation that culminated in the service of a search warrant at that location on May 8, 2013 at 1:45 p.m.  The home is where Alvarez and his 17-year old girlfriend had been residing.

The warrant service was initiated when detectives observed Alvarez driving away from his residence.  He was stopped nearby and found to be in possession of hashish oil.  He was arrested and transported back to his residence where other detectives commenced the search.  Alvarez’s girlfriend was contacted in the driveway and attempted to flee, briefly struggling with detectives until she was taken into custody.  Cabrera, Ybarra, and Palencia were found locked inside of the room shared by Alvarez and his girlfriend, along with an additional male subject that was ultimately released.  Detectives breached the door, detained the subjects, and continued with the search.

Upon being contacted Cabrera attempted to discard methamphetamine that was packaged for sale and a hydrocodone tablet.  When he was searched he was also found to be in possession of hashish oil.  Likewise, upon being contacted Ybarra attempted to discard a small quantity of methamphetamine.  Palencia was found to be in possession of marijuana.

When detectives searched the room shared by Alvarez and his girlfriend they found 5.5 ounces of methamphetamine, 4.5 ounces of heroin, a small quantity of cocaine, an apparatus in the process of extracting hashish oil from marijuana, a digital scale with narcotics residue on it, and $3,075.00 in cash.  When interviewed Alvarez acknowledged selling methamphetamine and heroin.

Alvarez was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for the following felonies with a bail amount of $30,000.00:

·       Possession of methamphetamine for sale

·       Possession of heroin for sale

·       Manufacture of a controlled substance

·       Transportation of marijuana

·       Possession of cocaine

·       Possession of concentrated cannabis

Cabrera was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for the following felonies with a bail amount of $30,000.00:

·       Possession of methamphetamine for sale

·       Possession of hydrocodone

·       Possession of concentrated cannabis

Ybarra was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, a felony, with a bail amount of $10,000.00.

The 17-year old female juvenile was admitted into Santa Barbara County Juvenile Hall for the following offenses:

·       Possession of methamphetamine for sale

·       Possession of heroin for sale

·       Resisting or delaying an officer (misdemeanor)

Photos provided by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.  Top to bottom: Alvarez, Cabrera, and Ybarra.