Full Notification

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is asking for public assistance to help identify the driver and the vehicle involved in a diesel spill that occurred in Buellton yesterday, June 19, 2015. The Sheriff’s Office is releasing video surveillance in hopes that someone may recognize the vehicle and the driver.  To see the video please go to our Facebook page.

Through the course of the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office has learned that the suspect drove into the City of Buellton from southbound Highway 101 in a light colored Chevrolet SUV with an unregistered trailer attached at approximately 12:15 a.m. on Friday morning.  Inside the trailer were nine, 55 gallon drums containing red diesel fuel.  The barrels were leaking fuel which was spilling out of the trailer. The suspect parked at the corner of Kendale Rd. and Odense St.  He examined the fuel leaking out of the barrels and the trailer.  He then immediately unhitched the trailer and fled the scene. 

The fuel spilled all over the roadway and into a storm drain. This drain eventually leads to the nearby Santa Ynez River.  It’s unknown how much fuel escaped into the storm drain but of the nine barrels, one was empty when responders arrived.  Evidence obtained indicates the fuel, worth approximately $1,800, was likely stolen from an agricultural or industrial user.  The Sheriff’s Office is requesting farms or businesses that maintain red diesel fuel on their property check their inventory and report any missing fuel.

The Sheriff’s Office is also requesting anyone who recognizes the vehicle or the driver associated with the abandoned, unregistered trailer to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at 805-683-2724.  To leave an anonymous tip, call 805-681-4171.