Full Notification

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to be vigilant about locking the doors to their residences and vehicles.  The City of Carpinteria and the surrounding unincorporated area has experienced a rash of thefts from automobiles and residences in the past week.  Thieves are targeting unlocked vehicles and residences in the middle of the night in residential areas. 

Last night, April 27, there were more than ten thefts from automobiles in the Venice Lane/Via Marcina area north of Via Real in the unincorporated area of Carpinteria. Within the last three nights, there were six more thefts from autos in the Cameo Rd./Canalino Dr. area in the city of Carpinteria. Over the past weekend there were five more thefts from vehicles and residences in the 1300 block of Danielson Rd., the 2400 block of Bella Vista Dr. and the 2100 block of Ortega Hill Rd. in Montecito and Summerland. Over the weekend, the California Highway Patrol handled several reports of auto thefts in Montecito.

The thieves are looking for crimes of opportunity and unlocked vehicles or residences are easy targets.  Just the simple act of locking your car and home is enough of a deterrent to cause some thieves to move on and to prevent the crime from occurring.

The Sheriff’s Office wants to take this opportunity to remind residents to:

- Always lock your car and residence.

- Close your windows.

- Never leave valuables in plain sight. Lock all valuables in your vehicle’s trunk or take them with you.

- Remove personal information such as a driver’s license from unattended vehicles.

- Always take your keys with you after you park your vehicle.

- Do not use spare keys hidden on or in your vehicle. Consider a spare key in your wallet instead.

- Park and lock your vehicle in your garage whenever possible.

- Remove or hide your garage remote when you leave your vehicle unattended.

- If you have a car or residential alarm, set it.

To report suspicious subjects or vehicles, call 911.  If you have any information on any of the recent thefts from autos or residences cases, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 805-683-2724 or to leave an anonymous tip call 805-681-4171.

The City of Carpinteria contracts with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for police services.