Anonymous
Update by Santa Barbara Police Department
June 28, 2021
On June 15, 2021, Santa Barbara Police and Harbor Patrol Officers responded to the Santa Barbara Harbor for a report of a boat theft that occurred sometime over last weekend. The stolen Zodiac vessel, the “Salty Pup” was owned by a local non-profit organization, Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation.
The investigation revealed two suspects had entered the Harbor area in the early morning of June 12th, loaded the stolen vessel onto a boat trailer, and covered the boat with a tarp before fleeing the area. The Harbor area has an extensive video surveillance system that recorded the theft, the suspects’ vehicle, and identifiable descriptors of the two involved.
The Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation shared images of the suspects and missing vessel though local news and social media posts. Members of the community advised the uniquely painted suspect vehicle was frequently seen in Lompoc.
Santa Barbara Police Detectives shared images of the suspects with the Lompoc Police Department, who assisted in the suspect’s identification. Lompoc Police located the suspect’s vehicle in the 1400 block of West North Street.
On June 25, 2021, Lompoc Police and the lead Santa Barbara Police Detective contacted suspect Duane Hicks, a 60-year-old transient. The interview led to the discovery of the stolen vessel named “Salty Pup” in the 500 block of South I Street, Lompoc. Hicks was taken into custody for the theft.
While Officers were on-scene, the second suspect, Tim Rounds a 43-year-old transient returned to the vessel. Rounds was also arrested.
Both Hicks and Rounds were charged with 487 PC – Grand Theft (felony), and 182 PC – Conspiracy to Commit a Crime (felony). Both were booked in the Lompoc Police Department Jail. They were released on promises to appear later in the evening.
The “Salty Pup” was returned to the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation. Santa Barbara Police would like to thank all the community members and local news media who contributed to the successful recovery of the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation’s “Salty Pup”.
By an edhat reader
June 21, 2021
The Coach boat for the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation was stolen from it’s dock at 5 am last Saturday. Harbor cameras show the thief motoring the boat to the launch ramp where he put a blue tarp over it and pulled it out of the water using a white pick up truck with stolen plates. The man appears to be in his 50’s and is bald. The boat is a 2013 Zodiac with the name “Salty Pup” on it and CF 5510RV. It has a 50 hp Yamaha outboard.
The boat was purchased with donations to the Sailing Foundation. It is used as a coach/safety boat for the kids. Please help us find it by contacting Nick (sbysf.director@gmail.com) or SB Police Department with tips.
More crimes by our ‘unhoused’ population. Why do they call them ‘homeless’ until they’ve been caught doing a crime in which case they call them ‘transients’?
“They were released on promises to appear later in the evening”
This worries me. Did they indeed return? Are they on their way out of state by now?
And now they’re taking to the seas! Loaded gun incident, bug spray incident, over 50 fires since the start of 2021, threatening people with a 8 pound chunk of concrete, setting fire to TV Hill and the list goes on. Three cheers to our “houseless neighbors” and those who fight to keep them in place with a litany of excuses!
LOVEMYSB: Newsflash… this hasn’t been the SB of yesteryear for a really really LONG time. The disparity between the rich and poor here have created a vacuum. The city, a once vibrant fun colorful beach enclave has become a vapid vacant soulless place available ONLY to the very wealthy. The middle class has been pushed out. Only the homeless, the lucky (by virtue of family land) and the uber wealthy remain. SO so sad.