Suspect Arrested for Numerous Sexual Assaults in Isla Vista

Detectives from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office have arrested the suspect from the Isla Vista sexual assault cases that occurred on February 28, 2022. On Saturday, March 5, 2022, at approximately 3:50 p.m., detectives arrested 30-year-old Michael Angelo Auclair of Port Hueneme on Ocean Avenue and A Street in Lompoc. Auclair was arrested without incident and will booked at the Main Jail later this evening on a Ramey warrant for sexual battery (felony) and indecent exposure (felony), with a bail of $1,000,000.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the public and our community partners for their assistance with this case. This investigation was moved forward with the help of members of the public who came forward with information, including home security video that captured the suspect in his vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office is also thankful for community partners who offered support and services to the residents of Isla Vista including the UCSB Police Department, UCSB Care, STESA, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Program, UCSB Police Department’s CSO Safety Escort Program and the UCSB Associated Students Safe Transportation program.

This investigation remains ongoing, and detectives continue to encourage anyone with information about these cases to contact Sheriff’s detectives at (805)681-4150. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can provide information by calling our tip line at (805)681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.

Sheriff’s Office Addresses Community Concern in Isla Vista

Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
March 4, 2022

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is sharing information to address topics of community concern surrounding the recent sexual assaults in Isla Vista.

Since the last press release on March 2, 2022, Sheriff’s detectives and deputies have been actively following up on this case. Detectives have identified seven separate crimes that are believed to be associated with this same suspect. Sheriff’s Office team members have fielded dozens of calls from concerned residents, parents, and community members. One of the frequent concerns has been reports of ongoing attempted kidnappings where the victim is intentionally harmed. There are no verified reports of kidnapping or attempted kidnapping incidents after the string of crimes on February 28, 2022. Additionally, Sheriff’s deputies checked with area hospitals and campus healthcare centers and verified that there were not any patients with injuries that would correlate to the rumored kidnapping attempts.

In the days to come, while detectives continue their investigation, the Sheriff’s Office and UCSB Police will maintain increased patrols in Isla Vista and on campus. The Sheriff’s Office will share updates on this case, including any arrests made as soon as that information becomes available.

UCSB will have additional CSO staffing added to their escort service, and they will host the Annual Lighting and Safety Walk on Monday, March 7, 2022, starting at 5:30 p.m. on the west side of the UCSB Library near the Arbor. The UCSB Police Department is also planning to offer R.A.D. self-defense classes soon.

If you have information about the incident in Isla Vista that might assist in the investigation, please contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at (805) 681-4100, or report crime information anonymously at www.sbsheriff.org/anonymoustips.html.

If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446, or report crime information anonymously at www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime.

The UCSB Police Department offered the following safety tips:

• Perpetrators are responsible for sexual assault. Crime victims are never responsible for the behavior of perpetrators.
• If you start to feel concerns about a person or a situation, trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat.
• If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person. You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation.
• If you feel you are being followed, try to get the attention of people nearby, run/walk to a well-lit and/or more populated area, and call 911 to ask for help.

UCPD shares these Safety Tips while recognizing that perpetrators, and not their victims or survivors, are solely responsible for their actions.

The UCSB Police Department’s CSO Safety Escort Program is a free service provided to members of the UCSB community as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. Call (805) 893-2000 to request a CSO escort. For more information: https://www.police.ucsb.edu/cso/cso-safety-escorts.

As an additional measure given the concern for safe transit of students, the UCSB Associated Students Safe Transportation program is providing reimbursement for undergraduate students who use a ride share (Uber, Lyft, taxis, etc.) that starts or ends on the UCSB campus within the hours of 6pm and sunrise, up to $12 per ride. Undergraduates are encouraged to contact UCSB for further information.

Related Articles

 March 3, 2022: Sheriff’s Office Investigates Sexual Assaults in Isla Vista