Edhat Staff
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Just after 9:00 p.m. last night, February 1, 2018, a homeowner in the 200 block of Gould Lane in Montecito heard strange noises coming from a child’s bedroom inside his residence. The homeowner/victim, a father of two young children, went to search for the source of the noise. Upon entering a hallway between bedrooms, he immediately saw a male suspect dressed in dark clothing. The suspect was standing by the doorway of a room where his young daughter generally naps during the day. The victim shouted at the suspect, who turned and fled back in the bedroom. The suspect jumped out of a window that he had previously broken to force entry to the residence. The suspect was last seen fleeing down an embankment to a wooded area.
Several Sheriff’s deputies that have been providing increased patrols of the Montecito area responded and began to search for the suspect. Within minutes of the initial 911 call, Sheriff’s deputies located a subject matching the description of the suspect fleeing in a vehicle from the immediate area. An enforcement stop was conducted and 25-year-old Frank James Showell of Lancaster was detained. Sheriff’s deputies located a second suspect 29-year-old Donyae Dixon of Los Angeles hiding in the bushes alongside the roadway. Meanwhile, a Sheriff’s K-9 team tracked the scent from the window of the residence to the patrol car where Dixon was being detained. Both suspects were booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail on Burglary and Conspiracy charges. Showell was also charged with False Personation. Both are being held on $50,000 bail.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone affected by the recent disasters to keep a watchful eye on their neighborhoods and immediately report all suspicious activity to law enforcement.
THROW AWAY THE KEY.
Horsegirl – life imprisonment for burglary, really?
They deserve it. What if the child had been kidnapped and murdered? Also. They should have never been in the area.
PUGLUVR1912 – What if? What if lots of things. You don’t sentence someone to life in prison for a “what if.” Also, what does the area have to do with anything? Would it be just as bad if this happened in Goleta or Lompoc?
1. Obviously it is a hyperbole, a figure of speech
2. I do believe a harsher sentence is in order because of the circumstances of them coming up from out of town to take advantage of looting while they think people are evacuated
3. Area has everything to do with it at this time. People are piecing together their lives, people are missing, homes are destroyed and evacuated. THIS is why area has something to do with it.
because Goleta wasn’t just literally decimated by a natural disaster. Just because this situation makes it slightly worse does not mean that doing this in Goleta or Lompoc is not important or not bad objectively. it is evil to take advantage of people at any moment, but it is a special kind of evil to take advantage of people while they are down. lets not turn this into some class war
“class war?” Ok, well you’re the one shouting that these young black men should be locked up for life for the charge of burglary…..
again – throw away the key is a popular figure of speech. definitely not actually advocating for life imprisonment but clearly youre too hard headed to see anything besides your own bullish opinion
Standard first offence 18 months but if they were carrying a gun more time automatic probably get 5-10 unless they have past felonies…I really cannot believe people are so stupid to bust into homes there it’s not only like Fort Knox with police officers all over the place and a lot of people are back in there homes.
That guy would have had a shotgun wound if he’d had been in my house… He’s fortunate the homeowner doesn’t appear to keep a firearm at the ready. Hot prowlers are taking big chances…
Chuck Norris Ha I got home protection too…I don’t care about turning into Chuck Norris I just don’t want to turn into a pile of ground meat.
Absolutely repulsive !
In the “good ol’ days” looters in disaster struck areas were shot on the spot when caught .
Lock them up and throw away the keys : that’s all they deserve !
I’ll bet they were armed, and ready to kill if a home owner confronted them. They hid their guns before capture. Lets hope a child doesn’t find a loaded gun not on safety. These are repeat offenders, career criminals, let them chill for a long time.
They likely didn’t k now the evacuation orders had been lifted. Figured they could rip off an empty home. Jerks!