sbsheriff
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a suspect they believe intentionally set fire to the culvert near the 5700-block of Via Real in Carpinteria. On Monday, February 21, 2022, at approximately 4:47 p.m., deputies were dispatched to investigate a subject digging into the hillside near a drainage culvert in Carpinteria Creek, which was believed to be the origin point of the underground fire which closed Highway 101 and Via Real on the evening and night of Saturday, February 19, 2022.
Deputies contacted the suspect, 24-year-old Santiago Garcia-Soriano of Carpinteria. Garcia-Soriano spoke with deputies and a fire investigator from the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire District, and admitted he started a fire in the culvert on Saturday, February 19,2022, about one hour before the fire was reported. Garcia-Soriano was arrested for arson to property (felony) and possession of cocaine (misdemeanor). Garcia-Soriano was booked at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail and is being held on an increased bail of $250,000.
Source: District Attorney of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that charges have been filed against Santiago Garcia Soriano, a 23-year-old resident of Santa Barbara, California. Mr. Garcia Soriano is charged with one felony count of arson of property, a serious felony, and one misdemeanor count of possession of cocaine. The charges stem from a fire set inside a culvert near Carpinteria Creek which closed Highway 101 Saturday night, February 19, 2022.
Mr. Garcia Soriano is currently being held on $250,000 bail; the case is set for Arraignment on February 23, 2022 in Santa Barbara Superior Court, Department 8 at 8:30 a.m.
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SBREADER why does it matter?
Pretty weird. They haven’t said but it seems like there was an accelerant involved. I’m sure they’ll get this guy a psych eval.
I like Dudley’s input about arson being a serious felony; which felonies AREN’T serious?
Exactly, oicu812; the act makes no logical sense, but then crazy is as crazy does. I suspect that is the root cause.
Is he a resident of Carpinteria or homeless? In this drought arsonists are some of the most dangerous criminals we have. Lock him up and throw away the key!
A 24 yo? Hopefully he can be rehabilitated, although with the sad state of our current “justice” system, I worry.
A resident or not? …. hardly matters imho, although as an aside I find our current system of asking folks “are you from here” hilarious.
The bigger question is when can we start enforcing serious crimes again (sexual assault, arson, dangerous narcotics). Disadvantaged folks are by far most likely to be the victims of the lawlessness, and we’re letting criminals take down the entire ship.
If our justice system is unjust (as parts of it clearly have been and/or are currently), we need to make it just, not abolish the notions of justice, harm, punishment, and crime. We are currently doing nothing and pretending it is progress.
It seems like a lot of flames coming up out of the drain for it to be solely the responsibility of a coke addict in the ditch. I think there is a possibility that the drainage to the ocean was filled with flammable liquids from the construction site.
SBREADER – what in this article suggests he is homeless? Weird question. Sounds like he was high on coke and doing dumb stuff.
Speculation before he was arrested here in Carp was that it was a homeless issue. They hang out down there. We still don’t know if he is homeless.
Didn’t they have a truck accident that had fuel spill a couple weeks ago was it close to this area maybe they left gas in the line?