AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara Police Department
On July 9, 2021, two Santa Barbara Police Officers were working on foot at the downtown promenade. The increased presence downtown by way of bicycle, motorcycle and foot patrol was initiated the month prior as Covid-19 restrictions were lifted and activity began to increase.
At approximately 3:00pm, the downtown officers responded to a sporting goods store in the first block of State Street. The employee had initially called to report that they believed a person who shoplifted items from the store was selling those items on the internet. Just prior to the officers’ response, the sporting goods store employee called back to report that the same suspect believed to be selling the stolen merchandise online had returned to the store. The officers quickly responded and contacted the suspect, who was later identified as Amber Manzo, a 21-year-old Santa Barbara resident. The investigation led officers to determine that Manzo had stolen items in her possession from the sporting goods store. Manzo’s vehicle was parked nearby and was subsequently searched.
Earlier during the same shift, the downtown officers were flagged down in the 800 block of State Street for a report of a purse being stolen from a high-end designer store. As the officers searched Manzo’s vehicle, they located this stolen purse. Additional stolen items were located in Manzo’s vehicle from two separate downtown stores. In total, stolen property was recovered from four downtown businesses. All of the stolen property was returned undamaged to the businesses.
Manzo was charged with (4) separate counts of 459.5 PC – shoplifting, as well as 11364 H&S – possession of drug paraphernalia.
Poor confused soul.
She must have thought she was in San Francisco.