Man wanted for battery leads deputies on pursuit from Orcutt

A Santa Barbara Sheriff's Deputy on patrol in Orcutt saw a vehicle driving unsafe and tried to pull it over, the vehicle immediately fled and headed southbound on Highway 135 towards Lompoc.

A records check indicated that the registered owner had a felony warrant for his arrest and that he had family in the Lompoc Area.

The vehicle continued to drive unsafe at speeds over 100 mph at times. The vehicle exited in Vandenberg Village and headed to his family member's home located on Mizar Place. Pursuing deputies found the vehicle hastily parked in the driveway, but the driver had fled on foot.

Deputies immediately surrounded the house but it was determined the suspect fled northbound from the backyard of the residence. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Air Operations assisted K9 Thor attempt to locate the suspect. After a lengthy and extensive search of the neighborhood, the deputies stopped looking.

Shortly before 11pm deputies were back in the neighborhood after the relatives neighbor called to say the suspect was back at the house looking for his car. The neighbor was able to keep an eye on the suspect while a team of deputies assembled and waited for SBSO Air Operations to get overhead. The suspect was found hiding in a shed in the neighbor’s yard where he fled on foot again.

The suspect was hit by a bean-bag round and suffered a serious head injury. Santa Barbara County Fire Department arrived on scene and began treating the suspect before transporting him to Lompoc Airport to be flown by CALSTAR to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.