More injuries, fewer arrests at Deltopia in Isla Vista

April 8, 2018

This year’s spring break party in Isla Vista, known as Deltopia, included 25 arrests, 25 medical transports, an injured officer and a woman falling from a balcony. In 2017, officers arrested 42 attendees but only 14 people required transportation to local hospitals. [Cal Coast Times]

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office estimates that approximately 6,000 to 8,000 people attended the unsanctioned party. This years attendance is an increase from the 2016 crowd of approximately 3,500, but still dramatically lower than in 2014 when 20,000 to 25,000 people attended.

Here are some of the highlights of the 2018 Deltopia party:

While the number of arrests and citations was lower than the previous year, the number of medical transports was significantly higher. All of the 25 transports were due to alcohol and/or drug consumption and in one case American Medical Response paramedics utilized Narcan on a subject who was suffering from an opioid related overdose.

There were also several Deltopia related incidents, which included deputies confiscating two handguns.

At about 5:50 a.m. on April 7, deputies received a statement from a subject that his backpack was stolen from him during a fight. It was later reported to deputies that the subject, 23-year-old Briton Barge of Isla Vista, had brandished his firearm, a .40 caliber pistol, at two victims while he was searching for his property. Deputies searched for Barge, located him and arrested him approximately four hours later without incident. The firearm and ammunition was also recovered from Barge’s apartment.

At about 8:20 p.m., the driver of a vehicle was stopped for faulty lighting equipment on his car. The driver, 24-year-old Tristian Gilford of Santa Maria, was found to have a .25 caliber pistol concealed between his driver’s seat and the center console of the vehicle. Gilford was arrested for multiple violations, including carrying the concealed firearm in his vehicle, driving on a suspended license, and for having an open container of alcohol and an open container of marijuana in his car.

Sheriff’s deputies and UC Santa Barbara Police Officers broke up several large parties and responded to a number of altercations. Earlier in the day, a partygoer fell off a balcony in the 6800 block of Del Playa but did not suffer serious injuries.

The crowds dwindled after the Outdoor Festival Ordinance went into effect at 6 p.m. and then dissipated when thousands of students left Isla Vista to attend a UCSB sponsored concert at the Thunderdome.