Deputies searching for man who struck patrol vehicle in Goleta

April 22, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a man who managed to evade capture Tuesday evening after striking a patrol vehicle with his car in Goleta, then fleeing by foot.

At about 6 p.m., a suspect with an outstanding felony warrant hit a deputy’s vehicle with his car, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies initially searched the area of S. Patterson Avenue and Overpass Road. The search continued with the involvement of additional deputies, a K-9, Santa Barbara County Air Support, CHP officers and University of California Santa Barbara police. Yet, authorities did not locate the suspect.

The sheriff’s office says the suspect is believed to be 40-year-old Anthony Torres Lopez Jr. He is 6 feet tall with black hair and a scruffy beard. Lopez shed clothing as he fled, and it is unknown what he was wearing while on the run, officials said.

Authorities towed Lopez’s car from the scene. The car had been parked on a footpath that Lopez drove along before fleeing by foot.

Officials ask anyone who spots Lopez or knows his current location to call 911.