Illegal firearms investigation leads to three Santa Barbara County arrests
By KAREN VELIE Officers recently arrested three men in Santa Barbara County as part of a multi-county illegal firearms investigation. On Aug. 21, the California Highway Patrol Coastal Division Investigative Services Unit learned that Diego Tostado Galvan, 19, of Watsonville, was traveling with firearms on Highway 101. Officers later located...
San Luis Obispo police seek help identifying thief
By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo Police Department announced Wednesday it is seeking the public’s help identifying a thief who smashed a car window and snatched a purse out of a car at the Cerro San Luis trailhead on Fernandez Road on Sunday morning. The suspect then used the victim’s...
Devastating fire destroys property in Creston
By KAREN VELIE A devastating fire in Creston on Saturday afternoon destroyed a barn with a second story apartment, five cars, two trucks, a tractor, a motorcycle, a water tank and a well leaving the residential property temporarily without a source of water. And like many current policies, the property...
Baby mongoose lemur’s public debut at zoo in Atascadero
By KAREN VELIE The City of Atascadero and the Central Coast Zoo announced Wednesday the public debut of a special new resident, Koba, a baby mongoose lemur born on July 4. Koba, named after a traditional peanut dessert in Madagascar, is now starting to explore the habitat and can be...
Wanted San Luis Obispo felon arrested in Grover Beach
By KAREN VELIE A wanted felon from San Luis Obispo is in jail after Grover Beach officers spotted him driving a stolen car through the south county beach city. Shortly after 4 p.m., a Grover Beach Patrol Officer located the stolen vehicle near Grand Avenue and 13th Street. He attempted...
Crime is down in Grover Beach, arrests are up
By KAREN VELIE The Grover Beach Police Department announced Tuesday that crime is down in 2025 while arrests have increased. “We’re happy to report that so far this year, crime continues to drop in Grover Beach,” the department posted on Facebook. “With improved staffing levels, we’re seeing the impact that...
Distinctive footwear led to arrest of Carpinteria cannabis farm burglar
By KAREN VELIE Santa Barbara County sheriff deputies recently tracked down a Carpinteria cannabis farm burglar based on his distinctive footwear. Deputies arrested 58-year-old David Stephens, the owner of bright orange wrestling shoes, on Monday. On July 21, deputies responded to a report of a burglary at a cannabis farm...
