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Santa Barbara, Calif. – Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a burglary where the suspect fled with a stolen firearm, prompting a request for area residents to shelter in their homes. On Thursday, March 6, 2025, at approximately 7:14 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 1300-block of Barger Canyon for a report of a burglary with a suspect still on the property.
Responding deputies surrounded the property and learned that the suspect had taken a rifle from the victim’s residence and was seen in a cabin on the same property. To safeguard the community, deputies requested that area residents shelter in place while they searched for the suspect. Additional officers from the Santa Barbara Police Department and California Highway Patrol responded to assist in the search along with Santa Barbara County Air Support. A thorough search of the large property and surrounding area was conducted on ground and from the air, however deputies later learned that the suspect had fled the area as the search began. After approximately an hour and a half, deputies lifted the shelter in place…