Eri Arzate, 38, was arrested Sunday night after allegedly wielding a firearm and leading police on a vehicle pursuit from Santa Barbara to Carpinteira.
At about 4 p.m., Santa Barbara Police Department received a call describing the situation near the intersection of Olive and Ortega streets and of the suspect and his vehicle. Officers were dispatched and attempted to pull him over, but Arzate fled the scene, according to police. A chase ensued on Santa Barbara surface streets and onto southbound Highway 101.
Police stopped pursuing Arzate by car due to threats to public safety around the Carpinteria stretch of highway. About an hour later, a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’’s Air Unit helicopter picked up the search by air after reports of an unoccupied vehicle matching the suspect’s description was located near 1300 Kowalski Avenue on Santa Barbara’s Westside. Police later located Arzate and safely detained him…