Suspected theft of Santa Barbara City Council campaign signs leads to possible charges

A 43-year-old Santa Barbara resident has been identified as a potential suspect responsible for stealing Santa Barbara City Council election signs, according to Santa Barbara Police.

On October 21, 2024, Santa Barbara Police received a report that local city council election signs had been stolen. A witness provided information that led to the resident being identified as a potential suspect, Assistant Police Chief Kenneth Kushner said.

The witness found about twenty campaign signs.

The investigation was referred to the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office to investigate possible charges of 484 PC, theft and 496 PC, possession of stolen property.

Santa Barbara police have not identified the suspect or the specific candidate’s stolen signs, but confirmed the suspect is not in custody.

In a related story, the “Campaign for the Re-Election of Alejandra Gutierrez” issued a press release last month stating that there had been renewed sign theft in Santa Barbara’s Eastside neighborhood.

Gutierrez wants to keep her current council member for District 1, which represents the Eastside. She is challenged by Wendy Santamaria and Cruzito Herrera Cruz.

The Gutierrez campaign stated that they had ordered hundreds of yard signs and placed them in their supporters’ yards, but that they were receiving “daily calls, messages and video evidence through Next Door” that the signs were being stolen and torn down while the signs from another candidate were stolen. left alone.

In September, the campaign estimated that about 400 of the 500 signs had been stolen; a theft of approximately $4,000.

“We welcome and celebrate democracy, debate and conversations between neighbors on the issues that affect us all. We believe in fair elections and wholeheartedly embrace them. Our campaign will not tolerate this behavior at any time. I hope that everyone who supports other candidates does so without destroying the homes and businesses that have chosen to support our re-election campaign. Let the best candidate win,” Alejandra Gutierrez said in a statement.

At this time, it is unclear whether Gutierrez’s campaign allegations last month are related to the police report on political sign thefts.

This is a development story.