County Lines for August 7, 2008 Orcutt Two arrested in theft of copper wire Two Orcutt men are in custody on suspicion of stealing copper wire from a Greka Oil facility in the 2600 block of Clark Avenue. Jeffrey John Reed, 27, and Brenden Dayle Paxton, 21, face commercial burglary charges and are being held in Santa Barbara County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies said. According to sheriff’s department reports, Reed and Paxton on Tuesday entered a shed in the facility and stole wire worth about $200. The suspects reportedly had a baseball bat, hammer and miscellaneous tools with them, deputies said. Goleta Callers mistake dust clouds for smoke Numerous 9-1-1 calls continue to be made about large dust clouds, which are believed to be smoke, seen near the mountains of Santa Barbara and Goleta, according to Santa Barbara County firefighters. Officials remind residents of ongoing work to repair fire-damaged areas following last month’s Gap Fire. The heavy equipment being used is stirring up the dust, officials said. Forest Service and county fire officials ask that the public only call 9-1-1 if smoke is seen, not the dust. Work on the lines with the heavy equipment is expected to last for at least another 10 days. Shell Beach Police hunt woman who has dementia Police are looking for an 81-year-old Shell Beach woman who suffers from dementia and may have been missing since the weekend. Helen Thompson, who lives alone in the 100 block of Capistrano Avenue, was last reported seen going for a walk about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, heading west on Capistrano Avenue from her residence. However, she may have been missing since the weekend, the Pismo Beach Police Department reported Wednesday. Due to dementia, Thompson becomes confused easily, police said. “We’re a little worried and we’re trying to pull out all the stops to find her,” Pismo Beach police Sgt. Tom Portz said. Thompson is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and 95 pounds with gray hair and hazel eyes. When last seen, she may have been wearing a maroon felt hat, a khaki trench coat and jeans. She uses a cane. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Pismo Beach Police Department at 773-2208. Five Cities Police check for link between 2 burglaries Police are investigating whether burglaries reported early Wednesday morning from two gas stations in the Five Cities area are connected. Around 5 a.m., officers found that someone pried open the front section of an ATM, but failed to get any cash out, at a Shell gas station on Shell Beach Road, said Pismo Beach police Sgt. Tom Portz. An hour later, police learned a cash machine bolted into concrete at a Chevron gas station car wash on Five Cities Drive was completely removed, Portz said. He said the close proximity of the incidents could indicate they are related. “We’re still kind of looking into both,” Portz said. -- From staff reports |