A young woman was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound after being the subject of an armed robbery attempt in Isla Vista around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Around the same time, a separate armed robbery occurred on the other side of Isla Vista, the combination of which put Isla Vista residents — mostly UCSB students in the middle of finals week — under a shelter-in-place order for about four hours. The woman’s name and current condition were not available.
A March 19 emergency alert from the UC Police Department described the suspect as a white or Hispanic male adult wearing black clothing, black gloves, and black boots, armed with a handgun. One armed robbery occurred on the 6500 block of Cervantes Road, and the other armed robbery and shooting happened at the Los Carneros/El Colegio bike path tunnel. Law enforcement officials believe the two robberies may be related.
After committing the crime, the suspect allegedly traveled toward UCSB’s Santa Catalina residence hall, the Santa Ynez Apartment complex, and San Joaquin Villages. Law enforcement called off the shelter-in-place order just after 3 a.m. on March 20 “following an extensive search of the area,” but remained on the scene most of the night.
The suspect was not apprehended, and increased patrols will remain on campus and throughout Isla Vista. UCPD and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are investigating these crimes, and encourage anyone with more information to contact UCPD at (805) 893-3446.
