Police officers’ attempts to stop a man from illegally riding a bicycle on the sidewalk on January 4 result in a brief chase and the man’s arrest for cocaine possession, among other charges.
According to a police report from Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte, officers were patrolling the 200 block of East Carrillo Street at 1:55 p.m. on Sunday when they saw 43-year-old Robert Yartz riding his bike on the sidewalk - a violation of municipal codes. When the officers attempted to stop Yartz, the report continued, he allegedly ducked into a private parking garage to hide. Yartz then attempted to flee and abandoned his bicycle to continue his escape on foot all the way to a residence at 517 E. De la Guerra St., but people living there told him to leave.
Officers set up a perimeter around the area and ultimately found Yartz at 815 N. Salsipuedes St., whereupon officers tasered him, allegedly because he refused to lie down after being ordered to do so. Upon taking him into custody, officers say they found cocaine on his person and someone else’s credit cards in his backpack. Duarte said the investigating officers had determined that the backpack, credit cards, and several other items had been stolen from a vehicle parked in City Lot #10 on January 3. Duarte noted that Yartz has been connected by officers to three other auto burglaries, but he did not elaborate how.
Yartz, who was also revealed to be on parole, was arrested and booked on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, and violation of parole.
Comments
People still leave credit cards in parked vehicles in city lots? No wonder this jackal is out grazing in the parking structures. That's easy pickins rat there.
azuresees (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 6:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's commendable that the force was alert and able to nab this law breaker on the spot, book him and print his name efficiently, not to mention that wild and crazy bird refuge raider. However it would also be nice if there was the same eagerness to apprehend those few irresponsible adults ( they are not children) who so carelessly and clearly illegally built a fire, and not for the first time I believe, in an area posted as hazardous. There are two young people lying in the burn centre, their lives in tatters, their bodies cruelly burned and maimed. One man dead and innumerable families homeless ,some without hope of rebuilding and others with not so much as a teacup or a picture to remind them of decades of happy living. Not to mention the innumerable animals , both wild and domestic, who tragically lost their lives and the grief this is causing. Surely these people and all of us who love, respect and work to preserve the beauty and the safety of the wild deserve some respect and recognition for this unspeakable loss? An apology, a recognition at least may help to assuage this tragedy. There are two men, two workers, who accidentally started another tragic fire in the valley who were quickly pursued and punished for their actions. Why does the law see fit to hang back and drag feet in this case?
samuel (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 7:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Samuel, criminal intent verus act of negligence, that's it what ot comes down to in a nutshell.
I agree the Tea Fire was a tragedy of grand proportion, but it wasn't a criminal act, just sheer, oputright stuipidity.
It doesn't absolve the guilty parties or lessen the fact to the matter.
But the fact is that it wasn't an arson fire & the legal view is that if criminal intent was present, hang em' high. Negligence just amounts to a lesser sentencing.
Doesn't mean though that they should get off scott free, no sir!
On that sublect, anybody know anything about the Gap Fire suspect in custody? :) henry
hank (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
about time we get some policing for our money. carp to goleta, this car clipping is going on. i'm suprised that the police didn't exchange information between the riped and the ripper and call it a civil case. that's what they're good at. now they'll demand another raise . we would be better off to let the illegals become police. don't we let them in our homes already. we could make a new police force at a discount.
stevesurfing2002 (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Steve, if we used illegals as police the methods they use, learned from their homelands, would be under scrutiny from the ACLU & criminal advocacy groups. Hey, maybe you're on to something here! :)henry
hank (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yeah hank, two things I've noticed:
The US is oh-so-different in the way we treat people in our custody:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com...
http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/re...
And the good news is our law enforcement knows how to keep things under control -- no training needed:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerInd...
Isn't it great to be exceptional?
binky (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HAHAHA! Exceptionally proud to be exceptional. The thing is in the U.S. bad treatment of law breakers by law enforcement is the anomaly. In some places outside the U.S. it is the norm.
Binky, good links, but those are exceptions/anomalies, not the norm, as you stated.
Hey, it could be worse. In my birth country of Cuba, prison guards let attack dogs w/ no teeth attack prisoners & when the guards pull the toothless canines back they warn the prisoner that NEXT time, the dog might have teeth. Of course, this is in between beatings & starvation of said prisoners.
Oh, & the crime they committed? Criticizing the government. NOW THAT'S AN EXCEPTIONAL NORM! :) henry
hank (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry hank, but you can't call it an anomaly if it is the law of the land.
Sad to say, it is:
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LawPolit...
And providing alternate examples (violations of human rights in other countries) is not proof (or disproof) of US conduct.
binky (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hank,
Right. As you say ............".criminal intent verus act of negligence, that's it what ot comes down to in a nutshell.I agree the Tea Fire was a tragedy of grand proportion, but it wasn't a criminal act, just sheer, oputright stuipidity.It doesn't absolve the guilty parties or lessen the fact to the matter...."
With respect. Saying this please explain why in the world are these two ranch workers, who accidentally caused the Zaca fire without criminal intent, sitting in jail? The onus clearly was on their attorney who failed to defend this case as accidental and without malice aforethought. Sadly exhibiting the fact that one has to have a very deep pocket if one is to expect justice.
samuel (anonymous profile)
January 6, 2009 at 4:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Samuel, believe me, my wife & I have been @ wonderment as to why the crimianl persecution even took place for those guys for the Zaca Fire. I could never understand what the purpose was.
It does raise a question though: Are the SBCC 10 getting special treatment because they're students? I don't know, only the DA's office can answer that.
The Zaca fire guys were WRONGLY charged as criminals & they just threw those charges out, last I heard. I don't believe they're sitting in jail, but they did go through hell, wrongly.
Binky, the conduct of police, regardless of geography, comes down to the conduct of people.
As an officer of the law, you're expected to "keep your cool" in every situation.
Some people like to twist the situation around a bit & tempers (a human aspect) will flare.
The thing is this: Here you WILL get sent for "sensitivity training" or suspended or fired for certain behaviors under the color of the law.
Of course, look @ NYPD's numerous scandals as well as New Orleans PD. MAN WHAT A MESS!
There is something inherently wrong there & that's what I meant by anomaly.
You have to admit, what has made these things come to light is the advent of video cameras & cell phones.
You'd better watch yourself because chances are somebody's watching you! The Rodney King case brought that to light.
But let me refer back to a case that took place in Miami, FL back in 1980.
Arthur McDuffie, a Black motorist led Metro Dade officers on a chase on his motorcycle. When they did catch him they beat the guy to death w/ their Maglites. They then falsified the records to make it look like he crashed on his motorcycle.
Well, the county coroner's office noticed incosistencies w/ the injuries & their story fell apart upon further questioning. The case went to trial & all 5 officers were acquitted which led to a week of riots in Miami.
The system has checks & balances that will sometimes work, sometimes not.
But that's the thing that makes our law enforcement a bit different than anywhere else.
Do criminals have checks & balances? Sure, but they're usually somebody else's checks & the balances are for weighing drugs :) henry
hank (anonymous profile)
January 7, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
henry
Thank you for the information regarding the two workers. I am glad the charges were thrown out and sorry they had to go through such trauma before things were put right. Yes,one does not know what to think regarding the ten students. It seems a slow process but hopefully all will be made public soon. I believe the DA promised yesterday it will be in a matter of weeks, not months, which is reassuring.
samuel (anonymous profile)
January 7, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)