Jesus Campos Soto

A 21-year-old Santa Barbara gang member — Jesus Campos Soto — was arrested this Tuesday and charged with gun, drug, and gang-related crimes. He’s being held in County Jail on $100,000 bail.

According to police spokesperson Sgt. Riley Harwood, members of the department’s Criminal Impact and Gang Suppression teams went to Soto’s house in the 700 block of Wentworth Avenue to conduct a probation search. “Soto is a Santa Barbara area gang member and a felony probationer with gang and search terms,” Harwood explained in a statement. “He is prohibited from associating with other gang members and from possessing gang related items; additionally, he must submit to searches of his person and his residence by law enforcement.”

Soto wasn’t home, but officers searched his room and found clothes bearing gang insignia as well as a .38 caliber revolver hidden under the bed, Harwood said. Around an hour later, police spotted Soto walking with a group of friends along Loma Alta Drive and made contact with him. He reportedly refused to comply with their orders and resisted being placed in handcuffs. Once in custody, the officers discovered a bindle of meth that he had concealed in the seat of his pants. Soto faces seven separate charges for his alleged crimes.

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