K-9 Track Down Armed Robbery Suspect

Two Sheriff’s K-9 units helped track down 24-year-old Tyler Alward on Friday after he allegedly robbed a Goleta 7-Elevent at gunpoint then broke into a nearby home to steal more items.

According to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kelly Hoover, Alward entered the 7-Eleven on Hollister Avenue at around 1:45 a.m. wearing a ski mask and armed with a handgun. He demanded cash and alcohol then fled.

Sheriff’s K-9 units responding to the scene immediately picked up the Alward’s scent, said Hoover. A helicopter was also dispatched. During the search, residents of nearby Coronado Avenue called 9-1-1 and reported a man had entered their home and attempted to steal property. They said they convinced him to leave without taking anything.

Soon after, Alward, who had stripped down to his underwear and was posing as a concerned citizen, approached deputies in the Coronado Avenue and asked what was going on, said Hoover. As he spoke to them, the K-9 unit that had started tracking Alward at the 7-Eleven came right up to him on the street.

Deputies also observed Alward had tattoos matching the suspect on the 7-Eleven video surveillance footage. He was arrested without incident. A search of his residence in the 7500 block of Palos Verdes turned up more items linking him to the robbery. Alward was booked in County Jail and is being held on $50,000 bail.