Deputies Nab Sex Offender

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Goleta resident Manuel Jimenez this Wednesday, May 30, for being a sexual registrant on school grounds, specifically St. Raphael’s School in Goleta. Jimenez, 54, was taken into custody without incident and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $15,000. As of Friday, he had not yet posted bail.

According to a press release from Sheriff’s Dept. Public Information Officer Sgt. Erik Raney, a “suspicious suspect” was spotted a few weeks ago in the vicinity of St. Raphael’s School, and detectives responded to the scene, contacting Jimenez and releasing him after a field interview. In their follow up to the incident, detectives learned that Jimenez was a registered sex offender and had previously been seen on St. Raphael’s campus. Sgt. Greg Weitzman, Sheriff’s coordinator for SAFE (Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement), obtained a warrant for Jimenez, and detectives arrested him at his home, 5830 Gaviota St. in Goleta.

The SAFE grant was provided in March, 2007 through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to increase the number of personnel and amount of equipment available to track and oversee sex registrants. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Dept. received $228,000 with this grant, which expires at the end of the year, and is working with San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties as part of a Tri-Counties Task Force.