Man Flees Law, Hides in Broom Closet

A lengthy chase on Tuesday ended in the arrest of Carpinteria resident Christopher Anderson on several charges – but that didn’t happen until attempted to evade Sheriff’s deputies by fleeing in his vehicle, fleeing on foot, and, finally, hiding in a broom closet.

At approximately 3 p.m. Sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull over Carpinteria Christopher Anderson at the intersection of Highway 154 and Hollister Avenue. Anderson, who was wanted for a probation violation, then took off, according to police reports, resulting in a high-speed chase up Hollister Avenue that ended with him crashing his Jeep Cherokee in front of Faith Baptist Church at 4485 Hollister Avenue. Anderson then proceeded to take off on foot via an adjacent alleyway, at which point the Sheriff’s deputies lost him. The authorities immediately placed the surrounding area on lockdown, while parents of the children in the church daycare were notified of the situation. A Sheriff’s helicopter and K-9 unit showed up to search the vicinity. A SWAT Team and a Hostage Negotiations Team took over once the Sheriff’s department determined that Anderson was barricaded within a house on the 4500 block of Auhay Drive. After several failed efforts at contacting Anderson, the SWAT team entered the house around 1:20 am and discovered him, unarmed, hiding in a bedroom closet. Anderson was taken into custody and booked on violating parole, felony evading, under the influence of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest. Due to his probation violation, Anderson is still in custody without a chance of bail.