Two Suspected Gang Members Arrested in Isla Vista

At around midnight on Friday, January 11, UCSB police officers conducted a short vehicle pursuit in Isla Vista after a car failed to yield during a traffic stop. According to a press release from the Sherriff’s Office, officers chased the vehicle throughout the neighborhood as the suspects threw items out of the car, including an airsoft handgun, black ski mask, hammer, and blue bandana. The four suspects, three male and one female, exited the car at Fortuna Road and set off on foot.

Police quickly detained one of the males after a short chase and set up a perimeter around the area. During the search, police apprehended another one of the suspects after an Isla Vista resident reported that an unknown man had entered their home and left when confronted by other residents. Police concluded their search, but two suspects remained at large.

A police spokesperson reported that the two men apprehended, 23-year-old Gilberto Solis and 22-year-old Christian Catalan, are Goleta residents and suspected gang members both on active felony probation. They were both booked at the County Jail without bail for various charges related to conspiracy, resisting arrest, and drug possession.