Buellton Man Allegedly Breaks into Home of County Fire’s Public Information Officer

The Santa Barbara Police Department responded Sunday night to a call from Mike Eliason, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, about a man breaking into his home on Shoreline Drive while Eliason was out of town.

Though not in Santa Barbara at the time, Eliason allegedly observed the man via his home surveillance system breaking a back window to enter the house.

Officers arrived soon after and asked the man, identified as Buellton resident Trey Von Duus, 21, to exit the home, according to Ethan Ragsdale, public information officer for the police department. 

Ragsdale said officers observed Von Duus changing into Eliason’s clothing and allegedly attempting to barricade himself in an upstairs bedroom. Ragsdale also said the vehicle Von Duus had parked in the driveway had been stolen in Santa Ynez on Saturday. 

After Von Duus did not exit the home and surrender, officers entered with K-9 units and arrested him, with officers physically restraining him due to Von Duus’s resistance, according to Ragsdale. 

Von Duus sustained minor injuries and was treated at Cottage Hospital before being booked at Santa Barbara County Jail for burglary, vandalism, possession of a stolen vehicle, and resisting arrest. His bail is set at $50,000.

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