Weed Heist Ends Upside Down as Deputies Arrest Three After Alleged Burglary at Carpinteria Cannabis Farm

Before dawn on Wednesday, an alleged burglary at a Carpinteria cannabis farm unraveled chaotically, ending with two car crashes, an overturned BMW, a Taser deployment, and a neighborhood shelter-in-place order. Three were ultimately arrested and an unknown number of additional suspects remain free.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 2:57 a.m. on February 4 to the 4500 block of Foothill Road after a burglary in progress was reported at a cannabis cultivation site on the 4500 block of Foothill Road, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Within minutes, deputies were alerted that multiple suspects had fled the scene in several vehicles. Almost immediately after, dispatch began receiving reports of a traffic collision at Foothill Road and Santa Monica Road.

When deputies arrived, they found a blue BMW SUV overturned on its roof with three suspects attempting to flee from the wreckage.

Deputies detained two of the suspects without incident. A third became combative and was taken into custody using a Taser, according to the Sheriff’s Office. A handgun was later recovered from inside the vehicle, authorities said.

“All three suspects were evaluated by medical personnel at the scene, and no significant injuries were reported,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

The events did not end there.

Shortly afterward, deputies responded to a second crash near Foothill Road and Cravens Lane. At that location, they found an abandoned white-and-black Infiniti. Investigators determined the occupants had likely entered a third vehicle, which fled the area.

Because at least one vehicle and additional suspects were unaccounted for, and believed to be possibly armed, officials issued a precautionary shelter-in-place order for residents along Foothill Road from Santa Monica to Linden Avenue, extending south to U.S. Highway 101.

The response included a multi-agency operation with units from the Santa Barbara Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Barbara County Air Support joining deputies on the ground and in the air. A helicopter circled overhead as deputies searched the area for several hours.

Emergency alerts issued around 4:30 a.m. warned the public to remain indoors. The shelter-in-place order was lifted roughly an hour later, though authorities cautioned that, “additional suspects remain outstanding and should be considered armed,” the Sheriff’s Office said, urging community members to call 9-1-1 if they saw anything suspicious.

On Friday, sheriff’s detectives released additional details about the suspects arrested in connection with the burglary.

The adult suspect was identified as 21-year-old Abraham Bustos of Lynwood. Bustos was booked at the Main Jail on multiple felony charges, including burglary, conspiracy, grand theft, felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded handgun, and child endangerment. He has since been released after posting $100,000 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Two additional suspects, both 17-year-old juveniles, were also arrested. They were booked into Santa Maria Juvenile Hall on felony charges including burglary, conspiracy, and possession of an unregistered firearm, along with a misdemeanor charge of obstruction.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick confirmed there are no further updates at this time regarding the items taken during the burglary.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities said additional information will be shared as it becomes available.