Eri Arzate, 38, was arrested Sunday night after allegedly wielding a firearm and leading police on a vehicle pursuit from Santa Barbara to Carpinteira.
At about 4 p.m., Santa Barbara Police Department received a call describing the situation near the intersection of Olive and Ortega streets and of the suspect and his vehicle. Officers were dispatched and attempted to pull him over, but Arzate fled the scene, according to police. A chase ensued on Santa Barbara surface streets and onto southbound Highway 101.
Police stopped pursuing Arzate by car due to threats to public safety around the Carpinteria stretch of highway. About an hour later, a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’’s Air Unit helicopter picked up the search by air after reports of an unoccupied vehicle matching the suspect’s description was located near 1300 Kowalski Avenue on Santa Barbara’s Westside. Police later located Arzate and safely detained him.
Arzate was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for four felonies — criminal threats, brandishing of a firearm, assault on an officer, and evading — and two misdemeanors for driving on a suspended license and possessing tear gas. He is being held without bail, according to custody records.
Court records show that Arzate has had many run-ins with the law dating back to 2007, ranging from traffic infractions to being convicted in Lompoc Criminal Court of criminal felony for stealing property. Previous records show that back in 2018, Arzate was wanted by the SBPD for violating his post-release supervision.
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