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Car Thief Arrested During Shoreline Drive Burglary

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On September 12, 2021, around 7:30pm, the Santa Barbara Police Combined Communications Center received a report from a resident who could see a subject trespassing on their property from a home surveillance system. The community member was out of town and providing live updates to police dispatchers while watching the subject on their cameras.

Numerous Officers responded to the residence located in the 1200 block of Shoreline Drive. The owner of the home was reporting the suspect had now entered the residence by breaking a rear window. Officers arrived on scene and set a perimeter around the home. Officers also observed a White Dodge sedan parked in the driveway that did not belong to the homeowner. It was revealed, after checking the vehicle’s license plates, this sedan was recently stolen from the Santa Ynez area on September 11, 2021.

A reverse 9-1-1 notification was sent to the neighborhood requesting homeowners shelter in place and others to stay away from the area. Additional law enforcement support was needed to assist with the perimeter and traffic control in the area, and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office had several Deputies respond to this incident.

Officers could see the suspect, later identified as Trey Von Duus, a 21-year-old Buellton resident, now pacing around the interior of the home and changing into the homeowner’s clothing. Officers gave verbal commands through a police vehicle’s public address system, requesting Duus to surrender and exit the house. Duus could be seen looking out a window at Officers; he refused all verbal commands and appeared to be barricading himself in an upstairs bedroom.

Law Enforcement Officers were able to gain access to the home through the garage and gave more verbal commands for Duus to surrender. Again, he refused. Officers started a search inside the home and reached the upstairs bedroom where Duus was located. A Santa Barbara Police K-9 Officer deployed K-9 partner Murdoch. Duus resisted the K-9 and officers had to physically restrain him to effect the arrest.

Duus sustained minor injuries during the incident, and he was transported to Cottage Hospital for treatment and medical clearance.

Duus was then transported to Santa Barbara County Jail and booked for Burglary (felony), Vandalism (felony), Possession of a Stolen Vehicle (felony), and Resisting Arrest (misdemeanor). His bail is set at $50,000.