Spring break riot near UC Santa Barbara could lead to more arrests - officials

According to officials during an interview with NewsChannel3, there will be more arrests following a melee that broke out during a raucus spring break party near the University of California Santa Barbara on Saturday night. The Los Angeles Times said that Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown had told the television news outlet that his department has plans to prosecute the individuals involved in the riot, and has video evidence to identify the perpetrators via newly-installed surveillance cameras. Around a hundred people were arrested, with 46 sent to hospitals in the area, thanks to the riot that broke out during "Deltopia." It was also reported that several police officers were also injured due to the riot as well.

The LA Times said that an estimated 15,000 people attended the Saturday night party. Authorities have said that the crowd began to get unruly when officers on the ground decided to make an arrest. Officers began to receive a shower of rocks and bottles, which prompted them to declare an unlawful assembly. During the melee, rioters began to tore down street signs, set up small fires and damage vehicles of the Sheriff's Department, authorities added. At least five deputies were reportedly injured, with one who received facial injuries when he made contact with a brick thrown during the chaos. The authorities also said that they have used tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bang grenades and foam projectiles in the hopes of controlling the unruly crowd. The officers on the ground were able to restore peace and order after several hours.

According to the newspaper, Isla Vista, where the riot happened, is only a half-square mile from the university and houses 23,000 residents. Around 60% of the residents go to UC Santa Barbara. The Sheriff's Department said that 35% of the town's residents going to the university are tied to a little over a third of the crimes in the area.

UC Santa Barbara Associate Dean of Students Katya Armistead exclaimed to Daily Nexus about how the party quickly escalated to full-blown riot as she watched the event unfolded on television. She said, "I was devastated, just devastated, watching the coverage. I started looking at social media, Facebook, and started seeing a lot of students that I knew reacting and pretty upset. They were tear gassed or they were scared to leave their homes."

Tags

University of California Santa Barbara, Isla Vista Deltopia riot, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department

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