Arrests at unsanctioned Deltopia festival rise for fourth consecutive year
Arrests at Santa Barbara's annual unsanctioned Deltopia street party rose for the fourth straight year this weekend, more than doubling the number of arrests from 2024, authorities said.
Isla Vista's weekend-long Deltopia party, which draws thousands of local college students to raucous festivities near the beach, has seen arrests and citations grow each year since 2021, according to stats released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
This year, 84 people were arrested and 485 people were given citations. In 2024, there were 32 arrests and 254 citations. The year before that there were 23 arrests and 151 citations.
While Friday night was fairly calm, the activities of the weekend ramped up on Saturday, according to the sheriff's office.
"Saturday saw a significant increase in both crowd size and emergency medical calls, most of which were related to alcohol intoxication," the office said in a statement released Monday. "Deputies and officers coordinated with fire and medical teams, using pre-planned rescue units to respond to calls and clear roads in densely packed areas, ensuring swift access for ambulances. Thankfully, there were no reported fatalities from cliff falls or fentanyl overdoses. There were no injuries to law enforcement officials or uses of force."
Read more: Ticket scams, treacherous cliffs: Officials warn of danger at 'Deltopia' spring break rager
The most serious arrest last weekend came when officers stopped a group of people on Saturday morning on Marketplace Drive as the group headed toward Deltopia. One of the members of the group was in possession of a loaded gun, the sheriff's office said.
Officials also arrested six as part of a monthlong investigation into a conspiracy to violate a festival ordinance. Authorities made the arrest at a house where there was a paid party with tickets sold on a ticketing platform.
The sheriff's office did note that no one died this year. There were no fentanyl overdoses and no cliffside falls.
In 2023, a junior at UC Santa Barbara died of a fentanyl overdose at the festival and more than a decade ago a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student fell off a cliff and died.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Federal agents crash into vehicle, take man into custody in dramatic Boyle Heights arrest
Federal agents rammed and trapped a white sedan in Boyle Heights on Wednesday that contained a man, woman and child. Agents extracted the man, who was driving, before leaving behind the woman and child. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene to investigate the traffic collision, said Officer Tony Im, a department spokesperson. He referred all other inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security. The agency addressed the incident through a social media post Wednesday afternoon. "This was no hit and run. This was a targeted arrest of a violent rioter who punched a CBP officer," the department posted on X, referring to Customs and Border Patrol. "When Homeland Security Investigations tried to arrest Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho for the assault, he attempted to flee. He was ultimately arrested and taken into custody." Authorities said the woman declined medical treatment after officers responded to the 3700 block of Whittier Boulevard on Wednesday morning. Video of the incident showed two sports utility vehicles trapping the Mercedes as it turned right, with the second vehicle pushing its bumper into the sedan before federal agents jumped out with guns drawn. Once the car was stopped and agents exited their vehicles, it appeared that some sort of chemical rounds were fired at the car, video showed. The driver then exited and went to the rear of one of the agent's vehicles and was taken into custody. Homeland Security said that officers were facing a dramatic spike in "assaults against them" and were risking their lives for the arrest of "murders, rapists, and gang members." "Secretary [Kristi] Noem's message to the LA rioters is clear," the post continued. "[Y]ou will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Photos: A fierce pushback on ICE raids in L.A. from protesters, officials
A series of surprise U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in downtown Los Angeles on Friday prompted fierce pushback from elected officials and protesters, who decried the enforcement actions as 'cruel and unnecessary' and said they stoked fear in the immigrant community. Tensions remained high in downtown into the evening. The Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly and ordered about 200 protesters who remained gathered by the Los Angeles Federal Building to disperse around 7 p.m. The use of so-called less-lethal munitions was authorized at 8 p.m. following reports of a small group of 'violent individuals' throwing large pieces of concrete at officers, police said. A citywide tactical alert was issued shortly thereafter. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Multiple immigration sweeps reported across L.A.: 'They're everywhere'
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were carrying out a series of immigration sweeps across Southern California on Friday morning, sparking fear and anxiety among immigrant communities. At least one video posted on X show federal agents running after people in the parking lot of the Home Depot in Westlake, not far from downtown Los Angeles. A man recording the video can be heard warning people in Spanish that immigration officials were at the location and to stay away. Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Westlake, said in a written statement that her office has received reports about immigration enforcement operations taking place in her district and other parts of Los Angeles. "These actions are escalating: agents arrive without warning and leave quickly, aware that our communities mobilize fast," she said. "I urge Angelenos to stay alert." The raids are the latest in a string of high-profile immigration enforcement actions over the last week, part of President Trump's promised deportation crackdown. A few days ago, immigration agents raided a popular San Diego restaurant and made arrests, sparking a standoff with outraged residents. Agents also arrested Chinese and Taiwanese nationals at an underground nightclub in the Los Angeles area. Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE, said federal agents in downtown Los Angeles were executing search warrants related to the harboring of people illegally in the country. No other details were provided, and it wasn't known how many operations were taking place. Another video posted on Instagram shows six federal agents walking near the intersection of Towne Avenue and 10th Street in the Fashion District. Ron Gochez, a member of Unión del Barrio, an independent political organization advocating for immigrant rights and social justice, said his group has been "flooded" with calls about immigration sweeps taking place in Los Angeles and Orange counties. "There were ICE agents at a Home Depot in Cypress, there's ICE agents at Wilshire Boulevard and Union Avenue, a construction site in North Hollywood and in South L.A.," he said in a phone interview. "They're everywhere." This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
