The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office has arrested a Santa Barbara man on suspicion of stalking and hate crimes in Isla Vista.
On Monday, May 30, a sheriff's deputy began investigating stalking incidents that were reported in Isla Vista.
Sheriff's officials say the investigation determined that the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Samuel Emmanuel Johnson from Santa Barbara, had stalked several women in the Isla Vista area over the past three months.
Investigators say Johnson sent several threatening and unwanted messages to the women and even contacted them in person.
On Tuesday, at around 7:45 p.m., one of the women reportedly spotted Johnson sitting on a public bench in the 6800 block of Del Playa and called 9-1-1.
Sheriff’s deputies later contacted and arrested Johnson for stalking and hate crimes.
He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail and is being held on $300,000 bail.
