SBPD Arrests Parolee After Downtown Parking Lot Dispute Escalates to Assault
– By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA BARBARA, CA — February 4, 2026
A heated argument in a downtown Santa Barbara parking lot escalated into violence on the night
of February 2nd when a man intentionally drove his vehicle into another person, leaving the
victim with minor injuries.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department spokesman Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, “the victim
declined medical treatment at the scene.”
The immediately ensuing investigation led investigators to determine that “the suspect used his
vehicle as a weapon following an argument,” Ragsdale said.
Detectives worked the case over the next two days, identifying the alleged driver as Isaiah Angel
Munoz, 22, of Santa Barbara. Officers located Munoz at about 6 p.m. Wednesday in a gas station
parking lot just south of the Santa Barbara city limits, where he was “taken into custody without
incident.”
During a subsequent search of Munoz’s vehicle, officers discovered an AR-15-style “ghost gun
pistol with a loaded 100-round magazine inserted, along with three additional high-capacity
magazines containing approximately 150 rounds of ammunition.” Police also reported finding a
ballistic bulletproof vest and a large quantity of cocaine inside the vehicle.
Munoz, on active parole terms, is prohibited from possessing firearms. He was booked into the
Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and
multiple weapons and narcotics-related offenses.
He remains in custody, with bail set at $530,000.
