By F. Scott Faulkner
March 23, 2026 – Santa Barbara, CA
A “brandishing firearm” incident in Santa Barbara on March 22 ended with
a suspect in custody after a brief search.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department spokesman Lt. Antonio Montojo, the situation
began shortly after 4 p.m. on a busy downtown street, when officers were
dispatched to a report of “a man brandishing a weapon near a downtown intersection.”
The reporting victim provided a description of both the suspect and the vehicle involved, allowing
officers to identify a possible match in the area.
When officers attempted a traffic stop of the suspect vehicle, “the driver refused to pull over and
accelerated away,” prompting a pursuit through city streets and onto southbound Highway 101.
The high-speed chase continued toward Carpinteria before officers made the decision to call it
off “due to public safety concerns.”
Just an hour later, officers located the suspect vehicle parked and unoccupied in Carpinteria.
With assistance from a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, officers canvassed the
surrounding area. Dispatchers soon “received information about a man matching the suspect’s
description” nearby.
Officers located and detained 38-year-old Santa Barbara resident Eri Arzate without further
incident.
He was taken into custody and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was
booked on charged that included criminal threats, brandishing a firearm, assault on a peace
officer, evading law enforcement, driving on a suspended license, and unlawfully possessing tear
gas.
Arzate remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
