Some hikers in Santa Barbara County have returned to their vehicles only to find a very unpleasant ending to their outings.
10 vehicles have been broken into at two popular trailheads in the county during the last month. What are called “smash and grab” burglaries occurred at the Nojoqui Falls, and Gaviota Hot Springs trailheads. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives say all of the vehicles were locked, but that burglars knew that the owners would be away from them for an extended period of time.
They believe the vehicle burglaries were the work of more than one person, because there is no specific evidence linking the crimes.
Investigators say you should never leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle, and don’t leave hidden keys on the vehicle.
