Full Notification

On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the Santa Barbara Police Department arrested Brian Christopher Schotz, age 44, for commercial burglary. Santa Barbara Police Detectives have linked Schotz to 10 recent retail burglaries in the City of Santa Barbara.
 
Schotz was released from prison on April 23rd of this year and placed on post release community supervision (PRCS). Schotz was sentenced to prison in early 2018 for several prior commercial burglaries in the City of Santa Barbara dating back to January 2018.
 
Just prior to the arrest on May 22, 2019, Detectives established a pattern of criminal activity that pointed to Schotz as the culprit in a string of recent commercial burglaries. Police were on the lookout for Schotz, who was outstanding, when an array of burglary-related calls for service were placed into Dispatch on the morning of Wednesday, May 22nd.
 
At approximately 3:40 A.M. Wednesday, Officers responded to an alarm call in the 300 block of West Carrillo Street. When Officers arrived, they found an empty storefront that had been burglarized -- Police found evidence possibly associating the crime to Schotz. Police saturated the area in an effort to locate Schotz.
 
At 4:30 A.M., a second alarm call was reported to Dispatch from a business located in the first block of Anacapa Street. Officers flooded the area and set up a perimeter. The business and immediate area were searched, however no suspect was found.
 
While Officers were investigating the incident on Anacapa Street, Dispatch received a call from the owner of a business located in the 200 block of South Milpas Street. That person reported a burglary in-progress via a remote live feed camera posted in his business. The owner worked with Dispatch to direct Police to the suspect inside his business. He provided a business layout, path of approach and detailed suspect description.
 
Officers swarmed the area and spotted the suspect, now identified as Schotz, inside the business. With the aid of the live feed camera and the owner’s help, Police were able to take Schotz into custody without incident.
 
Schotz was booked for the four commercial burglaries that occurred on the morning of May 22, 2019 and later charged with six additional commercial burglaries that occurred in the time since Schotz had been released from prison.
 
Schotz is currently being held at Santa Barbara County Jail.