Weekend Highlights: De-Escalation Success - Home Burglar Arrested - K-9 Team Locates Suspect & Firearm

Santa Cruz Police Talks Suspect with Gun To Surrender
On Friday, 9/8/17 at approximately 5:39 pm, Santa Cruz Police responded to a residence near the 400 block of Plateau Avenue for a suspect who held a .22 caliber gun to a victim's chest. In addition to the on-duty patrol team, SCPD utilized officers that are part of the SCPD Crisis Negotiation Team.

Glen Eikenbary, 61 years old, from Santa Cruz

The suspect, Glen Eikenbary, 61 years old, from Santa Cruz, threatened to kill one of two male relatives in the home. Glen Eikenary pointed a .22 caliber gun at male relative’s chest and told him he would kill him. In fear for his life, the other family member barricaded himself in another room and called 911.

SCPD called on Officer Bayani from the SCPD Crisis Negotiation Team to interact with the victim and the suspect. Ultimately, Officer Bayani was able to negotiate with and convince the suspect to calm down and to come out of the house. Officer Bayani also convinced the victim that he was safe as well. Officers located the loaded gun used in the assault in the living room. Officers found several more guns inside the residence. SCPD officers arrested Glen Eikenary for assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threat with intent to terrorize.

Thanks to the great work of our patrol and Crisis Negotiation Teams, SCPD brought this risky situation to a successful conclusion without any injuries.

Home Burglar Arrested
On Saturday 9/9/17 at about 1:56 am, Santa Cruz Police responded to an interrupted residential burglary in the 600 block of Escalona Drive. The suspect had come in through the home through an unlocked sliding glass door. The suspect fled the house when residents announced their presence. Santa Cruz Police set up a perimeter in the neighborhood and the surrounding area in hopes the suspect would show himself.

Terrance Alexander, 40 years old from Santa Cruz

Around 2:31 am, a homeowner in the 100 block of Hollywood Avenue called to report another occupied residential burglary, and the suspect description was a match to the original suspect from Escalona Drive. SCPD patrol set up a perimeter and did yard to yard searches; at this time the suspect eluded capture. Then, a breakthrough. An observant citizen called from the 100 block of Peyton Street to report a male subject running across Mission Street, then south on Walnut Avenue.

Several SCPD units responded immediately and detained the suspect Terrance Alexander, 40 years old, from Santa Cruz. Among the stolen items in Mr. Alexander possession was a driver's license in his pocket with the matching address of a home that was burglarized.

SCPD arrested Terrance Alexander for burglary and possession of stolen property. A great team effort by citizens and SCPD patrol.

#1 Tip To Prevent Home Burglary - Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed.

K-9 Team Officer Terry and Luna

On 9/10/17, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Aptos, where one victim suffered a gunshot wound, and multiple suspects fled the scene on foot. SCPD K-9 Team of Officer Terry and Luna were requested for assistance with the search. K-9 Officer Terry and Luna located one outstanding suspect and one firearm.

Well done! Officer Sean Terry and his K9 partner Luna certified as a Patrol and Narcotic Detection K9 Team just two weeks ago.

Suspect Burglar Apprehended - From Two Perspectives

Yesterday, 2/23/2017, SCPD responded to the report of a home burglary in progress near Carbonera and El Rancho. Resident thanks SCPD for our quick response to a stressful situation.

Here is the homeowner's perspective: "This happened live this morning while we were upstairs. I think he broke in a few minutes before 9 am (when I heard a thump). I looked out the windows from upstairs expecting to see a branch down or the city working on the streets cleaning up post-rains. Then heard a second one that definitely sounded unusual. At that point, I went downstairs, saw my bike outside (it had been suspended from the ceiling) and could see him rummaging through our garage. I called 911 immediately, kept an eye on his only escape route, but NOT wanting to be seen. The police arrived in 5 minutes! There had been a break-in on the other end of Carbonera, so the first car was nearby. Eventually, 5 cars were there. Thanks to the police for the fast response! The guy apologized as he was led out... nothing was lost."

SCPD perspective: "An SCPD officer was on scene within 1 to 2 minutes, as she had been down the street taking a cold residential burglary report. When officers arrived on the scene, they established a perimeter and located the suspect inside the garage, in the act of removing stolen property.

The suspect, Christopher Mitz, was taken into custody without incident and was also positively identified as the suspect in the first burglary report that PO Howard-Gibbon had taken. As a result of the investigation, the suspect was booked for two counts of residential burglary. We later received a third call of a cold attempted burglary on the same street. Through video surveillance, we were able to identify the suspect as he was preparing to break into the residence, but was scared off. A third report was taken for prowling."
If you don’t feel safe, call 9-1-1. If you or a neighbor sees people they do not recognize from the neighborhood walking in the alleys or between houses, call in a “suspicious person” to 9-1-1 and let the SCPD check out the stranger.

4 Thieves Arrested. All in a day’s work at SCPD

Thursday was a particularly good day for catching thieves. Furthermore, two stolen bikes were returned to their rightful owners!

Incident #1
On Thursday 1/28/16 at 4:43 am, an alert neighbor who witnessed a suspect taking items from his neighbor’s garage quickly called 911. The neighbor gave an excellent description of the suspect wearing a blue colored “Santa Cruz” hoody, carrying backpack and box of items taken from the garage. Within minutes an SCPD Officer arrived to the 1100 block of East Cliff Drive and located the suspect Chayne Hampton, 31, from Santa Cruz.

Chayne Hampton, 31 years old from Santa Cruz
Chayne Hampton had the following items in his possession a speaker, box of knives and an assortment of collectible rocks which were consistent with items that were taken from the victim’s garage. Chayne Hampton was booked in jail for burglary.

Incident #2
On Thursday 1/28/16, at 6:27 am, a SCPD Officer quickly responded to a call about a vehicle burglary in the 200 block of Grant Street. The victim had chased down and restrained the suspect when police arrived. The incident unfolded as the victim was preparing to go to work. He had unlocked his truck that was parked in the back driveway of the residence. The victim went inside his home for a few minutes and came out to find the suspect, Dennis Ballard sitting in driver’s side of the truck and rummaging through the center console.

Dennis Ballard, 47 years old, transient Santa Cruz
Multiple items had been set outside of the truck that was previously inside the cab of the truck. The victim confronted the suspected burglar who started to run away. The victim was able to chase down and hold the suspect down until police arrived.

Items that were taken from the truck included Carhart rain jacket, a chainsaw and an envelope of cash.

SCPD Officers arrested Dennis Ballard, 47, transient from Santa Cruz for grand theft and a felony warrant.

Incident #3

SCPD is please to inform you the results in this case reunited two bikes to back to their rightful owners.

On Thursday 1/28/16, at 10: 45 am, an SCPD Officer doing a routine area check under the Soquel Bridge made contact with Robert Palmer. Mr. Palmer was in possession of two bicycles that did not appear to belong to him. 

The Officer checked the serial numbers on both bikes in the SCPD data base for stolen bikes. One bike was listed as stolen from a UCSC Police case. The other bike had been recently stolen from the Santa Cruz Teen Center. 

Robert Palmer, 27, transient from Santa Cruz was cited at the scene for being in the possession of stolen property. 

Incident #4
On Thursday 1/28/16, at 8:30 pm, SCPD’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team- NET put out a bait bicycle in front of CVS on Front St. After about 10 minutes, Patrick Falconer stole with bicycle. 

Patrick Falconer, 50 years old from Santa Cruz
He was located a short while later in the area of Ocean St. and Soquel Ave. Patrick Falconer, 50, from Santa Cruz claimed the bicycle belonged to his friend even though he said he saw a subject he did not know get off of the bicycle. Patrick Falconer was arrested for a felony theft since the bait bicycle has an appraised value of $3999.

Have you seen this man? Burglar caught on video surveillance.

SCPD is asking for the community’s help in identifying a burglary suspect who was captured on video surveillance inside the victim’s residence last Saturday.

On Saturday, December 5, 2015 at approximately 6:15 p.m., the pictured burglar was captured on video inside the victim’s home. When the victims returned home the next day, they discovered the home had been burglarized. The suspect took electronics and tools while ransacking the home. 

Here are still images captured of the burglar from the surveillance video. 

The suspect is described as an adult male, medium to heavy build, dark hair, mustache and wearing a San Francisco sweatshirt.

The Santa Cruz Police Department wants to alert neighborhoods to be on the lookout for this suspect, if seen call 9-1-1.

We are asking that residents check their home surveillance equipment for any suspicious activity.

Anyone with information relative to the suspect’s identity is encouraged to contact the Santa Cruz Police Department Investigation Unit at (831) 420-5820.