Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 47-year-old man Thursday for allegedly pouring lighter fluid on a woman and swinging a large wooden stake at her.
The arrest happened at a homeless encampment near Highway 101 and Sheffield Drive.
Authorities arrested Jason Tucker for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.
The couple had an argument and Tucker allegedly swung the stake at her head, according to Sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick, in a news release. The woman ran from the encampment and called 911. Tucker allegedly followed her, threatened to kill her, and poured Tiki torch lighter fluid on her, according to a news release.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol and California State Parks conducted a search of the steep and rugged terrain near Ortega Hill and were unable to find him, but returned on Friday and arrested him at 3:05 a.m.
He was booked at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, assault with caustic chemicals or flammable substances, criminal threats, and intimidating or attempting to prevent a victim or witness from reporting a crime. He is being held on $100,000 bail. The victim was provided medical attention at the scene, according to a news release.
