Student accused of robbery, 2 attacks on streets near UCSB
A UCSB student suspected in a string of robberies and attacks was arrested early Thursday morning in Isla Vista, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
At 12:40 a.m., sheriff’s deputies and UC Santa Barbara police officers responded to a report of a robbery in the area of Camino Del Sur and Abrego Road, Lt. Kevin Huddle said. The victim told investigators he was walking when a college-aged Asian male came up behind him, grabbed his arm, and forcibly removed his cellphone from his hand.
Just over an hour later, Isla Vista Foot Patrol personnel were dispatched to Camino Pescadero and Sueno Road, where an Asian man was “acting strangely and jumping onto moving vehicles,” Huddle said. They found Jeremy Jameel Kim, 19, in the street, police say.
“When they contacted Kim, he was uncooperative and ran away from law enforcement,” Huddle said. “After a short foot pursuit, he was contacted at the intersection of Camino Pescadero at Cordoba Road. Kim continued to be resistive with the officers and deputies, but was eventually taken into custody.”
Subsequent investigation revealed that Kim was the suspect in three separate crimes over the course of about an hour, Huddle said.
In addition to the Camino del Sur incident, Kim allegedly approached a male driver parking his car on Sueno Road and tried to aggressively open the driver’s door to get inside.
“Thankfully, the vehicle’s doors were locked and Kim was unsuccessful,” Huddle said. “Kim then jumped on top of the vehicle and refused to get off. The victim quickly accelerated down Sueno Road with Kim on top of his vehicle. Kim eventually fell from the vehicle and landed on the street.”
Foot Patrol personnel also took a report from a woman who said she was walking down the street when Kim, for no apparent reason, tackled her to the ground, causing her head to be injured.
Kim was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of robbery, battery, malicious mischief to a vehicle, challenging to fight and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $50,000.
No serious injuries were reported.
Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Student accused of robbery, 2 attacks on streets near UCSB."