A man was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on parole and weapons-related charges following a drone-assisted search in Santa Maria.
Santa Maria Police Officers responded to reports of a man armed with a handgun on the 1000 block of East Chapel Street on July 1 at approximately 3:50 p.m.
Upon attempting to approach the suspect, officers discovered he was a wanted parolee. The suspect then fled on foot while armed with a handgun.
Santa Maria Police Officers established a perimeter around the area and deployed a drone, which later located the suspect.
Officers arrested the suspect without incident and recovered a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun.





