District Attorney Won t Prosecute San Marcos Foothills Activists Arrested at Protest | Local News noozhawk.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from noozhawk.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Joshua Molina, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @JECMolina
March 15, 2021
| 4:24 p.m.
Nearly three weeks after eight people were arrested at a protest, the swath of land above Santa Barbara that is at the center of a dispute over development might get sold to preservationists.
After reaching an agreement with the developer, The Chadmar Group, an organization called Foothills Forever is looking to raise money to buy the land in the San Marcos foothills.
The group hopes to raise $20 million to cover the cost of acquisition, the campaign, and an endowment for maintenance and management of the property. As of March 10, 2021, the community has donated or pledged a collective total of $1,707,680 from 955 individuals, families and businesses in the Santa Barbara area, the group said in a news release. We have until June 2, 2021, to raise the remaining funds to protect it forever.
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Zick told Noozhawk that those arrested were not targeted for any purpose other than violating the penal codes, not for their race or ethnicity.
Those arrested reportedly ranged in age from 20 to 70, and as of 2 p.m., all had been released.
Orlosky had a brush with danger the day prior. At 1:30 p.m. Thursday, he and another demonstrator attempted to block the gate. A bulldozer, he said, pulled up to just a couple of inches from him. All of a sudden, it got real, Orlosky said.
Santa Barbara community organization El Centro immediately set up a fund to help those who were arrested. It is calling on the sheriff s department and Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart to drop all charges.