Bright orange shoes gave away the Carpinteria man who burgled a cannabis farm, officials said.
The July 19, 2025, burglary in the 5800 block of Via Real resulted in the theft of grow lighting, a generator, about 30 pounds of cannabis and a utility terrain vehicle, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Surveillance footage showed the thief was wearing “bright orange wrestling shoes,” footwear that deputies recognized from prior interactions with 58-year-old David Stephens, investigators said.
He was arrested Monday morning in the 3900 block of State Street, at which time “he was in possession of burglary tools and a bicycle reported stolen out of Isla Vista,” the release added.
He faces charges that include burglary, grand theft, vandalism and possession of burglary tools.
“Most of the property stolen from the cannabis farm is presumed destroyed; however, the stolen UTV has not yet been recovered,” the release said. “The stolen bicycle was returned to the owner.”
Stephens is being held at the Southern Branch Jail in lieu of $502,500 bail.
No court date information was listed in jail records.
