Man pleads not guilty to sexual acts charges

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A Carpinteria man has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges that he allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a child under 10, dating back to 2015.

Luis Antonio Ibarra-Delgadillo, 37, entered the not guilty pleas at his arraignment on Monday. He is scheduled to return to court on March 27 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

The first count charges him with committing sodomy with a child 10 years old or younger between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2015.

The second count charges him with attempted oral copulation with a child under 10 during the same period.

The third count charges him with committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child under 14 during the same period. The charge contends it was the first time the defendant touched the child with lewd intent.

And the fourth count also charges him with committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child under 14, again during the same period. The charge alleges it was the last time he touched her with lewd intent.

Detectives from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mr. Ibarra-Delgadillo, aka Anthony Ibarra, on March 9 for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a child under 10, sheriff’s officials said in a March 20 press release, the same day he was arraigned. He was arrested without incident after an extensive confidential criminal investigation, and he is currently being held without bail at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The rain that has deluged Santa Barbara County over the last few days continued Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

The flood watch ended Wednesday morning. There was a heavy downpour Wednesday between 7 and 8 a.m. in the Santa Barbara area, but by 8:30 a.m., the rain had stopped. There was the possibility of precipitation after the News-Press went to press Wednesday night. But the National Weather Service says there’s no chance of rain today in Santa Barbara County.

The storm’s over, but keep your jacket handy. The weather service’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies today throughout the county, with a low of 47 degrees and a

Based on their investigation, detectives believe there may be additional survivors of alleged sexual assault by Mr. Ibarra-Delgadillo who have not been identified. The Sheriff’s Office would like to encourage anyone with knowledge of additional alleged crimes associated with him to contact Detective Swank by phone at 805-681-4150. If you would like to be anonymous, you can submit information online at sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip or by calling 805-681-4171.

Sheriff’s detectives coordinate closely with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office’s Victim-Witness Program to ensure the needs of survivors are not overshadowed by the focus on the investigation and prosecution of the accused. Victim advocates are available to ensure that survivors are kept informed and supported throughout the criminal justice process.

Survivors have the option of contacting the Victim-Witness Assistance Program directly at 805-568-2400 or toll free at 855-840-3232.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind survivors that they can also find support services through its community partner, Standing Together to End Sexual Assault. Services offered by STESA include a confidential 24-Hour hotline, legal and medical advocacy and accompaniment, and counseling. You can reach a STESA advocate at any time by calling 805-564-3696.

For more information, go to sbstesa.org. email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com