The Santa Barbara Sheriff warns the public about a hidden camera discovered in a home

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that a hidden camera was found in the front yard of a county home in April, adding that other law enforcement agencies in the state have encountered similar incidents.

On April 16, 2024, officers were called to the 200 block of Via El Encantador east of Goleta when gardeners found a hidden camera in the front yard of a single-family home, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the sheriff’s office, the camera was mostly buried, covered with camouflage tape and plants, and mostly hidden except for the lens.

The device included a battery, power cord, and camera with memory card. All of these materials were submitted to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office as evidence.

Additional reports of “very similar cases” have been received from other California law enforcement agencies, and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who discovers a similar device to report it to law enforcement immediately.

The image shown in this article shows the device and components as described above.