Suspects arrested for attacking man, woman inside Lompoc home

April 25, 2024

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

With help from CHP officers, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man and woman who forced their way into a Lompoc area home on Tuesday, violently attacked a man and woman inside and pistol-whipped the male victim. 

Sgortly after noon, a witness reported an assault at a home in the 4000 block of Capella Drive in Lompoc. The suspects, later identified as 21-year-old Clyde Richardson and 23-year-old Devon Leininger, fled the scene in a silver Ford Mustang before deputies arrived, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies determined that Richardson and Leininger, who were familiar with the victims, knocked on the door of the home and then pushed their way into the residence. Inside the home, they physically attacked the adult male and adult female victims. During the attack, Richardson brandished a handgun, threatened the male victim and struck him in the head with the firearm. 

Before fleeing the home, the suspects slashed the tires of the victims’ vehicles.

Sheriff’s dispatch issued a be-on-the-lookout to local law enforcement agencies. At approximately 1:51 p.m., a CHP officer located and arrested the suspects on Central Avenue near D Street. 

Investigators found a loaded firearm on Richardson. 

Deputies booked Richardson in jail on charges of residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, criminal threats, conspiracy, vandalism, brandishing a firearm, violating a restraining order, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possession of a ghost gun, possession of a controlled substance while being in possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm while committing a felony and possession of a controlled substance. Richardson is being held without bail.

Leininger was booked in jail on charges of residential burglary, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, battery, criminal threats, conspiracy, vandalism, dissuading a witness, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. She is also being held without bail.