San Luis Obispo police seek help finding credit card thief
By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo Police Department announced Friday it is seeking the public’s help identifying a thief who allegedly used a stolen credit card to purchase items at several stores on Wednesday. On Nov. 4, the thief make purchases at Ziggy’s and the Royal Smoke Shop. Investigators are...
Neighbor dispute in San Luis Obispo sparks standoff, evacuations and arrest
By JOSH FRIEDMAN San Luis Obispo police officers arrested a man on Thursday who allegedly battered a female neighbor and vandalized her car. Police evacuated multiple homes, including one functioning as a daycare, prior to taking the suspect into custody. At about 2:30 p.m., 911 callers reported a neighbor dispute...
Fire damages building at Pismo Beach hotel
By JOSH FRIEDMAN A fire damaged a maintenance building at the Pacific Point Resort in Pismo Beach early Friday morning. Shortly after 4 a.m., Pismo Beach and Five Cities firefighters, as well as Cal Fire personnel, responded to the blaze at the hotel, which is located at 2555 Price Street....
Gaea Powell’s delay tactics continue, another attorney appointed
By KAREN VELIE The sentencing hearing for Gaea Powell, a San Luis Obispo County woman convicted of election fraud, was delayed again, this time after she claimed a conflict of interest with the entire public defender’s office. A SLO County jury on Sept. 21 found Gaea Powell guilty of nine...
Both Grover Beach citizen initiative measures winning
By KAREN VELIE For several years, Grover Beach resident have successfully promoted citizen initiative measures including recalls, making the city clerk an elected position and limiting the height of buildings in the coastal community. Two of the measures were on the Nov. 3 ballot: electing a city clerk and limiting...
SLO County jury convicts illegal alien of rape, child sexual abuse
By KAREN VELIE A 33-year-old illegal alien is facing up to 513 years in prison after a San Luis Obispo County jury found him guilty of sexually molesting three young children and raping a woman. Jose Manuel Ventura Garcia is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 16. Shortly after his conviction,...
Sex trafficker ordered to pay more than $450,000 in restitution
By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County judge on Tuesday ordered convicted child sex trafficker Joshua Diante Murphy to pay $451,680 in restitution to the young woman he exploited. Murphy was sentenced in Oct. 2025 to 14 years and four months in state prison and ordered to register as...
