Front Page  »  

10 suspects now in custody for Santa Maria murder

April 9, 2013
Jason Castillo

Jason Castillo

Santa Maria police arrested a 10th suspect Tuesday in the murder of Anthony Ibarra, whom officers found dead in the back of a U-Haul truck last month. [KCOY]

Officers arrested 29-year-old Jason Castillo for murder with a gang enhancement shortly after he showed up at a police station to meet with detectives Monday afternoon. As with seven of the other nine suspects, Castillo could receive the death penalty if convicted.

Detectives say gang members tortured and killed Ibarra, 28, on March 17 at a residence at 1142 West Donovan Road in Santa Maria. The day after the murder, a witness entered the home and found Ibarra’s body lying naked on the carpet with his neck cut open and a severely beaten face.

The conspirators later dumped the body in a U-Haul truck, which police found on March 19 in an Orcutt residential neighborhood.

Police have yet to determine a motive and are continuing to investigate the case.

“The investigation is ongoing, and it will likely continue for months,” said Sergeant Dan Cohen.

All 10 suspects are currently in Santa Barbara County Jail. Each suspect, with the exception of Castillo, is expected to appear in court Wednesday.

 


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


12 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

“Police have yet to determine a motive and are continuing to investigate the case.”


They’re too stupid to have one. How many of them could even spell motive.


0

We live in an interesting state. Way more gangs and they want to take away the ability for law abiding citizens to defend themselves. Our bureaucrats priorities are so screwed up.


0

Yes, it is.


But the difference between the government gangsters and the street gangsters is but a shade.


0

The trials with 10 defendants needing public defenders will cost Santa Barbara County a fortune.


0

Santa Maria, the new South Salinas


0

New? Santa Maria has had the Rep of gang-land for years. When we relocated to the CC many years ago, we knew not to go to SM because of the gang activity.

So this guy just walked into the police station to talk to the detectives and he was arrested? That was easy!


0

Paso Robles and the gang activity here is the new South Salinas. Santa Maria is worse.


0

Santa Maria is much worse than Paso, and the gangsters there are moving into Nipomo and the South County.


0

Stay away from Oxnard, in Ventura County.

That’s gangbanger central.


0

Heck, they arrest many more of these A-holes and they’re gonna have to open a new wing in prison just to house them.


0

Unfortunately, with the overcrowded prisons, they will just have to give early release to some others to make room. I am not sure what the current cost is to incarcerate someone in the state pen but it was over $30K per year as much as 20 years ago. We need to rethink who we send to prison so that there will be plenty of room for people like the ones involved in this murder — room enough so that they can serve their full sentences.


0

A new film is in the works:


Escape from Santa Maria


0