Details emerge in rural Santa Margarita murder case

April 12, 2022

By KAREN VELIE

Less than a week after a Creston resident allegedly shot and killed a man in rural Santa Margarita before stabbing a woman in Paso Robles, friends, prosecutors and the court have released additional details about that fatal morning.

Cruz Christopher Gomez Jr. 42, allegedly shot and killed his friend, 42-year-old Jack Dean Everhart, at a compound off Highway 58 between Creston and Santa Margarita on the morning of April 6. Friends describe Gomez as a man who suffers from drug addiction and mental health issues.

While at the compound, Gomez met a woman from Paso Robles, prosecutors said. After Gomez allegedly murdered Everhart, the woman gave Gomez a ride to a home in Paso Robles where he allegedly stabbed her multiple times. The woman survived the attack.

At a hearing on Monday, San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Dodie A. Harman placed seven people under three criminal protection orders, which forbid Gomez from contacting them through any means. One of the orders pertains to the female victim. The other two orders protect members of Everhart’s family, of whom at least several were at the compound at the time of the shooting.

Gomez is facing charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in the SLO County Jail with his bail set at $1.25 million.

His arraignment is scheduled for April 28.