Front Page  »  

Missing Atascadero man murdered, body found

November 3, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

The body of a 32-year-old Atascadero man missing for more than a week was found near a creek in rural Santa Margarita. His alleged killer, a 21-year-old Paso Robles man, is in custody.

Last seen on the morning of Oct. 23, Todd Pinion left a friend a voice message on the evening of Oct. 23 saying he was in Atascadero, he was locked out of a friend’s house, he was cold, he was sitting outside a Motel 6, and that management was telling him to leave.

Pinion’s family reported him missing on Oct. 30, about the time his dog Spock was found deceased on the Cuesta Grade.

On Nov. 2, Atascadero Police Detectives located Mr. Pinion’s body in a remote area near Tassajera Creek in rural Santa Margarita.

Investigators identified 21-year-old Tyler Stevens as a suspect. Officers booked Stevens in the San Luis Obispo County Jail in the early morning hours of Nov. 3 on a charge of homicide. He is being held without bail.

The Atascadero Police Department thanks the community and partner agencies who contributed to the investigation. This remains an active case; anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the Atascadero Police Department at (805) 461-5051.

 


Loading...
Subjects:     
Related:


14 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Todd was a very kind young man. He was gay. I’ve got the sad feeling this was a hate crime. Very sad.


9

He was a very kind man. I fear it as well, I see no other reason.


5

I really doubt it. I’d bet money they knew each other and were somehow romantically associated. There is already a video online from tiktok account @vivi.yum claiming a missing man had sexually assaulted her ex.


-26

I cannot imagine anything this victim could have done to warrant killing him and his dog. If there was any indication of “self-defense”, then the suspect would not be in custody without bail. Look at that little dog. There is not any possible reason, besides pure hate, for killing that little guy.


IMHO, it is way past time our society stopped turning a blind eye to those who would turn people like this young man (and his dog!) into enemies and acceptable targets. In anyone’s mind. Please, people, side with LOVE.


16

I by no means meant to imply that his murder was justified. It’s tragic what has happened here and I hope the murderer is brought to justice. I just don’t like that people are politicizing it by calling it a “hate crime” with absolutely no evidence (with evidence pointing, in fact, to the contrary). As if there are just roving bands of white supremacists in MAGA hats in SLO county looking for gay people to murder. The statistics show that most “hate crimes” are committed by people known by the victim where the primary motivation is not “hate towards gay people”.


0

Myself and another used this wording; having known the gent; would literally make this conclusion rationally Todd was a good soul, and still is. His orientation didn’t matter to him*** so, no one is making it political. but it sure matters to many whacky people in this country who want to hurt and or control queer folks or kill them; apparently it does to you given your responses; which is pretty sad.


-1

Some highly vague statement on Tic Tok is just about as far from proof as it is possible to get. Would you consider that sufficient “evidence” to be used against yourself in court??? Apparently, you found it adequate excuse to use against this deceased person, who has no means of defense. As an excuse for another to murder him and his dog. I wonder what you think the dog was accused of? Or could a statement which could have applied to any dog have been just as valid?


I lived for an extended period in the South, where “roving bands” of people in special hats actually did the same exact thing you are siting as so unlikely. Their rhetoric was exactly the same, to the word, as I hear from the MAGA movement and their candidate. Word for word. Given how popular MAGA is in the North County, (or are you denying that as well?) it is too easy for me to find a parallel here. Please note that it was not I who brought up “MAGA”, but you, yourself. So, obviously, the similarities and implications are not totally lost on you.


What I am trying to get across here is that encouraging negativity towards our fellow citizens who have no proven crimes and no ill intentions within our communities is dangerous and unacceptable and has real world consequences, which bring down our entire society. It is not “free speech”. It is not “OK”. It is toxic to the point of lethal.


-10

Agree.


-10

Well there ya go. If it was on TikTok it must be the truth


13

Nothing good happens at a Motel 6, this why they are being converted to managed homeless shelters.


-10

Really ignorant way the media worded that and Motel 6 connotation as being bad.


-6

Just curious but is the same Tyler Stevens who in December 2022 at the time was19 years old and was arrested in SLO for excessive speeding and driving the wrong way on both Higuera and Broad Streets in SLO and attempted to hit the SLO police officers who tried to stop him? If it is the same person, then why 2 years later is he out of jail? If this is the same person then he should have still been incarcerated and this crime would never have been committed! WTF??


71

Was probably never in jail.


28

I was thinking the same thing when I read that article. It also said he swapped vehicles originally he was driving wrong way in an f150 and switched to a relatives Bronco and caught in that going the wrong way on a different rd.


23