Father and son charged with sex crimes in Santa Maria

March 5, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Deputies arrested a father and son from Santa Maria on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a child and other sex crimes. Santa Barbara County Sheriff detectives are asking any additional victims to come forward.

An adult survivor contacted law enforcement in Jan. 2024 to report 64-year-old Mark Pearse and his 34-year-old son Allen Pearse molested her as a child. The alleged crimes began around 2009 at the Los Pinos Apartments in Orcutt, near Winter Road and Orcutt Road.

In Jan. 2025, deputies identified an additional survivor who reported Allen Pearse had raped her. In Feb. 2025, detectives identified two additional survivors who also reported Allen Pearse had raped each of them.

On Tuesday, detectives arrested Mark and Allen Pearse for lewd acts against a minor under 14. Allen Pearse is also charged with digital penetration of an unconscious person, rape of an unconscious person, and sodomy of an unconscious person.

Based on their investigation, detectives believe there are additional victims, possibly from the Orcutt Los Pinos Apartments or the Boone Street area in Santa Maria. Detectives are asking anyone with knowledge of additional crimes associated with the suspects to contact Detective Brownlee at (805) 681-4150.

“The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is aware that survivors of sexual assault and abuse are often reluctant to come forward for many different reasons,” according to the department. “We have many resources available regardless of your decision to participate in a criminal investigation”