Prosecutors seek to try Santa Maria murder suspects as adults
June 2, 2025
By KAREN VELIE
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to move the trials of three suspects in a 2023 murder in Santa Maria from juvenile court to adult court. The three suspects were minors at the time of the murder.
On Oct. 21, 2023, Arthur Pichardo was shot and killed at a large backyard party on the 1000 block of North School Street. Three other victims survived gunshot wounds.
Last week, Santa Maria detectives arrested one of the suspects in Kern County on charges of homicide with gang enhancements. The two other suspects, who were all underage at the time of the murder, were already in custody on unrelated charges.
Because all three murder suspects were underage at the time of the shooting, they are being held in juvenile hall.
The three suspects are facing charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm during a crime.
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