Santa Barbara police arrest man over stabbing at harbor

April 3, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Santa Barbara police officers arrested a man over a stabbing at the city’s harbor early Thursday morning. [KCOY]

At about 5:30 a.m., a caller reported an alleged assault near the Santa Barbara Landing at the harbor. Officers arrived at the scene and found a man with multiple injuries, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.

Responders transported the victim to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he was later listed in stable condition. Officials are currently withholding his identity.

An initial investigation revealed the victim had been involved in a verbal altercation with multiple people in the harbor area. The verbal dispute escalated into a physical altercation that led to the stabbing, police say.

Officers were conducting further investigation and interviews at the harbor, when at about 6 p.m. Thursday, they spotted a man matching the description of the suspect. The man was disembarking a local fishing vessel at the time.

Police took the man, Ivan Hernandez, 49, of Commerce into custody. Officers later booked Hernandez in Santa Barbara County Jail on charges that included assault with a deadly weapon.

The stabbing appears to have been an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police said.