Judge rules San Luis Obispo County murder suspect can stand trial

July 8, 2026

Abel Angel Santiago

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A San Luis Obispo County judge ruled on Wednesday that enough evidence exists for a defendant to stand trial for the murder of a Santa Maria man on Highway 166 last November.

Abel Angel Santiago, 23, is headed to trial on all charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder and destroying or concealing evidence and being an accessory after the fact. 

Judge Crystal Seiler found there is evidence supporting a theory that Santiago was a co-conspirator in the murder, as well as a theory that he was an aider-and-abettor to the killing.

On Nov. 13, 2025, Abel Santiago and his brother, Francisco Santiago, picked up the victim, Margarito Ventura Ventura, in Santa Maria. Armed with a firearm, the brothers drove the victim through Santa Maria along a route that avoided more than 150 license-plate-reading cameras, then traveled northbound into San Luis Obispo County, where the victim’s primary cell phone activity ceased.

The brothers took Ventura Ventura eastbound on Highway 166. At Suey Creek Road, the Santa Maria man was removed from the vehicle and shot several times, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors say evidence established that the Santiago brothers removed a second cell phone from the victim and fled to Nipomo, where they disposed of it. 

A passerby arrived at the crime scene after the brothers fled. The individual found Ventura Ventura in the roadway and attempted to render aid, but the victim died of his wounds at the scene.

Following the murder, Abel Santiago – an illegal immigrant – destroyed evidence of the shooting, bought a new cell phone and ultimately tried to flee the country. A search of Abel Santiago’s cell phone indicated he was in the process of creating a fictitious identity, prosecutors say.

Law enforcement personnel stopped him before he could flee. Investigators arrested Abel Santiago and interviewed him. He admitted to bringing the firearm and brandishing it at the victim inside the vehicle, but claimed his brother fired the fatal shots, according to the district attorney’s office.

Francisco Santiago fled San Luis Obispo County following the murder and currently remains at large. Investigators ask that anyone who has information about his whereabouts call Crime Stoppers at 805-549-STOP (7867) or submit a tip online on the San Luis Obispo County Crime Stoppers Website. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.

Abel Santiago currently remains in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail. He is due to return to court on Aug. 3 for an arraignment hearing.

“This defendant participated in the calculated and cold-blooded killing of a man who was lured, driven to a remote location, and executed,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement. “Today’s ruling affirms there is sufficient evidence for these serious charges to be heard in court. I want to thank the California Highway Patrol for their meticulous investigative work, which pieced together a complex, circumstantial case and brought this defendant to justice. We remain committed to securing justice for Mr. Ventura Ventura and his family.”

The California Highway Patrol’s Coastal Division Investigative Services Unit investigated the case. CHP investigators used cell phone location data and surveillance footage from businesses in the Santa Maria area to develop the case and identify the Santiago brothers as suspects.

Following the murder, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued an immigration detainer against Abel Angel Santiago.

An immigration detainer is a request from ICE that asks local law enforcement to hold an individual for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release from jail to allow ICE to take custody. California law restricts when law enforcement can comply, generally requiring a judicial warrant or a conviction for specific crimes before a hold can be placed.