Daily Briefs


Kristin Smart’s alleged killer loses motion to dismiss

By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County judge on Friday rejected an attempt by lawyers representing Paul Flores on a charge he murdered Kristin Smart during an attempted rape to dismiss the case. After more than a month of... (Continue reading)

Forest fire closes Highway 1 in Big Sur

By KAREN VELIE A wildfire burning in the rugged hills above Big Sur has scorched 1,500 acres and led to the closure of a section of Highway 1. The Colorado Fire is 5% contained. Propelled by winds of up to... (Continue reading)

Hate crime suspect injures four Santa Barbara police officers

By KAREN VELIE Four Santa Barbara police officers suffered minor to moderate injuries while arresting a 21-year-old suspect for allegedly assaulting a 64 year-old man while making homophobic slurs. Responding to a call, officers arrived at the 500 block of... (Continue reading)

SLO County’s COVID-19 case rates reach record high

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County health officials reported an all-time high of 517 in the average daily number of COVID-19 cases on Friday, outpacing the previous record set on Tuesday with a 14 day average of 383. During... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles police identify man killed on Highway 46

By KAREN VELIE The Paso Robles Police Department identified the man who was struck and killed while walking on Highway 46 Wednesday evening as 35-year-old Sean Casey Colwell of Atascadero. Shortly before 7 p.m., 911 callers reported a man was... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles man found guilty of murdering popular hairdresser

By KAREN VELIE A San Luis Obispo County judge on Thursday convicted a North County man in the murder of a popular Paso Robles hairdresser. Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores, 44, waived his right to a jury trial. Superior Court Judge... (Continue reading)

Arroyo Grande teen dead, suspected overdose

By KAREN VELIE Arroyo Grande police officers are investigating a suspected fatal overdose of a 13-year-old Thursday morning. The teen was found unresponsive shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday morning inside a residence. Arroyo Grande police and fire personnel responded to... (Continue reading)

Man struck and killed on Highway 46 in Paso Robles

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A vehicle or vehicles struck and killed a man who was walking on Highway 46 in Paso Robles Wednesday evening. Shortly before 7 p.m., several people called 911 to report a pedestrian walking in traffic on Highway... (Continue reading)

Gunman shoots man in the torso in Santa Maria

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A gunman shot and wounded a man in Santa Maria Wednesday night, marking the fourth shooting in the north side of the city within a span of 10 days. At about 11:30 p.m., a caller reported a... (Continue reading)

Paso Robles man sentenced to life in prison for killing wife, unborn child

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A judge sentenced a rural Paso Robles man to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing his girlfriend and the couple’s unborn baby. On March 3, 2019, Daniel Raul Rodriguez Johnson crashed his car... (Continue reading)