Daily Briefs


Atascadero police arrest wanted Paso Robles man

A Paso Robles man with two felony warrants led police officers on a chase in Atascadero  Thursday afternoon. [Cal Coast Times] At 3:25 p.m., the Atascadero Police Department’s special enforcement team noticed Justin Lee Ladd, 37, a wanted man, in... (Continue reading)

Manse on Marsh owner and employee facing manslaughter trial

A San Luis Obispo judge ruled last week that enough evidence exists for a manslaughter case against the owner and former administrator of the Manse on Marsh to go to trial. [Cal Coast Times] Last July, the California Attorney General’s... (Continue reading)

Decline to state voters edge past Republicans in California

Ahead of next week’s primary election, independent voters have reportedly surpassed Republicans as the second largest voting bloc in California. [Cal Coast Times] As of the close of voter registration 15 days before the June primary, there are 4,844,803 no-party-preference... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria man convicted of child rape

A Santa Barbara County jury convicted a Santa Maria man of committing numerous acts of molestation, including sexual intercourse, with two young girls. Manuel Ruiz Rios, 34, now faces life in prison, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s... (Continue reading)

Remains of murdered man found in Santa Margarita

Sheriff deputies found the remains of a 38-year-old missing man in rural Santa Margarita after receiving a tip that his body was 4100 block of Stagecoach Canyon Road. [Cal Coast Times] Jared Jay Walters, 38, was reported missing to the... (Continue reading)

DA prosecuting schizophrenic man for actions while hospitalized

In another case pitting San Luis Obispo County law enforcers against advocates for the mentally ill, a schizophrenic Atascadero man is facing charges over an incident last year in which he struck a worker at SLO County’s psychiatric health facility.... (Continue reading)

Emotional day at Marilyn Pharis murder trial

A nurse who treated Marilyn Pharis, the Santa Maria woman who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant with an extensive criminal record, cried in court Tuesday and shouted that she knew the victim had been raped. [Cal Coast Times]... (Continue reading)

Six cars burglarized at trailhead on the Cuesta Grade

Amid an apparent rash of car break-ins at trailheads, six vehicles were burglarized Saturday morning at a parking lot for the West Cuesta Ridge Trail. [Cal Coast Times] The burglaries occurred at about 9 a.m. at a parking lot located... (Continue reading)

Two people hospitalized in crashes near Lake Nacimiento

Two separate accidents near Lake Nacimiento on Sunday each resulted in one person being hospitalized. [Cal Coast Times] At about 4:30 p.m., two vehicles collided on Nacimiento Lake Drive in the Heritage Ranch area. A total of seven people were... (Continue reading)

Raging fire guts Santa Margarita mercantile

An early morning fire has destroyed much of the building that holds the closed Margarita Mercantile & Company in Santa Margarita. Shortly after midnight, a fire was spotted burning in an uninhabited apartment behind the Mercantile. The blaze destroyed the... (Continue reading)