Daily Briefs


Drunk driver blamed for crash near Santa Margarita

By KAREN VELIE An alleged drunk driver crashed his car on Highway 101 near Santa Margarita on Friday morning. Shortly after 3 a.m., Jose Pena was driving a green Toyota Tundra northbound on Highway 101 near Tassajara Creek Road when... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara County deputy arrested for timecard fraud

By KAREN VELIE A 34-year-old Santa Barbara County deputy was arrested on Thursday for fraud related to his timecards. Following a criminal investigation that revealed the deputy fraudulently coded more than $175,000 in earnings dating back to 2023 for shifts... (Continue reading)

Major injuries in three vehicle crash near Santa Margarita

By KAREN VELIE A three vehicle crash on Highway 101 south of Santa Margarita resulted in major injuries and the closure of Highway 101 for more than an hour on Friday morning. Shortly after 3 a.m., a caller reported a... (Continue reading)

County awarded $21 million for mental health facility in Paso Robles

By KAREN VELIE The state recently awarded San Luis Obispo County a $21,639,180 grant for a proposed mental health facility in Paso Robles. The funds will be used to purchase and renovate an existing facility in Paso Robles that will... (Continue reading)

Wrong-way drunk driver crashes on Highway 101 near Nipomo

By KAREN VELIE An alleged drunk driver, who was headed the wrong way on Highway 101 south of Nipomo, crashed into another vehicle on Wednesday evening. Shortly before 6 p.m., the alleged drunk driver was headed northbound in the southbound... (Continue reading)

Husband of Santa Maria childcare provider charged with child abuse

By KAREN VELIE Santa Maria police detectives arrested a 79-year-old man last week on charges he sexually abused mutiple children at a home childcare facility his wife operated. Detectives began investigating Ernest James Lattimer in 2019 following a report of... (Continue reading)

Man accused of sexually assaulting patients at Goleta care facility

By KAREN VELIE A 61-year-old certified nursing assistant is in jail for allegedly sexually assaulting two patients at a care home in Goleta, On Jan. 20, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives arrested Kayode Agbolade Ogunba of Los Angeles on charges... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo bar busted selling alcohol to underage patrons

By KAREN VELIE Law enforcement busted a San Luis Obispo bar for selling alcohol to underage patrons last week during an undercover operation conducted by the SLO Police Department and California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). On Jan. 22,... (Continue reading)

Anti-ICE protest in San Luis Obispo following second fatal shooting

By KAREN VELIE More than 300 protestors gathered outside the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday morning to protest a second fatal shooting by an immigration officer. On Saturday morning, a federal immigration officer shot and killed 37-year-old... (Continue reading)

San Luis Obispo County gas prices increase, find lowest costs

By KAREN VELIE The average price for a gallon of gas in San Luis Obispo County increased four cents last week to $4.44 a gallon, according to figures from AAA. In California, the average price for a gallon of gas... (Continue reading)