Articles Tagged With ‘Santa Barbara County District Attorney’




Two men charged in 2021 murder of Shandon teen

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Barbara County prosecutors have charged two men for the 2021 murder of a 17-year-old from Shandon, which took place in Los Olivos.  On March 7, 2021, a 911 caller reported a single vehicle accident in the... (Continue reading)

Ex-Central Coast coach, yearbook distributor convicted of child sex crimes

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A former Central Coast coach and yearbook distributor is facing life in prison for dozens of child sex crimes. In 2019, responding to a tip from a Santa Ynez Valley High School teacher who overheard an inappropriate... (Continue reading)

Two defendants sentenced for animal cruelty in Santa Barbara County

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that two defendants were sentenced to jail in separate animal cruelty cases. [KCOY] David George Brown, 47, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty stemming from abusive behavior patterns... (Continue reading)

Santa Barbara County pleads guilty to oil spill offenses

  By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Barbara County’s Water Resources Division pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts related to oil discharges at the Toro Canyon Oil Water Separator. [KCOY] The discharges occurred between Jan. 2018 through July 2021 and in Jan.... (Continue reading)

District attorney finds fatal Santa Maria police shooting justified

By JOSH FRIEDMAN The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has ruled a Santa Maria police officer was justified in using deadly force when, at the end of a long standoff last year, he shot and killed a man armed... (Continue reading)

DA says deadly Santa Maria police shooting was justified

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has concluded that last summer’s fatal shooting of a mentally ill Santa Maria man was a justifiable homicide. A report released by the district attorney’s office states three Santa Maria officers had reasonable... (Continue reading)

Former coach gets probation for disputed act of child molestation

A former Santa Maria youth basketball coach, who was accused of molesting a teenage girl over multiple years, received a five-year probation sentence and was set free from jail on Monday. The alleged victim in the case had recanted her... (Continue reading)

Man charged with murder over crash that killed Nipomo native

A Santa Maria man who crashed in Orcutt after allegedly driving drunk at speeds above 125 mph is facing murder charges. The crash killed two women, one of whom was originally from Nipomo. [KSBY] Around 1:40 a.m. on Feb. 6,... (Continue reading)

Lompoc man of the year facing life in prison for child molestation

A longtime public servant and former Lompoc man of the year is facing life in prison after pleading guilty to 17 counts of child molestation charges. Anthony Michael Durham, 67, is expected to spend the rest of his life in... (Continue reading)

Men accused of murdering Marilyn Pharis to appear in court

The two men accused of sexually assaulting and murdering Santa Maria woman Marilyn Pharis, 64, are due to appear in court this week for preliminary hearings. [KSBY] Last week, Santa Barbara County prosecutors announced they would not pursue the death... (Continue reading)