By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Maria police officers early Thursday morning arrested an alleged gang member out on parole for selling firearms. At about 3 a.m., detectives, along with the Santa Maria Police Department SWAT Team, served search warrants at homes... (Continue reading)
Santa Maria’s streak of five consecutive months without a murder came to an end Monday night when a July 4 block party ended in a deadly shooting. One man was killed by the gunfire, and a juvenile suffered multiple bullet... (Continue reading)
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors allocated more than $230,000 to add two deputies to the Sheriff’s Gang Task Force. Sheriff Ian Parkinson says gangs from Santa Maria, as well as Monterey and Kern counties, are moving into... (Continue reading)
A man suffered a gunshot wound in Santa Maria late Wednesday night. He survived and is in stable condition in the hospital. [KSBY] The shooting occurred in the 200 block of N. Smith Street. Officers responded and found the victim... (Continue reading)
Salinas and Santa Maria, two cities similar in size and demographics, are experiencing epidemics of gang violence. Both cities had record homicide totals last year. [KSBY] In 2015, there were 13 murders in Santa Maria and 40 in Salinas. There... (Continue reading)
Authorities arrested 15 foreign nationals from Honduras and El Salvador early Thursday morning as part of a multi-state operation targeting suspects in the city of Santa Maria’s recent murder spree. All of the suspects who were arrested are members or... (Continue reading)
A Santa Maria jury delivered first-degree murder convictions to five of six defendants who stood trial for the killing of a 28-year-old man that allegedly occurred as retribution for a drug debt. [Lompoc Record] Ramon Maldonado, 39, David Maldonado, 57,... (Continue reading)
A multi-month murder trial in Santa Maria has moved into its third week of testimony as prosecutors continue to make their case that six gang members murdered and tortured a 28-year-old man in retribution for a drug debt. Six defendants... (Continue reading)
Santa Maria police took to the streets over the weekend to search for suspects ranging from DUI offenders who failed to appear in court to residents with gang associations. [KSBY] Officers arrested a total of 11 suspects during multiple searches... (Continue reading)
Santa Barbara County Superior Court has summoned 1,400 potential jurors for a Santa Maria torture-murder trial, but approximately 1,000 of those summoned did not show up to court. [KSBY] Jury selection began Monday in the trial of six defendants charged... (Continue reading)