By KAREN VELIE Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin said Thursday at a congressional hearing that the United States is running a catch and release program for criminal aliens that is putting the public at risk, during his testimony to... (Continue reading)
Police have arrested a 19-year-old Southern California man for starting an apartment complex fire in Santa Maria last year that displaced 100 people and caused $1 million in damage. One person also had to be hospitalized after suffering burns due... (Continue reading)
An argument between a mother and daughter at the Santa Maria Toys “R” Us parking lot ended with one one dead and the other injured. Kimberly Wilson, 55, was sitting in the driver’s seat of her car and her daughter... (Continue reading)
A Santa Maria woman was arrested Saturday after she drove over a pedestrian trapping the woman underneath her car. Rene Castro was charged with felony DUI and both possession of methamphetamine and illegal drug paraphernalia. Shortly after 4:30 p.m., firefighters... (Continue reading)
A 25-year-old Santa Maria man who is both a youth sports coach and a local church leader for youth is accused of sexually abusing a child. Police arrested Daniel James Moreno early Monday morning. Around 12:40 a.m., officers responded to... (Continue reading)
A suspect drove a pickup truck through a Santa Maria apartment complex, hit a 5-year-old boy and fled on Saturday, according to the city’s police department. A helicopter then airlifted the boy to a Santa Barbara hospital. [KCOY] The child... (Continue reading)
The body of missing Santa Maria teen Ivan Nunez was discovered hanging from an abandoned structure near Range Place and Orchard road in Nipomo on Feb. 17, and was identified Friday, according to the San Maria Police Department. The death... (Continue reading)
A person was shot in Santa Maria Sunday night in an incident police believe was gang related. The victim suffered a single gunshot wound, which is not believed to be life threatening. [KCOY] The shooting occurred just before 9:30 p.m.... (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)