Articles Tagged With ‘Santa Maria’




Santa Maria police arrest suspect 35 years after murder

By KAREN VELIE Santa Maria police officers on Friday arrested a 57-year-old suspect in a murder that occurred 35 years ago. On Sept. 18, 1988, investigators believe Aloysius Winthrop James killed 30-year-old Ofelia Sandoval at the Town Center Hotel on... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria man arrested for shooting 15-year-old girl

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Police arrested a Santa Maria man on Tuesday for a drive-by shooting that wounded a 15-year-old girl earlier this year.  At approximately 3:15 a.m. on Feb. 1, a 911 caller reported a shooting in the 800 block... (Continue reading)

Two men shot at Minami Park park in Santa Maria

By KAREN VELIE A shooting at Minami Park in Santa Maria left two men suffering from gunshot wounds on Sunday afternoon. Shortly after 1 p.m., 911 callers reported a shooting at the park, located near the intersection of Battles Road... (Continue reading)

Santa maria police searching for missing 12-year-old girl

By KAREN VELIE The Santa Maria Police Department is asking for the public’s help finding a missing 12-year-old girl, who is possibly in Arroyo Grande. The missing girl, Zayra Santos-García, was last seen on Saturday night. Investigators describe her as... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria high school student hit by car, airlifted to Central Valley hospital

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A driver on Thursday morning struck a 16-year-old Santa Maria girl who was walking to school, leaving the teen with major injuries and leading to a helicopter airlifting her to a Central Valley hospital.  Shortly before 8... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria man charged with attempting to meet a minor for sex

By KAREN VELIE Police arrested a 37-year-old Santa Maria man on Wednesday who was allegedly attempting to meet with what he thought was an 11-year-old girl and her mother for a sexual encounter with the child. While the man thought... (Continue reading)

Man sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for fatal Nipomo DUI crash

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A San Luis Obispo County judge sentenced a Santa Maria man to 21 years and 8 months to life in prison for a second-degree murder conviction and other offenses stemming from him driving intoxicated and in the... (Continue reading)

Killer who dumped body in Nipomo sentenced to 35 years to life

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A Santa Barbara County judge on Wednesday sentenced a Santa Maria woman to 35 years to life in prison for murdering a man whose remains were found on a Nipomo golf course in 2020.  Following a trial... (Continue reading)

Santa Maria principal accused of falsifying athletes’ transcripts

By KAREN VELIE The official registrar for St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria has accused the principal of altering transcripts and ordering others to falsify high-performing athletes’ grades on official transcripts. Connie Plata, the school’s registrar, filed a blistering... (Continue reading)

Jury convicts Santa Maria woman of striking Arroyo Grande officer with car

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A San Luis Obispo County jury has convicted a Santa Maria woman of striking an Arroyo Grande police officer with her car, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol causing serious injury. Shortly before 6... (Continue reading)