Arrest made in Santa Maria shooting
Irvin Yair Gabino-Perez
SANTA MARIA — Santa Maria police arrested Irvin Yair Gabino-Perez, 18, who was allegedly involved in a shooting between rival gangs Saturday that left a woman injured.
Police said the shooting occurred near Fesler Street and North Benwiley Avenue around 8 p.m. Saturday. A pregnant woman was struck by the gunfire while traveling through the area in a vehicle with her husband.
Officers who arrived at the scene found “physical evidence associated with an exchange of gunfire between rival gangs,” according to a release from the Santa Maria Police Department.
Police said the woman was taken to a hospital, and both she and the unborn child are expected to survive. Police determined the victim and her husband were not affiliated with a gang but just happened to be “simply caught in the exchange of gunfire.”
Mr. Gabino-Perez, of Santa Maria, was taken into custody Tuesday and booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail for a weapons-related charge.
The investigation is ongoing, and individuals with any additional information are asked to contact Detective Sergeant Andy Magallon at 805-928-3781, ext. 2164.
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn
Haobsh sentencing hearing moved
The sentencing hearing for Pierre Haobsh, who was convicted in November 2021 of murdering a Santa Barbara family, has been continued to April 15.
Mr. Haobsh, from Oceanside, was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Dr. Weidong “Henry” Han, 57; wife, Huijie “Jennie” Yu, 29; and 5-year-old daughter, Emily Han, in 2016.
The case was the first time Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley’s office pursued the death penalty. However, that was taken off the table in an agreement for Mr. Haobsh to waive his right to a jury trial and submit instead to a bench trial.
In late February, Haobsh had petitioned the court to be able to represent himself at his sentencing hearing, KEYT reported. He was reportedly granted the request to represent himself.
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn
Multiple suspects arrested following fatal stabbing
SANTA BARBARA — Four people have been arrested following a fatal stabbing in the early morning hours of March 20.
The stabbing occurred in the 500 block of North Milpas Street.
Santa Barbara police said Valentine Hernandez, 40, died at the hospital after being stabbed during a confrontation. He was a resident of Port Hueneme.
Carlos Rios Zavala, 53, from Santa Barbara, was arrested on Tuesday in Oxnard and charged with felony murder. Mr. Zavala’s bail was set at $2 million.
Alejandro Mendoza Zarco, 44, from Santa Barbara; Leticia Munoz, 60, from Oxnard; and Jesus Manuel Zavala-Zazueta, 45, from Port Hueneme; were also arrested and charged with felony conspiracy related to the murder.
Mr. Zarco was arrested on Sunday, whereas the other two suspects were taken into custody on Tuesday.
Santa Barbara police said the incident is still under investigation despite the arrests. The stabbing does not appear to be gang-related at this time, police said.
Anyone with information about the homicide is encouraged to call the Santa Barbara Police Department at 805-897-2355.
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn
Arrest made for alleged catalytic converter theft
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies arrested one person for allegedly stealing catalytic converters early Wednesday morning.
Xiong Vue, 31, from Merced was arrested and booked into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail for possession of stolen property and being under the influence of a controlled substance. Xiong Vue’s bail was set at $20,000.
Police said they responded to a call of a potential catalytic converter theft occurring in the 900 block of Diamond Drive in Orcutt around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. Shortly after the 911 call, deputies found a vehicle matching the description in the report, but prior to a traffic enforcement stop, two suspects stopped the vehicle and fled the area.
A perimeter was established, and Vue was apprehended with the help of the California Highway Patrol.
Officers discover multiple catalytic converters in the backseat of the car as well as a car jack and other tools, police said.
Car ignites after crash on 101
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department responds to the scene of a car fire in Goleta.
GOLETA — A car overturned and ignited in flames after a collision on Highway 101 near Dos Pueblos Canyon Road in Goleta Wednesday afternoon.
A person was ejected from the vehicle, and bystanders assisted the driver until first responders arrived, Capt. Daniel Bertucelli, a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, reported on Twitter.
An individual was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The fire was extinguished without extension into the brush, and the crash remains under investigation, according to Capt. Bertucelli.
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn
Painted Cave controlled burn this week
A planned prescribed burn will take place on Painted Cave Road off State Route 154 in southern Santa Barbara County on Thursday and Friday as long as conditions allow.
The acreage for the Painted Cave pile burn project is approximately one acre.
The burn is coordinated by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department with Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, San Luis Obispo County APCD, San Joaquin Valley APCD, Ventura County APCD and the California Air Resources Board in an effort to minimize impacts on air quality on surrounding communities.
Prescribed burns are utilized to prevent the spread of wildfires and reduce impacts to watersheds.
A portable air monitor will be utilized to monitor air quality conditions.
— Kaitlyn Schallhorn
