Man found guilty of attempted murder
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that Terrence Edward Roberson was found guilty of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, as well a special allegation for personally discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury and carrying a concealed firearm.
The charges stemmed from a shooting that occurred on May 15, 2019, on the 500 block of Chapala Street in Santa Barbara.
At approximately 5 a.m, Mr. Roberson walked by the victim on the sidewalk, the victim was unknown to Mr. Roberson at that time.
After a brief interaction, the defendant pulled out a .22 caliber revolver and shot the victim twice in the back. Mr. Roberson was detained shortly thereafter walking away from the incident on Cota Street.
The defendant will be sentenced in Department 1 of the Santa Barbara Superior Court on May 31, 2022 and faces a possible 32 years to life in State Prison.
— Katherine Zehnder
Standoff in Guadalupe
GUADALUPE — A male resident of Guadalupe was taken into custody Thursday morning following an hours-long stand-off where he barricaded himself inside a house with a gun, the Guadalupe Police Department reported.
The police department had responded to the residence twice during the night for welfare checks. The department was unable to do anything due to an ongoing family issue at the household, Police Chief Michael Cash told KEYT-TV.
The third call to the residence occurred around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. As police arrived they heard gunshots coming from the house.
Officers were able to establish communications inside the house and found a male suspect with a gun “that he evidently had been firing off,” Chief Cash said.
The Guadalupe Police Department requested assistance from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and the Santa Maria Police Department. They were able to help a woman and the suspect’s father escape from the house through a window, according to Chief Cash.
The suspect barricaded himself inside and refused to come out, while simultaneously trying to lure officers inside. At approximately 7:30 a.m., the suspect exited the house and was arrested.
He is currently booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail, but his charges are unknown at this time, according to Chief Cash.
— Katherine Zehnder
Car pursuit goes from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara
A pursuit of a stolen vehicle stretched from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara on Thursday.
The car has been located, but law enforcement officials are still actively looking for the driver of the vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The chase started just after 1:30 p.m., when the Santa Maria Police Department was made aware that the car was stolen.
CHP pursued the car from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara and “disconnected the pursuit at Los Carneros Road in Goleta,” reported KEYT-TV.
The Santa Barbara Police Department and CHP continued to receive reports of reckless driving from the vehicle as the car continued toward Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara police, CHP and a Santa Barbara County helicopter worked together to catch the driver, Police Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale told KEYT.
The police located the unoccupied vehicle just after 3 p.m. However the driver remains at large.
— Katherine Zehnder
Community assistance leads to arrest
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara police have arrested Violetta Hatipoglu, 41, of Santa Barbara on suspicion of a crime involving taser assault and elder abuse.
The police followed up on leads from community members at approximately 9:20 a.m. Thursday, Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale said.
Information was provided to the officers as to the identity and the location of the suspect. Officers made contact with the suspect in the 100 West block of Calle Crespis.
Probable cause was established to arrest Ms. Hatipoglu, Sgt. Ragsdale said.
He said the investigation revealed a verbal argument ensued between the victim and Ms. Hatipoglu. This led to Ms. Hatipoglu allegedly using a flashlight-taser on the victim several times.
Ms. Hatipoglu was booked in the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of felony elder abuse and felony assault with a taser. Bail was set at $20,000.
Santa Barbara Police would like to thank the community and media outlets that assisted with the investigation.
— Katherine Zehnder
Bypass lane installed in Ventura County
MUSSEL SHOALS — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) plans to install a southbound bypass lane on U.S. 101 near Mussel Shoals.
The lane will cross over the median to the left northbound lane, and it will extend more than four miles to Faria Beach, according to Caltrans. The bypass lane will be protected by k-rails to avoid northbound traffic.
No exits will be available in the corridor, and the configuration will remain in place from about 11 tonight to January 2023. Motorists can expect delays.
Caltrans said the purpose is to complete pavement rehabilitation on the two right lanes and shoulder of southbound U.S. 101 from Mussel Shoals to Faria Beach, a 4.3-mile work zone. The left southbound lane will remain open on the coastal side of U.S. 101 with access to the off- and on-ramps at Seacliff.
Ramp closures will occur 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27 and April 28, as well as at intermittent times during the project.
All work is subject to change due to weather or construction-related issues. Residents and businesses located near the freeway may experience noise, vibrations and dust associated with construction activities. Detour signs will be posted.
Real-time traffic information can be found at quickmap.dot.ca.gov.
The work is included in the U.S. 101 Pavement Rehabilitation, a $48 million project that includes $5.5 million in funding from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. Completion is expected in the winter of 2023/2024. For more information, go to dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7/district-7-projects/d7-101-pavement-rehabilitation.
— Katherine Zehnder
