Sheriff’s deputies respond to the scene of an alleged murder attempt in the 4800 block of San Gordiano.
Man arrested for attempted murder
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives have arrested a Santa Barbara man for the attempted murder of his housemate.
On Thursday at approximately 8:36 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to the 4800 block of San Gordiano in response to a stabbing that had just occurred. When deputies arrived on scene, they found an adult male victim with severe wounds to his upper torso.
Deputies located the victim’s housemate, 61-year-old Alejandro Teran of Santa Barbara, outside the residence. The victim was immediately transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Sheriff’s detectives and forensics technicians responded to the scene to assist with the follow-up investigation. Detectives learned that the victim and his roommate were allegedly involved in an altercation where Mr. Teran ultimately stabbed the victim several times in the upper torso.
Detectives arrested Mr. Teran, and he was booked at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara on suspicion of attempted murder with a bail of $1 million.
The victim remains hospitalized but is expected to survive.
— Katherine Zehnder
Suspects apprehended
SANTA MARIA — Two Lompoc men were arrested by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of theft of a vehicle, attempted theft of a catalytic converter, conspiracy and assault.
Deputies were dispatched to the 1900 block of Elmwood Drive in the Tanglewood area for an alleged, attempted theft of a catalytic converter that had just occurred on Wednesday, at approximately 12:02 p.m.
When deputies arrived, they learned that the two suspects drove to the area and were allegedly attempting to saw the catalytic converter off of a separate vehicle, when the owner of the vehicle confronted them. One of the suspects allegedly swung a collapsed scissor-jack at the victim before both victims ran into an adjacent field, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
When deputies ran the plate on the vehicle that the suspects abandoned, they found that it had been reported stolen from Lompoc earlier that day, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies set up a perimeter and requested County Air Support as well as a Sheriff’s K9 unit to assist with a search of the area for the suspects.
As members of County Air Support tracked the suspects through a field of thick, tall brush, they told them to surrender.
Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Moore deployed his K9 partner Zeke into the brush, where one of the suspects was encountered and apprehended, He was later identified as 35-year-old Francisco Meza-Cardenas.
The second subject, later identified as 31-year-old Abel Barajas Zavala, continued to run through the field and was apprehended shortly afterward by additional deputies in the area. The deputies were guided to him with the assistance of County Air Support Unit Pilot Loren Courtney and Tactical Flight Officer, Special Duty Deputy Todd Lefemine.
Both suspects were booked at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara on suspicion of resisting arrest (misdemeanor), attempted grand theft (felony), vehicle theft (felony) and conspiracy (felony).
Mr. Meza-Cardenas was also booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon as well as two outstanding warrants. He is being held on $60,000 bail.
Mr. Zavala was released without bail pursuant to the local court’s extension of Emergency Rule 4.
— Katherine Zehnder
