Santa Maria woman hides in neighbors backyard, after husband reportedly stabs her

Posted: Jan 14, 2013 6:29 PM by Nikki Ibarra
Updated: Jan 15, 2013 5:47 AM

KSBY has learned the name of the man who died in Sunday's officer-involved shooting in Santa Maria. He was 50 year-old Robert Guzman of Santa Maria.

It happened just after 10 at a home on East Sunset Avenue. Police responded to a neighbor's 911 call, after a woman and her 8 year-old granddaughter ran into the caller's home. Police said the woman had been stabbed by Guzman, who was her husband. The caller said Guzman chased after the woman and child. When police arrived, they said Guzman confronted officers with a knife and hedge clipper. Officers were then forced to shoot Guzman after first trying to use a bean bag gun.

Police told KSBY officers have been to the home dozens of times over the past couple of years.

"She just jumped somewhere from here. Everything I can see if just from this area. There's a couple blood spots right there," said Diego Salazar of Santa Maria.

Loud barks from the family dog are what made Salazar check his backyard to see what was going on. "I opened the door and I seen that she was bleeding and she asked for help and I let her in," added Salazar.

Salazar didn't know the woman, but he and his wife told her to come inside, and they called 911.

"Right away she told us what had happened; that her husband had stabbed her and I had seen her wounds. She was bleeding," said Salazar.

Salazar and his family just moved to the neighborhood about a week ago, and having this kind of violence happen so close to home has left them shaken. "She was all, why did they have to shoot him. I have to go see my husband. She wanted to leave my door and get out of the house and go see what had happened. I told her we can't go out there, you know," said Salazar.

Three officers were involved in Sunday's shooting, and will return to work in 5 days.

Chief Ralph Martin told KSBY the officers involved will go through psychological evaluations when they return to work.