Tagged News

• Officials ease enforcement for some illegal immigrants Play Video

  May 3, 2012 1:25 AM

  Federal immigration officials are easing up on illegal immigrants who commit minor traffic violations, and that includes DUIs. The move reflects the Obama administration's recent efforts to crack down on high-risk or violent illegal immigrants as opposed to those with clean records. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court is... more »

• 85 percent vote "No Confidence" in Santa Maria police chief

  February 25, 2012 2:24 AM

  A key vote tonight shows the majority of the Santa Maria Police Department is not happy with Chief Danny Macagni's leadership. The Police Officers Association counted the ballots and released the results shortly before 6:15 Friday night. The vote comes after two officers were shot by friendly fire three... more »

• Police still looking for armed suspect in attempted jewelry store robbery

  June 8, 2011 1:37 PM

  Santa Maria police are still looking for a masked man who implied he had a gun during a holdup on Tuesday afternoon at Fischer's Fine Jewelry in the 200 block of East Main Street. The store thought the weapon was a fake gun and got into a brief tussle with... more »

• Police officer involved in traffic collision

  May 23, 2011 12:19 AM

  The Santa Maria Police Department says one of its officers crashed into another car around 3:45 p.m. while responding to a traffic collision. Authorities say the officer was heading northbound on Broadway when he broadsided a vehicle heading eastbound on mill. Two people inside the other vehicle had minor... more »

• Police investigate two overnight crimes in Santa Maria

  May 16, 2011 10:06 PM

  Santa Maria Police investigated a fatal stabbing and a drive by shooting just blocks away from each other in the last two days. The stabbing happened around 2 a.m. Sunday in the 400 block of West Lemon Street. Police say a 42-year old man was stabbed to death when... more »

• Santa Barbara considering a gang injunction

  March 15, 2011 12:55 PM

  Santa Barbara County leaders are discussing the possibility of starting a gang injunction in Santa Barbara. Recent gang activity in the city has renewed the push for an injunction. Currently, Santa Maria does not have a gang injunction. Lompoc has had an injunction since 2005. According to the American... more »

• Three people robbed in Santa Maria within hours

  February 11, 2011 9:40 PM

  Officers respond to street robberies just hours apart last night. The first one took place just after 5:45 p.m. in the 600 block of South Lincoln. The second was just around the corner near the intersection of Morrison and Thornburg shortly after 7 p.m. The third was in the... more »

• Santa Maria police say home invasions are rare

  January 31, 2011 6:46 PM

  Santa Maria police say home invasions are rare and typically don't happen to random victims. Authorities are searching for three men who tried breaking into a home and robbing a man while wearing masks and bandannas. The crime happened on the 400 block of East Fesler Street Sunday... more »

• Victim says suspects tried breaking into his home while wearing masks

  January 31, 2011 12:42 PM

  A scary situation for a Santa Maria resident after three suspects tried breaking into his house while wearing masks and bandannas. Santa Maria police are now investigating the home invasion and attempted armed robbery that took place Sunday night on the 400 block of East Fesler. The victim... more »

• Santa Maria police say both drivers involved in rollover accident unlicensed

  January 26, 2011 8:20 PM

  Santa Maria police say an unlicensed driver is responsible for a rollover accident. It happened around 4 pm at the intersection of Skyway Drive and Fairway Drive. Witnesses told police a van ran a red light and that's what caused the accident. But officers say the driver... more »

• DUI checkpoint scheduled this weekend

  November 19, 2010 7:07 PM

  The Santa Maria Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint on Sunday, November 21st from 6 pm to 10 pm. The checkpoint will take place on a roadway within Santa Maria where a significant number of DUI related collisions and DUI arrests have occurred. Officers... more »

• 57-year-old man robbed at knifepoint

  October 4, 2010 7:30 PM

  Police in Santa Maria want to know who robbed a 57-year-old man at knifepoint Sunday night. It happened in the 1300 block of North Broadway. Police say the robber demanded the man's personal property and he turned items over to the robber. The victim was not hurt. ... more »

• Two women injured in car accident; officers blame distracted driving

  September 27, 2010 7:48 PM

  Officers say distracted driving contributed to a car accident that sent two women to the hospital. It happened around 9:45 Monday morning on Betteravia, east of Black Road in Santa Maria. Police say a woman had to be extricated after the car she was a passenger in was... more »

• Police on the look-out for school zone violators

  August 20, 2010 7:39 PM

  If you're breaking the law in a school zone-- beware! You may not realize just how expensive it is, if you're caught and fined. Santa Maria police officers are out in full force to keep children safe. It's a big concern for Emilie Pay. She has two daughters who... more »

• School zone violators will have to pay a hefty price

  August 20, 2010 5:49 PM

  If you're driving through a school zone and breaking the law, Santa Maria police say beware it comes with a hefty price. If you're caught speeding in a school zone, the fine is around $230. You must also stop for a school bus when its red lights are... more »

• Drivers beware: Police say school-zone speeders will be slapped with fines

  August 20, 2010 12:36 PM

  If you get caught speeding in a school zone, get ready to shell out some big bucks. Santa Maria police want to remind drivers that speeding through school zones creates dangerous conditions for children in the area. KSBY News Reporter Monica Quintero will ride along with officers on... more »

• Cracking down on drivers running red lights

  July 29, 2010 7:58 PM

  Santa Maria police say it's a big problem, drivers running red lights. It's dangerous and can even turn deadly. To give you a perspective, from July 1st of 2009 through July 1st of this year police have written around 275 red light violations. A car crash in Santa Maria... more »

• Police working to crack down on drivers running red lights

  July 29, 2010 5:32 PM

  Santa Maria police say it's a big problem, drivers running red lights. It's dangerous and can even turn deadly. To give you a perspective, from July 1st of 2009 through July 1st of this year police have written more than 250 red light violations. KSBY News Reporter... more »

• Drivers running red lights a big problem in the city

  July 29, 2010 12:56 PM

  Santa Maria police say there's a big problem with drivers running red lights. There have been numerous accidents and injuries because of the reckless driving. To crack down on the problem, the City of Santa Maria has proclaimed August 1st through 7th "National Stop on Red Week." ... more »

• A woman is stabbed after a fight breaks out near a bar

  July 16, 2010 8:10 PM

  Santa Maria police are investigating two stabbings that took place within hours of one another. The first happened on the 200 block of West Bunny around 9 pm on Friday. The victim was a 29-year-old Santa Maria man. The other stabbing took place around 1:45 am Friday on the... more »

• Santa Maria police investigating two stabbings

  July 16, 2010 6:40 PM

  Santa Maria police are investigating two stabbings. The first happened on the 200 block of West Bunny around 9 pm on Thursday. The other stabbing took place around 1:45 am Friday on the 200 block of East Main Street in the parking lot of Louie B's bar. Several women got... more »

• A woman is stabbed outside a bar early Friday morning

  July 16, 2010 1:08 PM

  A 36 year old woman was stabbed outside Louie B Bar on East Main early Friday morning in Santa Maria. Police say the victim was involved in a fight with several women outside the bar when she was stabbed. Friends took her to Marian Medical Center for treatment. The... more »

• Two officer-involved crashes in less than a week

  July 14, 2010 2:15 PM

  Two Santa Maria police officers have been injured in car crashes in less than a week. The most recent accident took place Tuesday Night on Morrison Avenue and Pine Street. Police say the officer was taking a suspect to the station for processing when he was side-swiped by 53-year-old... more »

• July Fourth holiday busy for police

  July 5, 2010 7:40 PM

  Three stabbings and a car jacking. The July Fourth holiday has been a busy time for Santa Maria police. Officers are now asking for the public's help in all of these crimes. A car jacking around one o'clock Monday morning on the 500-block of West Park is the most recent... more »

• 4th of July holiday weekend busy for police

  July 5, 2010 4:31 PM

  The July Fourth holiday weekend has been a busy time for Santa Maria police. There were three stabbings and a car jacking took place on Monday. KSBY News Reporter Monica Quintero talked with police about the incidents and she has reaction from neighbors. Find out more on KSBY News at... more »

• D.A.R.E program could be eliminated

  June 15, 2010 8:26 PM

  Santa Maria Police Chief Danny Macagni says the D.A.R.E. program could be eliminated. The police department coordinates the drug prevention program. It's been going strong since 1993 and more than 20,000 students have graduated from the D.A.R.E. program. Chief Macagni said, "We're looking at some options to keep it... more »

• Teen shot during apparent gang fight

  June 9, 2010 2:18 AM

  A teenager was shot in the hand during an apparent gang fight in Santa Maria Tuesday afternoon. Santa Maria police said the fight happened at about 4 p.m. on the 100 block of East Bunny. Witnesses told officers two rival gangs began yelling and flashing gang signs at each other.... more »

• Sheriff will not comment on possible jail closure until next week

  June 4, 2010 6:24 PM

  A spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department says Sheriff Bill Brown will not comment on his plans to possibly close the North County jail until after Monday's Board of Supervisors meeting. The department says Sheriff Brown has been working on details to present to the board and... more »

• Santa Maria police arrest two men on robbery charge

  May 28, 2010 1:40 AM

  Two 19-year-old men are taken into custody, after officers say they were caught trying to rob someone in Santa Maria. Police were called out to the area of Fesler Street and McClelland at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a robbery that had just taken place. When... more »

• Juvenile stabbed in Santa Maria

  May 22, 2010 2:39 AM

  Santa Maria police say one juvenile is behind bars and another is in the hospital after a gang-related stabbing in the city. Officers were called out just before 6:30 p.m. Friday to the 500 block of South McClelland. They say that's where a large fight took place. One of... more »

• Largest Gang in Santa Maria busted

  May 7, 2010 8:25 PM

  Santa Maria police come down hard on what they say is the largest gang in the city, the "West Park Criminal Street Gang." They arrested 35 people associated with the gang in the past 30 hours alone. They also showed us a sample of what they seized. The chief of... more »

• Santa Maria Police Chief address criticism regarding gangs

  May 7, 2010 7:31 PM

  Santa Maria police announce a major drug and gang bust. They said they've been investigating the largest gang in the city which is the "West Park Criminal Street Gang." At a press conference Friday afternoon, police said they arrested 35 people associated with the case in the past 30 hours... more »

• Major drug and gang bust in Santa Maria

  May 7, 2010 6:09 PM

  Santa Maria police announce a major drug and gang bust. They say they started the investigation a year ago. As a result, 35 people associated with the case have been arrested in the past 30 hours alone. Additional arrests are expected in the days and weeks to follow. Investigators also... more »

• Jack in the Box burglary video released in Santa Maria

  May 5, 2010 8:49 PM

  Santa Maria police released surveillance video showing the burglary at a Jack in the Box this week. It happened around six o'clock Tuesday morning at the Jack in the Box in the 800 block of South Broadway. On the surveillance tape, 25-year-old Arthur Burgett of Santa Maria. He allegedly... more »

• Police do not suspect foul play in boy's drowning

  May 3, 2010 9:33 PM

  Investigators do not suspect foul play in the death of a one-year-old Santa Maria boy who drowned in the bathtub last Friday. It happened in an apartment in the 200-block of East Tunnel. The boy's father told investigators the youngster was upstairs in the bathtub when he left for... more »

• One person killed in collision in Santa Maria

  April 6, 2010 1:16 AM

  Santa Maria police officers say at least one person is dead after two cars collided in the city Monday night. It happened around 7 p.m.at the intersection of College Avenue and Bradley Street, right in front of Fire Station Four. One other person was taken to the hospital... more »

• Santa Maria Police asking for help to find runaway girl

  March 25, 2010 9:35 PM

  Santa Maria Police are asking for the public's help to find a 10-year-old girl who they say ran away. Officers were called out to the Target Shopping Center on East Betteravia just after 3 p.m. Thursday. When they arrived, they learned that 10-year-old Gina Ponce had an argument with... more »

• Santa Maria police looking for suspects after shooting

  March 16, 2010 2:56 AM

  Santa Maria police officers are looking for a group of suspects after a shooting in the city. That shooting happened just before 8:20 p.m. Monday near the 7-11 on South Blosser. Officers say an 18-year-old was standing in the alley when a blue car drove by. Four people were in... more »

• Santa Maria police searching for clues in cold case from 2007

  March 3, 2010 7:32 PM

  It's considered a "cold case." The Santa Maria police department is asking for the public to help in hopes of getting new information. Jose Coria Junior was reported missing to police on September 8, 2007. His family last saw him 2 days before that on September 6th. He was... more »

• Santa Maria police alert seniors after woman nearly loses $4,000 in scam

  February 25, 2010 12:58 PM

  Santa Maria police are warning senior citizens about a scam. They say an 86-year-old resident of the Santa Maria Valley received a telephone call at her home from a man who claimed to be employed by the Bank of America fraud department on Tuesday. The caller told the woman he... more »

• Santa Maria sees increase in graffiti; linked to non-violent 'crews'

  February 24, 2010 7:40 PM

  Santa Maria has seen a big increase in graffiti. In fact, it's more than tripled from January of 2009 to January of this year. The evidence of Santa Maria's growing graffiti problem isn't hard to find. Police showed KSBY News pictures but asked us to blur those pictures on our... more »

• Are Santa Maria police targeting illegal immigrants?

  February 22, 2010 8:05 PM

  Some have said illegal immigrants are being targeted by Santa Maria police. Officers held a DUI checkpoint over the weekend. They cited ten illegal immigrants for driving without a license. As a result, 10 vehicles were impounded. A former illegal immigrant who wants to remain anonymous spoke with KSBY... more »

• Santa Maria man arrested and accused of child molestation

  February 20, 2010 2:27 AM

  Santa Maria police arrest a Grover Beach man on child molestation charges. Police say they started investigating 32-year-old Ryan Olsen back in January. At that time, a woman told them she was sexually molested by Olsen nearly 10 years ago, when she was under the age of 13. ... more »

• DUI Checkpoint planned for Santa Maria

  February 18, 2010 3:51 PM

  The Santa Maria Police Department will be holding a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint tomorrow, Feb. 19, from 6:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Drivers will be detained momentarily while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint. Each driver stopped will be checked. The checkpoint will be placed on... more »

• Guadalupe man slams car into building in Santa Maria

  January 2, 2010 11:26 PM

  A car accident in Santa Maria sends a Guadalupe man to the hospital. Reyes Escobedo, 54, was driving west on Stowell just before 1:00 a.m. this morning, when he lost control of his Chevy truck and drove into a parking lot at 1217 South Blosser. Officials say he then struck... more »

• Santa Maria police need your help solving homicide

  December 18, 2009 9:17 PM

  The Santa Maria police department needs your help solving a recent homicide. The victim of that homicide was Erik Alonso. The gang suppression team with the Santa Maria police department has been actively involved in the investigation. They say it's been difficult since witnesses have been unwilling to come... more »

• Santa Maria police investigating deadly fight

  December 13, 2009 7:43 PM

  Police say a fight turned deadly in Santa Maria. The incident took place on the 2200 block of North Easy Street around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. Officers believe several, rival gang members attended a party. They're still investigating what started the fight. In the meantime, it has neighbors concerned. Neighbors... more »

• Santa Maria man in critical condition after crash

  December 6, 2009 6:43 PM

  Santa Maria Police believe alcohol was to blame for a crash that left a man in critical condition. Police officers say 29-year-old Salomon Sandoval Esparza was driving southbound on the 1500 block of South Depot Street around 6 p.m. Saturday. Officers say Esparza lost control, crossed two lanes of traffic... more »

• Grover Beach drug bust leads to arrest

  November 11, 2009 2:30 PM

  An alleged Grover Beach drug dealer is in custody following a bust Tuesday night. Elvis Nathaniel Ruffin was pulled over by police in Santa Maria, while detectives searched his home located at the 200 block of 11th Street in Grover Beach. The 27-year-old was taken into custody after... more »