A Santa Maria man was sentenced to 26 years in state prison on Thursday in connection with an armed robbery and shooting in 2023, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
Edgar Bribiescapuga, a 32-year-old resident of Santa Maria, reportedly received the sentence following jury verdicts related to personally discharging a firearm during a robbery, assault with a firearm, shooting at an inhabited vehicle, as well as various gun possession, drug possession, and theft-related offenses.
Thursday's sentencing stemmed from an incident that occurred on Nov. 23, 2023.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch says Bribiescapuga and his co-defendant, Alejandro Maldonado, were burglarizing a ranch property located off of Cathedral Oaks Road in Goleta at 8:30 a.m.
When ranch owner Russell Doty arrived at the scene to find the two unknown men on his property, he allegedly attempted to pursue them while contacting law enforcement.
Officials say Bribiescapuga attempted to flee the scene with approximately $7,200 of stolen property when he fired two shots from an unserialized 40-caliber firearm at Doty, who was uninjured.
After a high-speed pursuit by Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Deputies, Savrnoch reports that the vehicle driven by Maldanado crashed on Hollister Avenue, and Bribiescapuga was apprehended shortly thereafter.
Officials add that two good Samaritans located the firearm lying on a sidewalk near the collision site.
Deputies also located methamphetamine on both defendants and in their vehicle, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
The 26-year sentence follows guilty verdicts by a Santa Barbara Jury on May 27, 2025 for robbery, assault with a firearm, shooting at an inhabited vehicle, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of ammunition by a felon, possession of methamphetamine while in possession of a firearm, second degree commercial burglary, possession of burglar’s tools, and resisting obstructing or delaying a peace officer.
Savrnoch says the jury also found true special allegations for personally discharging a firearm and use of a firearm.
Officials report that Maldonado was previously sentenced in this case to 10 years and eight months in state prison following his guilty pleas to assault with a deadly weapon, transportation of a controlled substance for sale, commercial burglary, evading law enforcement with reckless disregard, and admitting a special allegation for having suffered a prior strike conviction for residential burglary.
In a statement on Thursday, Savrnoch thanked the Sheriff's Deputies involved in the incident, as well as the prosecution team working on the case.
