UPDATE (Tuesday, Nov. 18) - Following the announcement of Rodriguez's sentencing on Monday, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office is responding to questions from the community about the plea agreement in this case.
The DA's Office released a statement saying, in part, "The crime initially charged in the killing of Jonathan [Perez] was murder. That charge was based on the evidence available at the time of the filing decision... As the investigation proceeded, it became clear that there was significant ambiguity in the evidence regarding the circumstances of the stabbing. We are unable to share all the facts contained in the investigation, however, the uncertainty of what happened prior to the stabbing injury, and specifically how the stabbing occurred, led to our conclusion that both first degree and second degree murder could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
Officials add that the plea was discussed in advance with Perez's family.
To read the full statement from the DA's Office, click here.
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(Monday, Nov. 17, 2025) - A Santa Maria man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the killing of a Pismo Beach man last year.
This past October, Andrew Frederick Rodriguez pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the death of Jonathan Campbell Perez.
On Sept. 11, 2024, at a home in the 1200 block of Price Street, Rodriguez stabbed Perez, resulting in his death. The two men knew each other and had reportedly worked together at a Pismo Beach restaurant.
WATCH: Community shocked by death of well-known Pismo Beach resident
According to police, Rodriguez fled to Ventura after the incident and attempted to kill himself. He was taken into custody after being released from a hospital.
According to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, Rodriguez was originally charged with second-degree murder but additional investigation resulted in the filing of the manslaughter charge.
The maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter is four years, but because Rodriguez had a prior strike under California’s Three Strikes Law, his sentence was doubled. According to the DA’s Office, that strike was a residential burglary conviction in Ventura County in 2010. Rodriguez also reportedly served time for sex crimes committed in Ventura County in 2010.
