A jury found a Santa Maria man guilty on Thursday of first-degree murder for killing a woman in Santa Barbara four years ago.
Gabriel Jose Zepeda, now 49, killed 51-year-old Theresa Ann Carina on the early morning of March 14, 2022, then reportedly told some nearby fishermen that he had “just robbed a lady.” Carina was homeless and lived on the lower end of State Street near Stearns Wharf. Passersby reportedly found her body in a parking lot with her feet and hands bound.
The verdict followed a five-week-long trial. The jury also found true two special allegations – that the murder was committed during the commission or attempted commission of a robbery and that Zepeda was out on bail for a burglary when he committed the murder. He also had a prior “Strike” conviction, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
Police investigating the murder were able to track down Zepeda via the GPS ankle monitor he was wearing at the time after being released from jail.
Zepeda is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16 and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
