Jackson Friedman

Man in Custody, Two Injured Following Explosion at Santa Maria Courthouse Santa Maria Government Buildings Shut Down for Day After Suspect Reportedly Sets off Improvised Explosive Device in Courthouse Wednesday A man is in custody following an explosion at Santa Maria Superior Courthouse Wednesday morning that injured two people and shut down government buildings around the city. According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff's spokesperson Raquel Zick, the explosion was reported shortly after 8:40 a.m. and was the result of “an intentionally set improvised explosive device.” According to local media reports, witnesses described seeing a man walk into the building and throw a bag or backpack at security, who detained the suspect after the bag exploded. Zick said there were two reports of non-life-threatening injuries. The scene remained active as of 10:30 a.m. while authorities investigated the explosion, and Zick asked that the public avoid the area. The City of Santa Maria announced that due to the law enforcement investigation in the area, nearby Santa Maria City Hall, Finance Department, City Attorney's Office, Santa Maria Public Library, and Recreation and Parks Department would all be closed for the day. Governor Gavin Newsom said that his office and the Office of Emergency Services is “actively monitoring the explosion at the Santa Maria Courthouse and coordinating with law enforcement authorities.” The FBI is also responding.

Santa Barbara Police Department's SWAT and Crisis Negotation Response teams are responding to an apartment complex on the 500 block of North Salsipuedes Street where a man has been barricaded inside an apartment since Sunday night. Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the apartment at around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to Sergeant Ethan Ragsdale. During the initial investigation, the male suspect barricaded himself in the apartment and refused to surrender to police. Before the suspect barricaded himself in the apartment, the female victim was able to escape and is now safe. Police request that the public avoid the surrounding area as the isolated incident is still evolving and under investigation. However, there is currently no threat to surrounding residences and schools, police say.

A multi-vehicle crash on Highway 1 injured six and shutdown northbound lanes on Thursday, November 21, 2024. | Credit: Scott Safechuck/SBC Fire The Lompoc area saw two major crashes this week that injured seven people, including three critically, and resulted in the deaths of two young girls. The first crash occurred on Wednesday at 3:51 p.m., when a California Highway Patrol officer attempted to pull over the driver of a speeding Infiniti sedan in the area of Harris Grade and Rucker roads near Vandenberg Village in the Lompoc area, according to CHP. A high-speed pursuit on the northbound side of the Harris Grade ended when the driver failed to negotiate a curve and collided with an oak tree with enough force to tear the car in half. A CHP officer arriving at the scene found two young girls, a 3-year-old and 7-month-old, had been killed in the crash. The driver, 23-year-old Cuyama resident Brian Hernandez-Cervantes, was moderately injured and arrested on suspicion of murder, child endangerment, driving under the influence of alcohol, and reckless driving causing injury. He was booked into Santa Barbara County's Main Jail on $2,000,000 bail. After the Infiniti collided with the tree, the rear half hit a southbound Toyota Equinox but did not injure the driver. While authorities have not released the names of the girls killed in the crash, a GoFundMe page has been set up on behalf of the victims' family to help cover funeral expenses. As of Friday, it had raised $21,488 of its $15,000 goal. CHP is investigating the collision and asks anyone with additional information to call the Buellton Area CHP office at (805) 691-6160. The following day, November 21, a multi-vehicle crash involving four cars on Highway 1 sent six people to the hospital, including three in critical condition, and shut down the northbound lanes. The crash occurred at around 4:45 p.m. near the Santa Lucia Canyon Road offramp, according to CHP. Of the six injured in the wreck, three suffered major injuries, one was moderately injured, and two received minor injuries, said Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Scott Safechuck, who noted that one victim had to be extricated from a vehicle. Four patients were taken by ambulance to Marian Hospital ER in Santa Maria, while a fifth was taken to Lompoc Valley Medical Center. The sixth victim had to be airlifted by CalStar helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital's ER, according to Safechuck. The identities and current conditions of the victims have not been released, and Thursday's crash is also under investigation by the CHP.

Carlos Arturo Gomez, 60, is out on bail on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges for alleged sex crimes involving minors.

More than half of district students failed to meet grade-level standards in reading and math, but the district scored well in other areas, including chronic absenteeism, college and career readiness, and high school graduation rates.

The Santa Barbara Police Department is seeking information from victims whose vehicles were vandalized last Friday in the Skyline Circle area of Santa Barbara. On November 29, police responded to reports of several vandalized vehicles in the neighborhood, where victims reported their car windows and side mirrors had been broken and tires slashed. Following an investigation, officers identified and arrested suspect Nolan Gregory Zemanski, 30, of Santa Barbara. Zemanski was booked in Santa Barbara County Jail for felony and misdemeanor vandalism. As of Tuesday, he remains in custody on $20,000 bail, according to court records.Any victims associated with this incident who have not completed a police report yet are asked to contact SBPD Detective Sarkis at (805) 897-2426 or [email protected]

A male motorcyclist died after crashing on the southbound Highway 101 in Montecito on Friday night, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The crash occurred around 9:47 p.m. near the San Ysidro Road off-ramp, CHP said. Montecito Fire Department, which also responded to the crash, stated that the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene and no one else was hurt in the collision. The right-hand lane of the southbound 101 from Olive Mill Road to San Ysidro Road and San Ysidro off-ramp were closed until around 3:30 a.m. the following morning, according to CHP. The identity of the man will be released by the Coroner's Bureau after his family has been notified. CHP is investigating the crash and asks that anyone with information to call its Santa Barbara office at (805) 770-4800.

A mountain biker was airlifted to the hospital Saturday afternoon after going over the side of Romero Trail above Montecito and landing about 150 feet down the hillside. Firefighters with Montecito Fire responded to the incident around 12:37 p.m. With the assistance of Santa Barbara County Fire's Air Support Unit and the sheriff's Search and Rescue team, first responders were able to perform a hoist rescue and airlift the 59-year-old man to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital's emergency room for injuries related to the fall. The man's identity and current condition have not been released.

Spectators alit at Butterfly Beach in Montecito over the weekend to witness the splashy spectacle.

Our associate editor shares his favorite stories of the year.