Suspects identified in 14-year-old’s murder
LOMPOC — The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office will file murder charges against Keith Sullivan, 20, and Ricardo Reyes, 19, in connection with the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Daniel Rodriguez early this year.
On Jan. 14, Rodriguez sustained a gunshot wound to the torso from a .22 caliber firearm while standing with friends on the 700 block of North E Street. The shooting prompted the mobilization of several agencies within the Santa Barbara County Gang Task Force, and 10 search warrants were served throughout Lompoc in the days following Rodriguez’s death.
The Lompoc Police Department stated in a press release that its detectives compiled enough evidence over the 11-month period to implicate Sullivan and Reyes, both of whom are already incarcerated on unrelated charges. Sullivan is serving a five-year sentence for a weapons violation that led to his arrest mere weeks after Rodriguez was killed, while Reyes was taken into custody in late August for vandalism and probation violation.
Both suspects have been informed of their new charges and are currently awaiting their arraignment in Superior Court. The investigation is ongoing.
— Taylor Gutsche
