Woman linked to Santa Barbara beach murder granted temporary release

SANTA BARBARA — A Santa Barbara County judge granted temporary release to a woman linked to a violent April murder and who lists herself as a “drug dealer” on her MySpace page.

In the early evening of April 15, 44-year-old Robert Simpson was the victim of a fatal throat-slashing in front of more than 200 eyewitnesses on one of Santa Barbara’s most popular local beaches, bleeding to death at the scene.

Arrested the following day as an accessory to the murder was Brittany Weiler, accused of driving the getaway car for Adrian Robles, currently under indictment for the killing.

“She was identified by multiple witnesses as the driver of the car,” said Drew Sugars, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

At the time of her arraignment in April, Weiler was held on $1 million bail. After a no-contest plea to the accessory-after-the-fact charges, Weiler faces up to seven years in state prison. But on Oct. 20, before Superior Court Judge Brian Hill, Wieler’s motion for release on her own recognizance was granted.

In spite of an impassioned argument on the part of Deputy District Attorney Hilary Dozer, who asserted the serious and violent nature of the crimes involved, Judge Hill referred to Weiler’s law-abiding behavior since the incident in support of his decision.

“It’s the wrong message to send to the community,” Dozer told the media.

Robles remains in custody awaiting trial on murder charges, while Weiler’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 8.

For her part, Weiler maintains her MySpace page, describing herself as “a dedicated stoner marijuana patient” and listing her employment status as “drug dealer.”