Police Arrest Additional Four Men in Murder Investigation

by April Charlton , March 22, 2013

SANTA MARIA – Police have arrested an additional four suspects in a homicide investigation that began Monday, March 18, when investigators discovered the body of Anthony Ibarra, 28, in the back of a U-Haul truck on a residential street in Orcutt.

David Maldonado

Santa Maria police, along with deputies from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and FBI agents, arrested David Murillo Maldonado, 55, Thursday afternoon at the County Probation Department, on suspicion of murder, police said.

Sauceda

Minutes after Maldonado’s arrest, two additional suspects, Santos Manuel Sauceda, 33, and Robert Sosa, 19, were taken into custody during a traffic stop in the 700 block of East Central. Both men have booked into County Jail on charges of murder.

Robert Sosa

Later in the day Thursday, a fourth suspect, Anthony Jesus Solis, 28, was also arrested without incident during a vehicle stop in the 1000 block of North Broadway. He has also been booked at County Jail on suspicion of Ibarra’s murder, according to police.

Earlier in the week, police arrested Ramon Maldonado, 37, Carmen Cardenas, 28, Pedro Torres, 54, and Reyes Gonzales, 42, in connection with the murder. Gonzales is a documented Santa Maria street gang member, and investigators believe the slaying was gang-related.

Solis

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has said it may seek the death penalty for several of the individuals arrested for the murder. The investigation is ongoing and police have released few details about Ibarra’s death.

Lompoc Record: Four More Arrested in Murder Case

Santa Maria Times: 4 Suspects in Ibarra Murder Appear in Court

Police Arrest Additional Four Men in Murder Investigation was last modified: January 14th, 2019 by admin

Categories: Santa Barbara

Tags: murder

About Author

April Charlton

April Charlton is a freelance journalist who specializes in criminal and local government matters. She has more than 11-plus years of experience as a reporter, covering everything from cops and courts to city and county governments. She writes for CrimeVoice and several newspapers on the Central Coast, including the Santa Maria Times, a daily publication, and its sister papers, Times Press Recorder and The Adobe Press. She may be reached at really_dawn@yahoo.com for any comments or suggestions that you may have.