Santa Barbara County – When the body of Javier Limon, a 37-year old resident of Santa Maria was discovered just outside the entrance to the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes California State Park—renowned as the second largest natural “dune system” in the country, encompassing 18 miles of desolate, wind-driven sandscape, much of which is environmentally protected by a plethora of county, state and federal agencies—it didn’t take law enforcement authorities long to determine that his death was not by natural causes, and that he had, in fact, been the victim of homicidal violence.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Limon’s August 14, 2014 murder immediately ensued, leading to the arrests just a month later of Santa Maria residents and reputed criminal gang members Gregorio Agustine, Arturo Granados, and Yesenia Granados. According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, Limon’s murder occurred pursuant to orders that came from Joseph Morales “from his prison cell.” While serving a prior sentence of 40 years to life, Morales was charged with Limon’s murder earlier this month, while the ongoing investigation pointed to the complicity of yet another conspirator—the fifth in the case–Bryan Rios, 21, himself a Santa Maria resident.
Joseph Morales
And so it was that on July 23rd, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department detectives “from the Criminal Investigation Division and Gang Enforcement Unit,” working in collaboration with parole agents from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation made contact with Rios at his Santa Maria residence and took him into custody.
Rios was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where he was booked on charges of homicide with enhancements relating to his participation in a criminal street gang. He remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
Photos: courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
