Photo: John Roderick Dungan
Santa Barbara – On October 25th A three-car collision that took place on what is perhaps Santa Barbara County’s most notoriously dangerous roadway has resulted in the arrest of 28-year-old Santa Barbara resident John Roderick Dungan on three counts of murder.
Bley and family
The accident killed 34-year-old Vanessa Bley and her two children, Lucienne Bley Gleason, 2 years of age, and 4-month-old Desmond Bley Gleason.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, Bley’s Chevrolet Volt was heading east over the San Marcos Pass on Highway 154 with both children “buckled safely in their car seats” in the back seat of the vehicle when Dungan’s Chevrolet Camaro “crossed the double-yellow line for unknown reasons” and impacted the Volt. Bley’s car then spun out of control and was “struck from behind” by a trailing SUV.
accident scene
Both the Volt and the Camaro burst into flames. Bley and the children were trapped inside and “died at the scene as a result of the impact and subsequent fire.” Dungan was pulled from the Camaro and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with “life-threatening injuries.”
Dungan “has an extensive criminal and mental health history,” and had been released from custody and was out on bail at the time of the accident. A subsequent search of Dungan’s residence by deputies uncovered “15 guns, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, and body armor plates.”
On November 6th, Santa Barbara County District Attorney filed a felony complaint against Dungan, charging him with three counts of murder with malice aforethought as well as a pair of special allegations. He remains in custody with his bail set at $2,000,000.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, Max Gleason
