Photo: File photo of Dominic Joseph Leal | Courtesy tiktok.com
Written By: Robert L. McCullough
November 20, 2022 – Santa Barbara County, Ca. – Criminal street gang activity and the violence it perpetrates continue to keep multiple law enforcement agencies in North Santa Barbara County busy.
Evidence of that came on October 9, 2022 when Santa Maria Police Department uniformed patrol officers responded to a reported shooting on a city thoroughfare. According to SMPD spokesman Sgt. Todd Logan, upon arrival at the scene, cops discovered “two females ages 17 and 18” inside a vehicle who had been “struck by bullets” allegedly fired by two males.
Both suspects reportedly fled on foot immediately following the gunshots, and were the subject of an intense investigation and manhunt. Three weeks later, cops located “a 15-year-old boy identified as a suspect,” took him into custody, and transported him to Santa Maria Juvenile Hall where he was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder.
While the teenage suspect was in custody and the investigation continued, detectives then learned the identity of 18-year-old Santa Maria resident Dominic Joseph Leal as the teenager’s cohort in the crime. A search warrant was quickly obtained and served on Leal’s residence, which led to the discovery of “multiple firearms” in his possession.
Leal was promptly taken into custody and transported to the Santa Barbara County Northern
Branch Jail where he was booked on multiple charges of attempted murder, with his bail set at $1,000,000.
