By F. Scott Faulkner
A father and son are in custody, both facing charges of murder.
Just after midnight on November 1, at approximately 12:50 a.m., Santa Maria police and
firefighters responded to reports of a confrontation between two groups on a downtown
thoroughfare. According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information
officer Raquel Zick, the conflict “escalated into gunfire,” injuring two young males.
Responding Santa Maria Police Department officers discovered two victims at the scene
suffering from gunshot wounds. Moments later, paramedics from American Medical Response
transported an 18-year-old in critical condition and a 17-year-old with non-life-threatening
injuries to a local area hospital. Four days later, the 18-year-old, identified as Robert Junior
Estrada of Nipomo, succumbed to his injuries.
The ensuing investigation quickly led to the identification of father-and-son Santa Maria
residents Casey Junior Hernandez, 19, and Jose Pacheco Hernandez, 42, as the suspected
shooters. On November 6, SMPD detectives contacted both men at their residence and took
them into custody. They were transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where they were charged
with one count of murder and four counts of attempted murder, “based on additional victims
involved in the shooting.”
Both father and son remain in custody on a no-bail hold.
