By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA MARIA , CA —
A 27-year-old unidentified man was stabbed near train tracks in Santa Maria.
According to Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Sgt. Shane Armstrong, the area of the incident “includes brush-
covered access paths and dirt clearings near the train tracks, and is known to attract individuals loitering, camping, or gathering out of view of main roads.”
Armstrong confirmed that “the victim and suspect were in the area adjacent to the tracks when an altercation took place,
resulting in the victim being stabbed once in the torso.”
Paramedics from American Medical Response treated the victim on scene before transporting
him to Marian Regional Medical Center.
Officers detained 23-year-old Salvador Santos of Santa Maria at the scene. Following an
investigation, Santos was taken into custody and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where
he was booked on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
He remains in custody with his bail set at $30,000.
At approximately 1:50 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2025, Santa Maria police and emergency
medical personnel responded to a reported stabbing near train tracks in the Union Pacific railroad
right-of-way.
