Photo: Image of suspect Kevin Medrano | Santa Maria PD
Santa Maria Police Department Detectives have been hard at work since the late night of February 4, 2023 when gunshots were reported by residents of the North Railroad Avenue neighborhood.
According to SBPD spokesman Lt. Daniel Rios, multiple calls of “shots fired” brought uniformed patrol deputies to the scene with all due alacrity, whereupon they discovered two male victims suffering gunshot wounds. Both men were immediately transported to a local area hospital where 40-year-old Santa Maria resident Robert Valencia, succumbed to his wounds.
The ensuing investigation progressed as “detectives continued to work diligently on the case,” yet no verifiable suspects were identified until the end of September. Ultimately, 27-year-old Santa Maria resident Kevin Medrano was identified as the principal suspect, whereupon “arrest and search warrants for Medrano and his residence” were sought and issued by the court.
On the morning of October 4 th , SMPD SWAT Team members and homicide detectives arrived at Medrano’s residence to serve the warrants. He was taken into custody without further incident and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail. Medrano was booked on a charge of murder, with his bail set at $2,000,000.
