Photo: Image of suspect David Garcia Ochoa| Santa Maria PD
David Garcia Ochoa, a 28-year-old resident of San Luis Obispo, was apprehended by Santa Maria Police on Monday pursuant to a violent incident that occurred early Sunday morning, June 2nd.
Santa Maria Police Department spokesman Lt. Daniel Rios reported that officers responded to a call at approximately 7:30 a.m. regarding “a person down” in a commercial parking lot in downtown Santa Maria.
As they rolled up to the scene, officers discovered a 28-year-old man, believed to be homeless, who had been shot multiple times while walking through the parking lot. The victim was promptly transported to a local area hospital for treatment.
Santa Maria detectives took charge of the investigation and swiftly identified Ochoa as the main suspect. Ochoa, employed as “an unarmed private security guard” responsible for construction site security near the crime scene, was contacted by detectives and was found to be illegally carrying a loaded firearm at the job site prior to the shooting.
Within hours, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Ochoa and a search warrant for residence. With coordinated efforts of the Santa Maria Police Department SWAT Team and the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office Special
Ochoa was taken into custody “without incident,” while evidence linking him to the shooting was found at his residence. He was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where he was book on a charge of attempted murder charges with his bail set at $1,000,000.
