Photo: Stock Image
It was in the early evening of March 7, 2021 when emergency crews responded to the site of a single-car vehicle accident on a rural road just north of the City of Solvang. First responders and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department patrol units initially perceived the incident as an unfortunate case of a driver losing control on the quiet thoroughfare as the result of excessive speed.
Further investigation, however, lead to the discovery of evidence pointing to the death of the driver, 17-year-old Santa Maria resident Santiago Maldonado Martinez, as the result of what SBSD Public Information Officer Raquel Zick described as “suspicious circumstances.”
Over the ensuing three years, the relentless investigation by SBSD homicide detectives identified 35-year-old Fabian Apolinar-Solano and 29-year-old Hilario Moreno Solano as “involved in the murder” of Martinez.
On July 1st , Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch announced the June 28th arrest of Apolinar-Solano while his alleged accomplice, Moreno Solano remains at large with a warrant for his arrest. Apolinar-Solano was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he remains in custody with his bail set at $4,000,000.
