Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest of Wanted Man

by April Charlton , August 15, 2013

SANTA MARIA – A wanted parolee with alleged street gang ties was arrested Thursday morning during a routine traffic stop, according to a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Ernest Gil

Ernest Gil, 29, of Santa Maria, was taken into custody just before 7:15 a.m. at the intersection of North Thornburg and Mill streets on suspicion of jumping his parole and other criminal charges.

Gil had two warrants for his arrest, including a no-bail warrant for skipping out on his parole and a $250,000 warrant for assault with a firearm, said Kelly Hoover, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

He is reportedly a Santa Maria gang member, who has a history of drug sales, domestic violence, firearms possession and vandalism charges. Gil was also charged at the time of his Aug. 8 arrest with possession of drugs for sale and a criminal street gang enhancement, Hoover said.

Sheriff’s detectives with the Gang Enforcement Unit and deputies were assisted during the arrest by Santa Maria police and state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers.

Noozhawk: Alleged Santa Maria Gang Member Arrested During Traffic Stop

Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest of Wanted Man was last modified: August 15th, 2013 by admin

Categories: Santa Barbara

Tags: parole violation

About Author

April Charlton

April Charlton is a freelance journalist who specializes in criminal and local government matters. She has more than 11-plus years of experience as a reporter, covering everything from cops and courts to city and county governments. She writes for CrimeVoice and several newspapers on the Central Coast, including the Santa Maria Times, a daily publication, and its sister papers, Times Press Recorder and The Adobe Press. She may be reached at really_dawn@yahoo.com for any comments or suggestions that you may have.