SBCDistrictAttorney
Re: People v. Andrew Paul Garcia, Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Case No. 24CR03371
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch announced [Friday] that charges have been filed against 33-year-old Andrew Paul Garcia, 44-year-old Arnulfo Ramirez-Villavicencio Jr., and 34-year-old David Olaf Barajas.
Mr. Garcia is charged with one felony count of Murder, in violation of Penal Code Section 187(a), for an incident in the City of Santa Maria on December 17, 2023. It is further alleged that Mr. Garcia used a firearm to murder Joshua Anthony Maldonado. Mr. Garcia is also charged with the Attempted Murder of Agustin Villavicencio and that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during that crime.
All three defendants are charged with attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit a robbery on December 17, 2023. Mr. Barajas is charged with two prior strike convictions and Mr. Garcia is charged with one prior strike conviction.
Mr. Garcia and Mr. Ramirez-Villavicencio were arraigned on the complaint in Santa Maria Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. on May 3, 2024, in Department 9. Both enter not guilty pleas to the charges.
Mr. Garcia remains in custody with bail at $4 million and Mr. Ramirez-Villavicencio remains in custody at $250,000 bail. They return to court on May 7, 2024, in Santa Maria Superior Court Department 7.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore is leading the prosecution team. Mr. Barajas will be arraigned next week after he is transported from the state prison where he is serving a sentence on an unrelated case.
