sbsheriff
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
February 16, 2022
Sheriff’s detectives have made two arrests in the Goleta homicide investigation that began on Thursday, February 10, 2022. Detectives arrested 34-year-old Isaiah Alexander of Santa Barbara on Monday, February 14, 2022, at approximately 3:30 p.m., in the 1600-block of State Street. He was booked at the Main Jail for murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.
On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at approximately 9:07 a.m. detectives arrested 36-year-old Anthony Torres Lopez Jr. of Santa Barbara in the area of Laguna and Cota. Lopez is being booked at the Main Jail for robbery (felony) and attempted extortion (felony). His bail amount is pending.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim, 43-year-old Richard Andrew Cardona, and the suspects were familiar with each other, and this was not a random attack. Sheriff’s detectives are continuing this investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Sheriff’s detectives at (805)681-4150. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can provide information by calling our tip line at (805)681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.
DA Files Charges Against Alexander
Source: Santa Barbara County District Attorney
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that charges have been filed against Isaiah Ramirez Alexander, a 34-year-old resident of Santa Barbara, California.
Mr. Alexander is charged with five felony counts, including 1 st Degree Murder, Shooting at an Inhabited Dwelling, Shooting at an Inhabited Vehicle, Residential Burglary, and Commercial Burglary, for various incidents from February 10-14, 2022. Mr. Alexander is also charged with Special Allegations for previously having been convicted of two prior violent strikes, personal use of a firearm, and being out on bail on two separate cases during the commission of the charged offenses. Mr. Alexander is alleged to have shot and killed 43-year-old Richard Cardona at Pacifica Suites on February 10, 2022.
Mr. Alexander is currently being held without bail and the case is set for Preliminary Hearing Setting on February 23, 2022, in Santa Barbara Superior Court, Department 6 at 8:30 a.m.
(The felony complaint is attached to the bottom of this article)
Victim Identified in Pacifica Suites Homicide
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
5:00 p.m., February 11, 2022
Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a shooting homicide in the 5400-block of Hollister Avenue in Goleta. At 8:02 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to several reports of shots heard in the area of Hollister and Highway 217. When deputies arrived, they found evidence of a shooting at a hotel in the 5400-block of Hollister, but no suspects or victims at the scene.
Approximately an hour later, a gunshot wound victim arrived at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital where he died from his injuries. The victim is identified as 43-year-old Richard Andrew Cardona of Goleta.
Sheriff’s detectives, crime scene technicians, and the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services responded to the scene and have been working continuously overnight and through today. The preliminary investigation indicates that the victim and the suspect were familiar with each other, and this was not a random attack. Sheriff’s detectives are continuing this investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Sheriff’s detectives at (805)681-4150. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can provide information by calling our tip line at (805)681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
10:00 p.m., February 10, 2022
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide in the 5400-block of Hollister Avenue. Call began on Thursday 2/10 at 8:02 pm as shots fired. Investigation is ongoing and updates will be shared when they become available.
Reported by Scanner Andrew
8:09 p.m., February 10, 2022
Sheriff deputies are investigating a shooting that occurred at the Pacifica Suites on Hollister Avenue in Goleta
Seahorse, the Sexton House has only had the hotel development around it since the early 90s (first as a Quality Suites Inn, and later as a Pacifica Suites), so 30 years? Regardless, I don’t think the state of the motel is the reason for this unfortunate event.
That’s where they were housing all the Covid positive prisoners from County Jail… Pacifica Suites never bothered to tell the staff or guests. It was very busy in 2020.
We use this hotel quite often to house our employees who live out of town and have NEVER in the 10 years I’ve been booking had a single complaint. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are spotless and the staff is nothing but polite and professional. I don’t think it’s kind to make negative comments like this unless you can back them up with specific instances of when YOU stayed there and what happened.
What is your knowledge of the allegation that COVID patients were housed here?
Exactly, that is a pretty big allegation without more information.
MM4865 is into conspiracies and ant-vax, so don’t expect any facts to emerge.
Another felon back on the streets to commit more crime. Only this time he killed someone. https://www.noozhawk.com/article/suspected_car_thief_shot_with_less_lethal_round_before_being_arrested
Thanks for sharing that. It’s really sad. We have so many important systems that are broken in different ways…. I personally agree that our current system is best described as “catch and release” and is absurd, but the solutions aren’t easy. For example, what were we supposed to do after than incident you link to? … sounds like they had a handful of robberies, auto theft, and then ran from police. Bad bad bad to be sure, but you can’t just say “lock ’em up and throw away the key” and pretend to have solved anything.
Among our many issues, we need to talk about prisons. Our current prison system is expensive, corrupt, ineffective, and inhumane. I think prisons are a nexus where right and left can find common ground and start to make progress. A lot of “lefties” (and I consider myself one still!) would be more comfortable being “tough on crime” if they felt our criminal systems were just. Prison can’t and shouldn’t be summer camp, but neither should folks be coming out more “hardened” than they are going in. Just my perspective.
Seems like this guy Alexander should not have been on the street. Oh, well, thousands like him out there; not much a citizen can do about it.
Make Crime Illegal Again
Catch and release
MCIA, a movement I can get behind. Sick and tired of these alleged “criminal justice reforms.” There is no justice here.
SBTOWNIE and MEBK, et al – where do you get the idea these 2 are being released? They’re both currently booked, one without bail (meaning he’s not going anywhere before trial).
5:31 – he’s not “back on the streets.” Do you people even read the articles?
No one said they’re being released now. We lamented that people are not serving time or enough time for previous crimes, leading to them being “back on the streets” and going on to escalate their criminality, this time resulting in someone losing their life.
Yeah, but that’s kind of shoulda woulda coulda isn’t it? The guy is in jail now and will be in prison soon for a long time. He was “out on bail,” meaning he had been incarcerated before. Are you really saying people should be imprisoned for life for any “violent strikes?” Remember, a drunken brawl is considered an “assault,” as is a low level criminal act where any physicality was used. Could be he punched someone on 2 separate offenses, constituting “prior violent strikes.”
We can’t keep people in jail forever, unless they do something like this. I know it sucks and it’s frustrating when we see recidivism, but that’s how it works.
Not even going to address your strawman that people should be locked up forever for one incident. This guy had a record a mile long and was currently out on bail for two other cases AT THE SAME TIME?!, had a violent rap sheet with multiple incidents, and went on to kill. He shouldn’t have been out. End of story.
SBTOWNIE – not a strawman at all, it’s directly relevant. In order for your lamenting to have cause, it would require that he was still incarcerated. That’s absolutely exactly what you’re protesting. Nor did I say for “one incident,” I clearly acknowledged there were two “prior violent strikes.” Don’t get in a huff because of facts.
All I am saying is that criminals will eventually be released and that’s not evidence that “there’s no justice here,” as you claimed. We can’t keep them locked up forever unless it’s a capital offense and not all violent crimes are. Criminals get out of jail eventually and that’s through no fault of Newsom or whoever people are blaming here.
Actually, I will say, I confused bail with probation (pre coffee). So, he was out for a recently charged crime. That actually does lend to your argument more than if he were out on probation for crimes for which he’d already done time. My bad.
But, the main point stands that, criminals will be out of jail again through no fault of our system or even the “democrats.” So, unless we choose to jail all violent criminals, regardless of their crimes, for life, we will experience recidivism. Tough reality.
At the very beginning of the DA complaint, we are told Alexander was released with no bail on his “Own Recognizance” for two seperate crimes. I’d argue he shouldn’t ever get “OR” again.
On people say he is held, no bail, it is key to understand that bail is often set at preliminary hearings and he has not had his yet