SantaMariaPoliceBy the Santa Maria Police Department
Case #SMPD23-0003205
On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at about 6:30 AM, the Santa Maria Police Department’s Detective Bureau with assistance from the Santa Maria Police Department’s SWAT Team served search and arrest warrants at a residence in the 1900 block of Estriga Court. This was a result of an ongoing investigation by detectives related to a shooting that occurred in the City of Santa Maria on March 23, 2023.
On Thursday, March 23, 2023, at about 7:00 PM, an SMPD K-9 Officer was proactively patrolling the area of Thornburg and Newlove. The officer heard a loud bang before witnessing a male suspect fire a gun towards a residence. The suspect, later identified as 19-year-old Mario Zamora, fled the scene in his vehicle subsequently evading officers. Officers on scene located evidence connected to the shooting including bullet strikes to a residence.
Approximately 10 minutes following the shooting, members of the California Highway Patrol and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call of a hit and run traffic collision involving the same vehicle. The vehicle was left behind and subjects were seen fleeing the area on foot. With assistance from the CHP and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department one subject was detained; however, Zamora was not apprehended. Firearms were also recovered from the vehicle.
On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at about 6:30 AM, Mario Zamora was taken into custody during the execution of the warrant service without incident. A search of the residence resulted in one stolen firearm, one unregistered firearm, firearm accessories, gang indicia and ammunition all being seized.
Mario Zamora was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail for Shooting at an Inhabited Dwelling, Gang Enhancement and Weapons violations.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Hesch at (805) 928 -3781 ext. 1349 or the SMPD Communications Center at (805) 928 – 3781 ext. 2277.
We need to focus on the gang problem, not the guns. We need to ask why a young man would come to a point where he would commit such a terrible crime, and we need to look at how we can change things to prevent that from happening. There is a lot of good that could be done to help get more young people off to a good start in life.
“not the guns.” – Well, if he didn’t have the gun, no one would have been shot, so there’s that…..
Also, a lot harder to ban groups of friends from hanging out together than it is to just make guns less easily available to criminals. Then again….. maybe not.
We need to do both.
They found multiple illegal firearms and its illegal for someone under 21 to own an handgun yet people still think making firearms more illegal would have prevented this. Criminals do not care about firearm laws and there are simply too many firearms in circulation to remove/takeaway enough to have any impact on criminals being able to get their hands on one – to think otherwise is tantamount to being a flat-earther. How about we strictly enforce our current firearm laws? How quickly before this suspect is back on the street awaiting trial and even then, how long do you think he’ll go to prison? How long should he go to prison?
“Criminals do not care about firearm laws” – Nope, but less guns on the street would make it much harder for them to get one. That’s just cold hard logical fact.
Also, rapists do not care about rape laws. Let’s not base our laws on what criminals choose to follow or not.
It’s the GUNS!!!! This country has a SICK obsession with guns. Ughhhh.
Just a friendly reminder that a gun is an inanimate object. Like a car, it only causes harm when used irresponsibly or with criminal intent.
America purchased a lot of guns because of rising crime, an increasingly authoritarian government (promoted by both sides of the spectrum no matter what they say), and a population easily swayed by propagandist mass media willing to compromise the entire Bill of Rights for “safety” which is both undeserved and illusionary.
Not like a car at all. A car’s sole purpose isn’t to kill. If you use a car as directed, it doesn’t kill. Yeah, it’s an inanimate object, but it is used for one thing and one thing only, to kill. Not the same as a car.
The gun was STOLEN.
Bought or stolen, we’d all be better off if they were removed from circulation. Civilized societies have figured that out.