Edhat Staff
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
3:15 p.m., March 8, 2024
Deputies have arrested a juvenile for assaulting two other juveniles with a deadly weapon.
On Friday, March 8, 2024, at approximately 8:31 a.m., deputies responded to the 4600-block of Chilon Way for an assault that had just occurred. When they arrived, deputies found a 17-year-old female juvenile victim with a non-life threatening wound to her leg, and a 17-year-old male juvenile with a non-life threatening wound to his arm.
The suspect fled prior to deputies’ arrival. The victims were transported by ambulance to an area hospital for care.
Due to the proximity to campus and the seriousness of the crime they were actively investigating, deputies requested that San Marcos High School initiate “Secure” protocol. Students were directed to get inside and lock outside doors.
The Standardized Response Protocol was recently adopted in a collaborative effort between area schools and law enforcement agencies to clearly identify protective actions to be taken during volatile or evolving situations.
The 16-year-old male juvenile suspect was quickly identified by detectives and voluntarily surrendered at Sheriff’s Headquarters where he was arrested at 10:12 a.m. The “Secure” protocol was lifted at San Marcos High School around that same time.
The juvenile suspect was booked at the Santa Maria Juvenile Hall for assault with a deadly weapon. This investigation remains ongoing.
Sheriff Lifts Secure Protocol for San Marcos High School, Double Stabbing Investigation Continues
Update by the edhat staff
9:50 a.m., March 8, 2024
The Sheriff’s Office has lifted the secure protocol at San Marcos High Schoo.
The double-stabbing investigation is ongoing. Updates will be provided as they become available.
Secure Protocol Issued for San Marcos High School Due to Nearby Stabbing
By the edhat staff
March 8, 2024
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office have placed San Marcos High School under a “Secure Protocol,” meaning no one is allowed in or out.
As of 8:45 a.m. Friday, students are directed to get inside and lock the outside doors.
“Deputies have an active incident NEAR the school – not on campus,” according to the Sheriff’s spokesperson Raquel Zick.
Statements over emergency scanner traffic indicated there was potentially another stabbing nearby with the suspect running towards San Marcos High School.
As of 9:15 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office confirmed the secure protocol is related to a double stabbing near campus. The suspect is outstanding. Additional details are unknown at this time.
A similar incident took place nearby on February 27 in the Turnpike Shopping Center where two juveniles have been accused of stabbing another juvenile. The suspect ran towards the San Marcos High School campus prompting another secure protocol initiation.
In the February 27th incident, the Sheriff’s Office announced two arrests in connection with the stabbing.
A “Secure Protocol” is different from a lockdown as the later is a higher level of protective action. Part of the differentiation between lockdown and secure in the Standardized Response Protocol is to clearly communicate the actions law enforcement is asking the campus to take and to give parents/guardians a succinct understanding of the status of the campus and the safety actions being taken for their student.
This is a developing story. Check back at edhat.com for more information as it’s released.
That’s 2 in less than 2 weeks. There were some fights at DP this week as well, so I heard. Something in the air?
I’m sure other schools have fights but why does it always seem like the extreme violence and lockdowns are at San Marcos? Are their incidents published more or is it really a more dangerous school?
San Marcos did fire their School Resource Deputy a few years ago. Did they ever get a new one? I know DP’s deputy is amazing and broke up one of the fights very quickly this week. He’s also a stand up guy!
Is it still Hendricks?
He’s great, funny guy
SBSTONER – yep! He’s been a huge asset to the school (and baseball team) and has helped a lot of kids there. There was a student movement last year to get him fired because some kids felt uncomfortable with a cop on campus, but I’m glad it failed. Just look at SM lately!
There are no other incidents other than the ones published. A lot of the incidents at San Marcos aren’t actually AT San Marcos – they are nearby San Marcos. Often they don’t involve students at all – there has been police activity at the apartments nearby, for example. Although apparently the kid who was stabbed last week, it was the second time he was stabbed (source: a student at SM, so take that for what it’s worth). I’m guessing a personal beef.
Even with having a Resource Deputy on campus, San Marcos still had more incidents than DP or SBHS… right?
Good question. I’m not familiar with the stats on that. I think in general though, SM has always had more conflicts than DP. I could be wrong though!
I would say from highest to lowest number of incidents: SB, SM, DP.
Nope. It depends on the year. This is the first time in a very long time that any incident like this has involved a student. There have been issues with the apartment complex and the encampments behind Vons. Then there was the man who barricaded himself in a house and took his own life. DP had a shooting–I believe it resulted in death–across the street from them. SB has had students involved in stabbings on the weekends or in locations across from the school. All of these past incidents happened when there were resource officers. Let’s not forget that these are community schools and when there is violence in the communities the serve, it might overlap or move into the school community. There shouldn’t be any implication that it is due to the quality or the safety of the schools.
Plus even Laguna Blanca had an incident (off campus).
Unfortunetly, it was a female SMHS student that got stabbed by a none SMHS kid 🙁