Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, at approximately 10:36 p.m. deputies were dispatched to the 7100-block of Davenport Road on a report of subjects fighting. Before deputies arrived, one of the parties involved in the fight reportedly left the area in a silver Toyota Prius. A deputy spotted the vehicle on Hollister near Storke and provided the license plate to dispatch who advised that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Santa Barbara City. Additional deputies responded and they conducted a high-risk traffic stop on the vehicle. Deputies ordered the female driver, a juvenile, out of the vehicle and she was taken into custody. Deputies gave verbal commands for any other passenger to put their hands up, and two hands appeared from the back-seat area where an additional suspect was apparently laying across the floorboard. The second occupant, who was later identified as 20-year-old Juan Carlos Paniagua Diaz of Goleta, was ordered out of the vehicle and taken into custody.
Deputies searched the vehicle and found several loose rounds of ammunition. Underneath the carpet on the floorboard where the second suspect had been laying, deputies found a firearm with no traceable markings, one round in the chamber and 16 rounds in the magazine along with an additional magazine loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition.
The juvenile, who was found to be in possession of Alprazolam without a prescription, was transported home and released to a guardian. A juvenile complaint will be filed for vehicle theft (felony), possession of stolen property (felony), driving without a license (misdemeanor), possession of prescription drugs without a prescription (misdemeanor) and possession of a loaded and concealed firearm (felony).
Paniagua was arrested and transported to the Main Jail where he was booked for vehicle theft (felony), possession of stolen property (felony), carrying a loaded firearm (misdemeanor), possession of a large capacity magazine (misdemeanor), carry a concealed weapon (felony), and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (misdemeanor). In accordance with the local court’s extension of Emergency Rule 4 that was enacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paniagua was eligible for release with $0 bail. Due to the seriousness of this crime, and because this was the second time that Paniagua Diaz had been involved in confrontation and then found in possession of an unregistered firearm, deputies requested a bail increase to $100,000, which was approved by Judge Maxwell.
Paniagua was arrested and released for exactly the same thing on July 22, 2020…it hasn’t even been 30 days. They shouldn’t have let him go the first time. This $0 bail order is placing all of us in danger.
Yikes the girl was released also after being in control of drugs and driving a stolen care with an armed guy in it. She should NOT be free!
So many things wrong here. CA’s gun laws seem to have no effect; this guy could not have legally acquired the weapon. And the SECOND time within a short period? How long until he’s on the streets again, and in possession of another gun? This is obviously going to end badly, and the justice system doesn’t seem able to cope with it or prevent it. Guaranteed we’ll hear about this guy again.
we need more anglos in the news.
this is discrimination.
JB: CA gun laws are insane. I couldn’t legally get a clip with a capacity of over 10 rounds (the ban was just overturned but I think it’s that’s being challenged), but this guy can have one that holds 31?
You don’t seem to know what “clip” means in regards to a firearm.
Only if you want to be imprecise and appear ignorant.
I would prefer that people running around with weapons not be sloppy thinkers.
Thanks for pointing out the error and educating me on this. It was my mistake to refer to a magazine as a “clip”. I’m not sure anyone would have been able to figure out what I was referring to without your assistance.