Edhat Staff
By the Santa Barbara Police Department
On December 9, 2022, around 8:40 pm, Santa Barbara Police Officers and Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol responded to the area of Stearns Wharf and Cabrillo Blvd. for a report of a shooting that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male suffering from a single gunshot wound. The male was provided medical attention on scene and transported by ambulance to Cottage Hospital for treatment.
On December 20, 2022, the shooting victim, Robert Dion Gutierrez, a 52-year-old Camarillo resident, was pronounced dead at Cottage Hospital. Mr. Gutierrez’s death was a direct result of the gunshot wound he sustained on December 9, 2022, deeming this case a homicide investigation. It appears Mr. Gutierrez was an innocent bystander when the shooting occurred.
Detectives from the Santa Barbara Police Department have been continually investigating this homicide. Their extensive and diligent investigation led to the identification of multiple suspects connected to a local criminal street gang.
On January 19, 2023, Santa Barbara Police Department, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office executed search and arrest warrants at several locations throughout the City and County of Santa Barbara.
Four individuals were arrested and will be booked at Santa Barbara County Jail in connection with this murder.
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Arrestee 1 – Jiram Tenorio Ramon, a 22-year-old Santa Barbara resident was arrested in the area of Olive Mill and Coast Village Road.
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Arrestee 2 – Ricardo Tomas Jauregui Moreno Jr., a 20-year-old Santa Barbara resident was arrested in the 500 block of West Canon Perdido Street.
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Arrestee 3 – Christopher Dave Miranda, a 21-year-old Santa Barbara resident was arrested in the 4800 block of Calle Real.
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Arrestee 4 – James Lee Rosborough, a 21-year-old Santa Barbara resident was arrested in the 1400 block of Chino Street.
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A 16-year-old male (name withheld due to age) was also arrested in the 3900 block of Via Lucero and was booked at the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Hall in Santa Maria for juvenile in possession of a firearm.
This is still an ongoing investigation, and no other information is available for release at this time.
Anyone with information pertaining to this homicide investigation is encouraged to call the Santa Barbara Police Department at 805-882-8900 (24/7) or the Detective Bureau at 805-897-2343.
Related Articles
December 9, 2023: Fatal Shooting at Stearns Wharf
January 19, 2023: Police on Chino and Micheltorena
January 19, 2023: Police Activity on W. Canon Perdido
January 19, 2023: Helicopters Over the Mesa
Amazed this went barely reported. An innocent bystander shot and killed on Stearns Wharf is a BIG deal.
Yes of course, it must all be a conspiracy.
There’s a literal link in the above article to this being published the day the shooting happened. The victim died weeks later. There’s no “media conspiracy,” such BS. If anything, it’s the SB Police that needs more transparency. Even with FOIA requests by the media, police can refuse to provide information if its an active investigation or delay, delay, delay. So maybe focus on Police accountability and gun reform.
It wasn’t reported because the “good medias” don’t want people to start understanding how BAD things have gotten!
How many of the thousands of Stearns Wharf daily visitors realize that they can be shot and killed in a society who minimizes crimes of all kinds (when it doesn’t glorify it)!
I’m sure the media put out everything they were given by the authorities. The City of SB has a responsibility to its residents and visitors to put this information out there. Authorities knew very soon after the shooting that the victim was an innocent bystander, they knew he was in critical condition, on life support and at best would be paralyzed. Poor man and his poor family. This could have been anyone, any kid, any of us that drive by the wharf daily.
Fond, in America, anyone anywhere may be shot down in an attempted and/or successful mass killing.
This is how we exist these days.
NICO and FONDOFSB – You don’t even bother reading the article or doing a simple 3 second Google search, instead you come directly with the complaints and conspiracy theories. Check out “Related Articles” at the end of this article for the COVERAGE of the shooting. Also, lookee here what I found on Google:
https://www.independent.com/2022/12/10/shooting-at-stearns-wharf-friday-night/
https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/police-investigating-shooting-near-stearns-wharf-in-santa-barbara
https://newspress.com/police-investigate-possible-shooting-near-stearns-wharf/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLDmyWn4crg (KEYT coverage)
Now, tell us all again how it “wasn’t” or just “barely reported.” How do you benefit from constantly complaining about things that aren’t really happening?
SacJon I started following this story before it was published, and then followed it closely. My point is, clearly, that the reporting was minimal. In not one of the articles you list is it mentioned that the victim was an innocent bystander visiting the wharf. That was exactly my point. I read and searched for more information, and what you’ve listed is four articles using the exact same SBPD press release. An innocent bystander was shot and killed at one of Santa Barbara’s major tourist attractions. That’s information worthy of advising the public of, so that the public can make decisions on where to go or not go in Santa Barbara.
Also, please tell me when I constantly complained about things that aren’t really happening.
SACJON, just saw this from Noozhawk. Pretty much sums up the way I feel about it: Six weeks ago, on the night of Dec. 9, Santa Barbara police and Harbor Patrol converged on Cabrillo Boulevard around Stearns Wharf, following up on 9-1-1 calls reporting a shooting.
As Noozhawk reported at the time, officers found a man with a single gunshot wound and sent him off in an American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
And that was that.
SBPD released no other details other than to say that “the suspect(s) are still outstanding, and the Police Department is actively investigating this case. The incident appears to be isolated, and there is no apparent immediate threat to the general public.”
Police refused to provide further information about the incident at one of the most high-profile locales in Santa Barbara, in spite of repeated requests by Noozhawk over subsequent days and weeks.
In late December, Noozhawk learned that the shooting victim — whose identity still had not been disclosed by SBPD — had died of his wounds on Dec. 20.
Police — pointedly including new police Chief Kelly Ann Gordon — ignored Noozhawk’s new round of requests for details, even though that information is considered public under Section 6254(f) of the California Government Code.
Executive editor Tom Bolton, managing editor Giana Magnoli and I were in the process of elevating our request for transparency at SBPD headquarters when, suddenly, police pounced on Jan. 19.
In short order, police Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale announced — in a statement — that four men had been arrested in connection with the case.
He added that the victim, finally identified as 52-year-old Robert Dion “Rob” Gutierrez of Camarillo, had indeed died.
Tragically, the statement said, “It appears Mr. Gutierrez was an innocent bystander when the shooting occurred.”
Giana reported that police, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies and District Attorney’s Office investigators served search and arrest warrants all over the place, including the 1400 block of Chino Street, the 500 block of West Canon Perdido and the 3900 block of Via Lucero in Santa Barbara; the 1200 block of Coast Village Road in Montecito; and the 4800 block of Calle Real at North Turnpike Road near Goleta.
According to the SBPD statement, 22-year-old Jiram Tenorio Ramon, 21-year-old Christopher Dave Miranda and James Lee Rosborough, and 20-year-old Ricardo Tomas Jauregui Moreno Jr., all of Santa Barbara, were arrested and booked into County Jail on charges related to murder.
The statement said police also arrested a 16-year-old male for juvenile in possession of a firearm. The name of the youth, who was booked into Juvenile Hall, was not disclosed because of his age.
The break in the case is good news, and I pray that Gutierrez’s family and friends get the justice and closure they deserve.
Of course, some readers may think Noozhawk is just miffed that police weren’t providing us with any information in an open investigation. It’s a fair point, but it’s beside the point.
The law is the law, and it applies to law enforcement as much as it applies to the public.
Frankly, the public should be just as alarmed as we are over the Santa Barbara Police Department’s obstinate secrecy over basic details.
In the course of Noozhawk’s own investigation, we learned that Gutierrez and his companions were simply walking back to their hotel when he was shot in the neck in an unprovoked attack.
We believe the public deserves to know that.
Aside from “innocent bystanders” being gunned down at random, I would think the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, which runs two tourist information centers near the murder scene, and Visit Santa Barbara, which helps inject $2 billion a year into the local economy, might have some questions about public safety.
The SBPD silence goes well beyond this murder, however.
There’s the still mysterious stabbing in the heart of downtown over the summer, and did you know there were at least three apparent bomb threats downtown on Jan. 19? As of Jan. 20, SBPD still has not confirmed for Noozhawk what many readers experienced for themselves the day before.
Robert Dion “Rob” Gutierrez
Rob Gutierrez was a husband, father and a devoted volunteer at Padre Serra Parish in Camarillo. (GoFundMe photo)
Gutierrez is survived by his wife, Gerallie, and their daughters, Ariana and Carisa. He worked in health care at a Camarillo assisted living center, was a longtime volunteer at his church, Padre Serra Parish, and coached his girls’ AYSO soccer teams.
A GoFundMe account established by friends to assist the family, described him as “the rock that his entire family leaned on.”
“His love for his family shone so bright, and he was one of the kindest people any of us will be privileged to know,” according to the post.
“Robert was funny, charming, and his warmth radiated whenever he was in the room.”
As of Jan. 2o, the account had raised nearly $33,000. Click here to make an online donation.
A funeral mass is set for 11 a.m. Jan. 24 at Padre Serra Parish, 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo, with burial to follow at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park, 2052 Howard Road, and a celebration of life back at the church’s Serra Center.
NICO – that was more for FONDOFSB. I shouldn’t have lumped you in like that.
Either way though, as I think you mentioned, the media only knows what the authorities give them. For whatever reason, the nature of the victim wasn’t immediately released. It IS important, yes, but I don’t think we can start pointing fingers at the media without some proof that they’re hiding things from us.
Nicoyaspa – this one;
https://www.noozhawk.com/santa-barbara-police-arrest-4-men-for-fatal-shooting-near-stearns-wharf/
NICO – Does the status of the victim matter during the initial investigation? Honestly, I’m not sure. Perhaps that was immaterial in the eyes of the authorities so it wasn’t prioritized as a release. Also, could have been procedurally necessary to keep that information quiet during the investigation. The cops work on a need to know basis and apparently, they felt we didn’t need to know at that time. Not saying that’s right or wrong, but just thinking of their justifications. What good would it have done the public to know that information? I’m sure it would have been different if they thought innocent bystanders were being targeted by an active shooter or something. I don’t know…. just spitballing here
The headlines on Dec 10th should have read: “Innocent Santa Barbara tourist shot in gang shooting at Stearns Wharf”.
The December 21st headlines should have read: “Santa Barbara tourist killed by gang shooting at Stearns Wharf.”
This idea of SB paradise needs to stop! Wake up! Call it out!
Racjax – so you want journalists to speculate even before all those details are known?
RACJAX: you nailed it
RACJAX – I agree with you.
Exactly, let’s be real here. Some elements of SB including a number of players here on Edhat try very hard to cultivate a ‘paradise’ theme for life around here. It fits right in with the Funk Zone, Montecito magazine, etc. vibes where we live in “such an AMAZING place”. They’ll be the first ones calling others a fear monger. I’m not a fear monger and I’m also not a fool trying to minimize or change the narrative about a real incident like this. What is wrong with reporting the actual facts in an incident like this? A standup guy, innocent bystander, gets shot and killed at Stearn’s Wharf.
Bring on the usual name calling…
The FACTS were reported!!! Jesus does anyone read? The Police were mum on details. No local media was ignoring the facts.
3:41 – shhhhh…. to many here, you’re “glorifying” criminals by saying crime is worse in other towns. Remember, write for your audience. We have some doozies here.
3:41, heck yeah I’ve lived other places, since you asked – San Francisco and Sacramento, for example. Other cities do have worse crime. Do we want SB to keep heading towards the likes of SF? As a longtime Santa Barbara resident, I just believe in supporting politicians who truly support the police. That’s not at all happening right now.
Yeah, that’s what I said, and the question is do you want to live in those places or SB?
Wow. I thought ya’ll have families, and live, because you’ve mentioned them here. You’re not disabled, as far as I know. I read online every day, but I can’t imagine engaging in childish conversation and arguments and battles like you all do. Go live your lives with the people in your life! Unless they’ve all died. And if they haven’t enjoy them while you and they are alive! You won’t regret those hours with your loved ones.
Severe under reporting of violent assaults in SB is nothing new. In the 80’s my friend was stabbed on the East Side and almost died; not a word in the news. Why? It is bad for tourism and biz in general. Just think sunshine and lollipops.
Please put your money where your mouth is.
https://www.edhat.com/news/fundraiser-created-for-victim-in-fatal-stearns-wharf-shooting
Death penalty for all of them, including the teen. Stop wasting tax dollars to feed, cloth, and medical for murderous killers in prison.