Christer Schmidt
OXNARD, Calif. – Oxnard Police officers say they arrested a 27-year-old man in possession of a loaded, unregistered .38 caliber revolver on Friday.
The gun was discovered in his possession during a traffic stop on the 5300 block of J Street.
Oxnard Police say the man is prohibited from owning any firearms and he was arrested on several firearms related charges.
Christer Schmidt
CAMBRIA, Calif – A stranded kayaker on Saturday was rescued by Cal Fire SLO and Cambria Fire after capsizing on offshore rocks.
The kayaker was 100 feet offshore when they got stuck on the rocks around 11:11 am.
A paddleboard was used to bring the individual to shore. No injuries were reported.
Christer Schmidt
OXNARD, Calif, – Oxnard Police officers arrested a 14-year-old male minor on firearms charges after a foot chase at the 2700 block of Smoky Mountain Drive in Vineyard Park on Friday.
Oxnard Police say two people fled from officers around 10:10 pm after they attempted to contact them. One fell during the chase and was taken into custody by officers after being found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm firearm.
The minor was booked at the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center.
Christer Schmidt
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara Police Department arrested a suspect Friday who they say is the suspect in a previous assault involving a knife that left one man with a laceration to the hand.
The police say the 22-year-old man was arrested after damaging a Harbor Kiosk arm with a GMC truck around 7:10 pm.
Police say the truck left the area and was followed by a witness. The truck was able to enter Hope Ranch and was located by officers near the intersection of Las Palmas Drive and La Cumbre Road as it exited the neighborhood.
At 7:27 pm, a Santa Barbara Police Officer conducted a traffic stop, and they say the suspect was the only occupant in the truck.
Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department took custody of the suspect and booked him on several charges after learning he was the suspect in the previous assault charges.
Further charges are pending following the results of an investigation into the damaged Harbor Kiosk.
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Story poles have gone up on site where a large new development near the Santa Barbara Funk Zone is planned.
The project is on the corner of Yanonali Street at Garden Street.
It is being called “The Platform.” It’s proposed to be a collection of independent merchants.
That includes restaurants, one with an ocean view, and stores all positioned around a courtyard.
The three-acre lot will have 98 vehicle parking spaces and 24 bicycle spaces.
It is flanked on the north end by Highway 101.
It is currently in the review and permitting process.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
Alissa Orozco
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury (SLOCGJ) released a report this week as part of their investigation into San Luis Obispo’s housing crisis, fueled by Cal Polytechnic State University’s growing student population overflowing into residential neighborhoods.
Overall findings stated in the report say the city failed to effectively enforce municipal codes to keep fraternity and sorority activity out of residential neighborhoods, and failed to address ongoing off-campus issues such as unsanctioned parties that have resulted in noise issues, trespassing, property damage, and unruly events.
The report says the lack of rule enforcement and dismissal of public complaints has caused tension between long-time residents and the student population.
Since 2005, both the university and City of San Luis Obispo have seen population growth – but Cal Poly in particular has had significant expansion. The Jury says that while the abundant student population has contributed positively to the city’s vibrancy and economic development, its presence is better associated with contributing to the city’s housing crisis.
From 2005 -2025, the population of San Luis Obispo grew from 44,380 to 50,612, or a 14% increase. The university’s population grew from 18,278 to 23,016 – a 26% increase. In a 20-year span, the university admitted nearly 5,000 more students, meaning students now comprise nearly 46% of the city’s total population.
This surge in admitted students has reshaped the dynamics between them and long-time residents, as Cal Poly students can now be found living in single-family homes, unsanctioned street parties are taking place in once quiet neighborhoods, and unauthorized fraternity houses are operating in zoning-restricted residential areas.
The San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury’s investigation into these issues was conducted in response to continuous complaints from the public claiming:
“The City of SLO and Cal Poly officials were failing to enforce existing rules and municipal ordinances, that citizen complaints were ignored, and neither took sufficient action to restore order.”
The main issue at large is that, due to a lack of housing options on-campus, students are now infiltrating residential neighborhoods – and as result, removing housing options for those wanting to move to the coastal city, and in some cases, pushing residents out of their own neighborhoods.
A large portion of the report focused on the disruptive unsanctioned street parties thrown by students, including the infamous St. Fratty’s Day. The chaotic event would draw thousands of attendees every year since its creation in 2009 to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the end of the school term.
During St. Fratty’s Day in 2015, the event made national headlines when 30 or more students caused a rooftop to collapse at 348 Hathway Street. Ten people were injured, and one got away with life-threatening injuries.
In 2023, the SLO City Council expanded an existing Safety Enhancement Zone (SEZ) ordinance to cover a period of time before and after St. Patrick’s Day. This allowed authorities to double fines for noise, alcohol, and other unruly behavior, but despite this, the following year attracted the biggest crowd in the event’s history.
An estimated 7,000 attendees came to St. Fratty’s Day in 2024, contributing to the numerous reports of property damage to nearby residences and personal property. Complaints from neighbors say some intoxicated partiers trespassed onto their property, climbed up on rooftops and power poles, and vandalized cars.
Fireworks were set off in the Alta Vista neighborhood between 3:00am and 4:00am, and additional reports included students participating in dangerous activities such as climbing utility poles, partying on rooftops, urinating and vomiting in public, passing out in residents’ yards and on rooftops, and leaving trash throughout the neighborhoods.
Additional chaos erupted on campus, dorms halls experienced damage so extensive that Cal Poly had to close some for two days for repairs. Dining facilities and markets reported widespread theft during the morning hours.
A Statement from Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong following the 2024 St. Fratty’s Day event said:
These selfish and harmful actions are unacceptable for individuals who have been granted the privilege to study, live and work in the Cal Poly community. It is confounding and deeply disturbing that a portion of our own students so ignorantly and callously destroyed parts of our campus — including the very places they and so many other students live. We expect our students to have fun on our campus and in our local community as part of their time at Cal Poly — this is a key element of the growth, development and self-discovery within the university experience. However, that does not include behavior that is destructive to property, potentially criminal in nature, or harmful to one’s self or fellow community members.
I know our Cal Poly students to be intelligent and accomplished. As such, we strive to treat every student with respect and as responsible young adults. Our expectation in return is that students act like responsible young adults. If that basic respect is too much to ask of some of you, then this university is not the right fit for you.
One method used in the investigation included interviews with San Luis Obispo city residents, city leadership, city personnel (such as Code Enforcement), and leadership from Cal Poly. The SLOCGJ say attempts to confirm the validity of the alleged citizen complaints against the SLOPD were blocked by two senior police official’s unwillingness to grant an interview.
This year, an alternative event was thrown to take the place of St. Fratty’s Day. It provided entertainment, beer vendors for those over the age of 21, free food, security, and a sobering center. Strict rules discouraged non-students from coming into town and on campus. No guests were allowed to stay on campus, and parking was limited.
The concert at Cal Poly was deemed a success, with over 6,000 students in attendance.
Despite the event’s success, the jury found:
“Prior to 2025, the city failed to effectively provide a multi-pronged, cohesive approach to manage or shut down large unsanctioned, costly and unruly events such as St. Fratty’s Day. This created an unsafe environment, with increasing size of unruly crowds, property damage, injuries and public disturbances.”
Complaints also say SLO police have failed to enforce SLO Municipal Code 9.12, which makes its unlawful for any person to willfully or negligently make or continue to make any noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood.
Noise complaints filed to police about house parties have reached an overwhelming amount. Reviewed copies issued by the SLOPD during the 2023-2024 school session found that noise citations in neighborhoods near campus were issued an average of more than 3 times per week. This totaled 139 citations in the Alta Vista neighborhood, with one house alone receiving 17 citations.
SLO Police employ the assistance of Cal Poly students in the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP) to tackle house parties, but neighbors say these efforts do very little. Weekend house parties generate 100 or more students at one address, and SNAP students lack the authority to issue actual fines or a conventional ticket.
SNAP students do not go to lettered fraternity houses, and parties often continue even after visits by police.
A contributing factor of these noise complaints are the “illegal fraternities” that resided and continue to reside in residential neighborhoods labeled as R-1/R-2. The city is divided into zones to allow for orderly function and planned development; making it illegal per the Municipal Code for fraternities to operate in an R-1/R-2 neighborhood. However, fraternity members will rent houses in R-1/R-2 zones and hold fraternity-sponsored events.
During SLOCGJ interviews with City officials, five individuals confirmed their knowledge of the existence of illegal fraternities, but claim identifying illegal fraternities in residential neighborhoods is difficult and labor intensive.
“After investigating, if enough evidence exists, code enforcement will issue an Notice of Violations (NOV) and if they are in an R-1/R-2 zone, tell them to cease all fraternity-related activities. Code enforcement will follow-up within 30 days to verify compliance.”
The jury sent out 30-40 Advisory Notices and 22 NOVs to property owners, in which many revealed they were unaware of the fraternity events that were being held at their property.
At the time, Cal Poly and code enforcement were working together to combat the illegal fraternity issue, but Cal Poly stopped assistance, stating privacy concerns, and revised their AB 524 report to remove some of the addresses that were previously provided in the document.
Back in January, results from a neighborhood review done by the code enforcement team identified and citied 12 locations that were operating as fraternity houses in R-1/R-2 zones. Based on the SLOCGJ investigation, the number of illegal fraternities may be more than 40 locations currently operating in the city.
As a result, the jury found:
The city has failed to effectively enforce municipal codes that prohibit fraternity and sorority activity in R-1/R-2 zones in part due to the difficulty in identifying houses that are hosting fraternity-type events, such as rush events and repeated parties. This inaction has resulted in an increase of illegal fraternities holding events in residential neighborhoods making these areas almost unlivable for most residents.
Fraternities are restricted to areas with more common and private outdoor spaces, known as R-3/R-4, and require a Conditional Use Permits (CUP) to operate per the city’s Municipal Code. These CUPs are granted to fraternities under certain conditions such as: not more than one resident can be in occupancy per sixty square feet, the fraternity or sorority shall remain affiliated and in good standing with the Inter-fraternity Council of Student Life and Leadership, the landlord shall provide names and telephone numbers of responsible persons, and the maximum number of persons allowed on site for routine meetings and gatherings shall not exceed the limit.
In January 2025, the SLOCGJ received a copies of the 16 CUPs granted by the city to a fraternity or sorority. The Cal Poly website lists a total of 36 affiliated fraternities and sororities, and a public report submitted to the State by Cal Poly in 2024 did have 16 fraternities and sororities the same as the number of CUPs in force. The reports says,
“evidently, this means that of the 36 recognized fraternities and sororities, 20 either do not have a chapter house or are in chapter houses that are off-campus and not owned or leased by the fraternity or sorority and therefore do not meet the definition of an affiliated chapter house.”
Failure to apply for a permit could be due to various reason, but because Cal Poly is not required to submit the addresses of these fraternities, it is difficult to directly determine why they may or may not have a permit to operate.
Residents can appeal for a permit to be revoked or request that a permit not be approved; however, the current cost to make such an appeal is $2,583.46 (in 2017 the appeal fee was $281.00).
Residents say this much too high a cost, and hinders the public’s participation in local decision-making processes.
Recommendations:
The jury listed a total of seven recommendations for city officials to work in collaboration with the university and residents to address the housing issues.
They suggest proactive enforcement measures, rather than reactive measures be taken to completely eliminate unsanctioned street parties altogether, and prevent social gatherings from escalating to that point.
“This approach would foster a safer community while promoting shared accountability among all parties involved.”
They encourage the city to develop a formal procedure to identify illegal fraternities and adopt more uniform conditions for CUPs, and further enforce existing requirements.
“The City should consider using future CUP violations to determine if it is appropriate to revise the conditions to make them more relevant for today’s environment. This may require consideration of additional code enforcement staff or alternative work schedules.”
The jury also asked the city council to reconsider their appeal fee structure, to ensure financial burdens do not interfere with public complaints and concerns.
Lastly, they suggest the SLO City Police Department receive formal guidelines and training on how to respond to requests from the SLOCGJ and other oversite bodies.
The San Luis Obispo City Council, The San Luis Obispo City Manager, and The San Luis Obispo City Planning Commission have 90 days to respond to their designated sections.
Read the full report from the SLOCGJ here.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
Ryder Christ
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The future of the Earl Warren Showgrounds is coming into focus with a 30-year Master Plan in development — but members of the equestrian community are questioning whether they will be part of that vision.
The Earl Warren Showgrounds, a historic and centrally located facility, has played a critical role during disasters—most notably during the 2017 Thomas Fire, when it sheltered more than 1,300 animals. Kathleen O’Connor, President of the Santa Barbara Equine Assistance & Evacuation Team, says the grounds remain a vital asset in times of disaster.
“There is no facility between Ventura and Santa Maria for any large animal rescue operation,” said O’Connor.
Despite her organization’s investment of $1.5 million to repair fencing and upgrade facilities in recent years, O’Connor says her team has not been consulted as the new Master Plan takes shape.
“We haven’t been invited to have any input into the new plan, and it’s scary,” she said. “If they eliminate that part of the facility, we won’t have any place to go. We are screwed, and all horse owners in Santa Barbara are going to be at a loss.”
Preliminary documents obtained by News Channel show the proposed Master Plan outlines three functional zones and includes a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena. CEO Ben Sprague says the arena is intended to support both existing and new partnerships.
When asked whether anyone at the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) had seen or been involved in the Showgrounds Master Plan, OEM Director Kelly Hubbard said, “Ben Sprague has provided OEM an opportunity to review the completed draft plan, which includes considerations for both human and equine evacuation.”
O’Connor, while concerned about the future of equestrian facilities, supports modernization efforts elsewhere on the property.
“I encourage the renovation of a lot of the other areas,” she said. “And I think we could actually help renovate all the stalls and get it back up to what it was originally.”
In fact, after investing $1.5 million in renovations, O’Connor’s team hired a lawyer to draft a formal proposal to assume management of the equestrian facilities.
“We agreed to do it at no cost to Earl Warren, and we also agreed that we would put any profits back into the General Earl Warren renovation,” said O’Connor, adding that the Showgrounds board never saw the proposal.
“We presented that plan to Ben (Sprague), and he did not take it to the rest of the board—it just went away,” she said. “There was not even a response, except ‘we’re not interested.’”
O’Connor said the proposal was intended to be presented at the October 28, 2021, board meeting, but Sprague never placed it on the agenda.
She also argues that with proper leadership and upkeep, the Showgrounds could host equestrian events every weekend and generate consistent revenue.
“We have been told by the equestrian community all over California that we could have a horse show there every weekend if the cost were kept at a moderate amount and the facility were kept up—and they had management there that really welcomed horse shows,” she said.
For the first time in 67 years, the Old Spanish Days Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo will not be hosted at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. Organizers say rising costs are partly to blame. From 2017 to 2024, fees paid by Old Spanish Days to use the Showgrounds rose more than 120%, according to financial records.
This year, Earl Warren and Old Spanish Days plan to host separate rodeos during Fiesta weekend.
The Earl Warren Showgrounds board has yet to present the Master Plan to the public. The last two scheduled board meetings were canceled due to a lack of quorum, and there is currently no word on when the next meeting will be held or when the plan will be formally unveiled.
Caleb Nguyen
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – Two men died from a car crash along Highway 166 after a CalTrans worker noticed their overturned pickup truck at 10:30 Wednesday morning, according to the Santa Maria CHP.
The car was not visible from the roadway due to being hidden in heavy brush down an embankment off the highway, according to the Santa Maria CHP.
First responders found both men in the car with fatal injuries from the crash and are working with the San Luis Obispo County Coroner’s Office to identify them, according to the Santa Maria CHP.
The car in the crash is believed to be part of an active missing person investigation by the SLO County Sheriff’s Office, which began this June, according to the Santa Maria CHP.
CHP units and an aircraft along Route 166 were unable to locate the car or the person first responders were searching for on June 18, according to the Santa Maria CHP.
The crash remains under investigation and information requests on the missing persons case should go to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff Office, according to the Santa Maria CHP.
Andrew Gillies
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The 2024-2025 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury released a report Thursday about unpermitted food vendors finding that the mobile nature of the retailers and changes in enforcement at the state level have limited the options for local authorities to respond.
The Jury recommended that the County government allocate funds to hire inspectors who would partner with local law enforcement to improve inspection and enforcement efforts to protect both local consumers and permitted food vendors.
“In recent years, however, the presence of unpermitted street food vendors—push carts, food trucks, and tented restaurants—operating in Santa Barbara County has become widespread,” opened Thurday’s Grand Jury report. “Their unprecedented growth threatens not only the economic vitality of permitted restaurants and food trucks in the region, but, most importantly, the health of customers from sales of food prepared under potentially unsanitary conditions.”
The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury is an investigative body made up of local citizens that serve a one-year term and provide assessments and recommendations to local government agencies after their investigations.
You can find a catalogue of final reports and response back to 2011 on its website under the ‘Final Reports & Responses’ tab or visiting here.
Background
The California Retail Food Code outlines requirements that must be met to get a a health permit that must be displayed and visible to customers. You might recognize them as the letter grades you can see at any food retailer in the state.
State law requires that county public health departments ensure that food vendors follow those safety guidelines with in-person inspections expected to occur at least once per year or more frequently for retailers with previous violations or complaints.
In Santa Barbara County, the Environmental Health Services Division within the County of Santa Barbara Health Department is tasked with permitting food vendors and conducting regular inspections.
Cities in the county, such as Santa Barbara, have agreements with the county’s Environmental Health Services Division to enforce food safety laws within city limits meaning that the division is responsible for the entire county detailed the Grand Jury report.
While food safety permits are managed by the Environmental Health Services Division, food serving licenses in incorporated cities are issued by each city and for areas outside of city limits, this is done by the Santa Barbara County Tax Collector’s Office.
Cities and the county’s Tax Collector’s Office can issue citations or fines if vendors do not follow the requirements of their license, such as reporting sales for taxation purposes.
The Grand Jury limited its Thursday report to county-based authority and enforcement, but cities, through their authority over food serving licenses, can also play a part in determining a solution to potential health issues and impact on local businesses for unpermitted or unlicensed vendors.
Not all food vendors require permits to operate. Those that sell pre-packaged or non-perishable items are exempt from some health and safety requirements noted the report.
Food trucks and carts that are “involved in the preparation, storage, or service of food in a food facility [California Retail Food Code section 113790]”, even those that sell cut fruit or juices, must be permitted and all food handlers must have a food handlers card provided through an online course from the state.
The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report highlighted two changes by the state’s legislature in the last seven years that have had an outsized impact on unpermitted food vending.
Senate Bill 946, signed into law in 2018, added Chapter 6.2 to Part 1 of the Division 1 of Title 5 of the California Government Code which limited the time, place, and type of restrictions a local authority can impose of sidewalk vendors of food or merchandise, including penalties that can be assessed.
As a result, food vending activities that were once misdemeanor offenses at the local level can only be punished with administrative citations, but those changes did not affect food safety laws nor the county’s ability to enforce them explained the Grand Jury report.
Senate Bill 972, signed into law in 2022, decriminalized the California Retail Food Code for employees, vendors, and operators of compact mobile food facilities who are conducting, “limited food preparation” as defined in California Retail Food Code section 113818 regarding some infractions including permit violations detailed Thursday’s report.
“While their consequences may have been unintended, SB 946 and SB 972 triggered a surge in unpermitted food vending operations across Santa Barbara County, reaching a scale that now posesa threat to public health and safety,” explained the Grand Jury report.
According to the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury report, those changes to state law did not exempt mobile food vendors from needing county health permits, but only two food cart vendors have applied for permits from the county as of March of 2025.
Impact
Food safety is an important public health priority.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that every year, one in six people gets sick from food-borne illnesses and food-borne hospitalizations and deaths have more than doubled due to outbreaks of listeria, salmonella, and excherichia coli as well as notable increases in norovirus infections associated with unsafe food handling.
Thursday’s Grand Jury report shared that those reported numbers are likely much lower than actual food-borne infections as most people do not seek medical aid so it goes unreported and undocumented.
Data about disease transmissions from food vendors is not currently collected noted the Grand Jury report.
In March, Your News Channel covered discoveries made during inspections about unsanitary conditions at unpermitted mobile food vendors.
Other problems associated with unpermitted food vending that the report cited included unfair and illegal competition with licensed and properly permitted local food retailers as well as the illegal dumping of grease and other waste violates local fire codes, and traffic or parking violations have also been a concern during the investigation.
Administrative citations have not proven to be effective preventing unpermitted food vending concluded the Grand Jury report.
Issues cited in the report included difficulty identifying the owners who should be cited and refusals by employees to sign a civil citation.
The Grand Jury report also noted that financial penalties fail to serve as a deterrent.
First-time violations of the state’s Retail Food Code require the issuance of a warning, a fine for a second violation can not exceed $100 if the violation happened within one year of the first violation, a fine for a third violation can not exceed $200 within a year of the first violation, and a fourth violation fine -and any additional violations- within one year of the first violation can not be more than $500 per California Retail Food Code section 114368.8.
Few vendors pay fines that are levied or appear in court and vendors can simply move to a new location when inspectors have issued citations starting the violation fee scaling explained the Grand Jury report.
The Grand Jury report also shared that there are concerns for inspectors approaching mobile food vendors due to intimidation from customers and even when law enforcement agents accompany inspectors, that fact that some officers and deputies have been customers themselves is a form of functional validation.
Recommendations
“In recent years, however, the presence of unpermitted street food vendors—push carts, food trucks, and tented restaurants—operating in Santa Barbara County has become widespread,” stated the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury in its report. “Their unprecedented growth threatens not only the economic vitality of permitted restaurants and food trucks in the region, but, most importantly, the health of customers from sales of food prepared under potentially unsanitary conditions.”
Santa Barbara County currently employs three full-time inspectors and one part-time inspector which the Grand Jury report noted is inadequate for enforcement countywide.
The report noted that it was previously recommended that a task force of multiple agencies be created at the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments‘ meeting in October of 2024 and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors‘ meeting in March of 2025.
During the March 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting, it was reported that since January of this year, Environmental Health Services Division inspectors have worked on weekends and after hours when mobile vendors are more commonly found which has incurred overtime pay.
Inspectors have issued 137 notices from January to March of this year and seized food that state law requires be kept for 30 days and in a condition that can be returned as it was received shared the Grand Jury report.
However, the County has already run out of refrigerated storage space for freezing seized foods and the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a new comprehensive approach to enforcement through a multi-jurisdictional task force detailed the report.
According to the Grand Jury report, the County of Ventura’s ongoing 20-month pilot program which started in July of 2024 was an inspiration for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ solution.
The Ventura County task force was provided a $1.7 million budget which was used to expand inspection teams to an additional nine inspectors and a full-time coordinator, cooperation with fire and law enforcement personnel during sweeps, and the confiscation and storage of unlawful trucks, carts, and equipment explained Thursday’s report.
The Grand Jury report noted that the number of vendors was reduced and food retailers could only retrieve the seized property after paying fines and registering with local agencies for health permits and business licenses.
“With no foreseeable relief to come at the state level, local authorities must devise their own effective enforcement solutions,” concluded the Grand Jury report. “While multi-jurisdictional task forces show promising results, they must encompass the full range of appropriate agencies, and funding for inspectors who focus specifically on food safety violations must be prioritized.
There is currently no tip line for reporting unpermitted mobile food retailers nor is there clear information on how to report those concerns on relevant county websites added the report. Thursday’s Grand Jury report Recommendation 2 was to create a tip line for the public to report violations by January of 2026.
Additionally, the Grand Jury report recommended that inspectors be accompanied by members of law enforcement when conducting inspections across every jurisdiction in the county by January of 2026.
Those recommendations legally require an official response from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office within 60 days and from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors within 90 days.
Alissa Orozco
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – The Ventura County Medical Examiner has revealed 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez died of ethanol poisoning, or alcohol poisoning. The death of 13-year-old has been deemed a homicide.
The young boy’s remains were found near McGrath State Beach in Oxnard back in April. His former soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino was charged with murder with special circumstances in the death of missing teenager.
Garcia-Aquino faces additional, unrelated felony charges for the sexual assaults of two separate minors: a 16-year-old who was coached by Garcia-Aquino, and allegedly sexually assaulted at his home in the Antelope Valley in February 2024 and a 2022 sexual assault of another minor at his former Sylmar residence.
Garcia-Aquino pleaded not guilty to the murder charge during his June court appearance. He has been ordered to remain in jail without bail until his next court appearance on Aug. 18th, Fox 11 Los Angeles reports.
Authorities believe there may be more victims of Garcia-Aquino in the San Fernando and Antelope Valleys. Additional victims or anyone with information is urged to contact either the LAPD Abused Child Unit at (818) 374-5415, or the LASD Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
