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SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/15/07. Yesterday at 5:00 p.m., a passerby alerted the Harbor Patrol to a body floating in the Marina. Harbor Patrol Officers Nufer and Kuhlman found a man’s body in the water adjacent to Marina-1, partially submerged beneath the floating dock. The body was clad in shorts and a T-shirt. SBPD officers and detectives responded to investigate. The body was that of John Robert Hazelton, age 61. There were no visible signs of trauma or foul play. Hazelton lived aboard the “Marlee Jean”, a 28 foot Catalina 270 sailboat docked nearby on Marina 1. Hazelton was co-owner of the vessel. Police found the vessel to be neat and orderly with no suspicious circumstances. It appeared the body had been in the water for an undetermined number of hours. Earlier in the day (8/14/07) at 11:00 a.m. a citizen found Hazelton’s wallet floating in the Marina and turned it over to the Harbor Patrol office.

The Corner’s office contacted Hazelton’s son who lives in the Los Angeles area. The son reported that Hazelton spent winters in Cozumel, Mexico giving Scuba lessons and summers in Santa Barbara working part-time as a taxicab driver. The Coroner made a preliminary finding that the death is consistent with accidental drowning. A final cause of death is pending an autopsy and toxicological examination.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/13/2007 – Last Friday, August 10th, Samuel Joseph “Joe” Martinez, age 62, was arrested for severely beating a homeless woman. The extent of the inflicted injuries led to charges of: torture, battery causing great bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon. The incident took place a year ago on July 22, 2006. At 6:30 a.m. a passerby found a badly beaten and partially nude woman in a secluded area of the Louise Lowry Davis Center at 1232 De La Vina Street. The victim was a 53-year-old homeless woman who had been living in Santa Barbara for several months. She was found unconscious with a gag tied around her mouth. She suffered a severe beating to her head, upper body, limbs, and torso. The medical report indicated the attack included numerous heavy blows inflicted over a substantial period of time. The victim spent several days in a coma at Cottage Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. She slowly regained consciousness and was discharged a few weeks later. She is currently living with relatives at an undisclosed out-of-county location.

Following the attack, detectives contacted many possible witnesses and pieced together leads. Suspicion quickly fell on Samuel Joseph “Joe” Martinez, who was identified as having been near the crime scene when the offense occurred. Despite hundreds of hours spent investigating the case, detectives lacked sufficient evidence to bring charges against Martinez.

Nearly a year after the attack, new witness information surfaced that substantially linked Martinez to the assault. Detective Chad Hunt obtained a warrant and arrested Martinez on August 10th. In addition to the charges of battery with great bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon, the severe injuries inflicted over a substantial period of time led to a charge of torture. Martinez is being held on $500,000 bail.

SANTA BARBARA, CA - 8/9/07. On 08/08/07 at 4:40 p.m., a lone suspect robbed the Bank of America at 3790 State Street. The suspect entered the bank and patiently waited in line for the first available teller. Clutching a briefcase, the suspect approached a male teller. The suspect claimed to have a gun and demanded cash. No gun was seen. The suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of cash and left on foot. He was last seen going out the back doors to the rear parking lot.

The suspect is described as a white male in his 50s, 5-6 in height, 140 lbs, with short grey hair. He was unshaven, wore a light colored ball cap, brown sunglasses, and a white T-shirt. He carried a brown leather briefcase. Attached are bank surveillance photos taken during the robbery. Anyone with suspect information is urged to contact Detective James Ella or the Watch Commander at 897-2355.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/8/07. The SBPD officers involved in the 8/3/07 shooting at 600 State Street are Officer Kenneth Kushner and Officer Mike Claytor. Officer Kushner and Officer Claytor are each six year veterans of the Santa Barbara Police Department. The autopsy was completed yesterday. Eighteen rounds were fired by the two officers, ten by Officer Kushner and eight by Officer Claytor. The suspect Wilfred Turner was struck eight times in the torso, four to his hands/arms, one to his leg, plus three or four apparent grazing wounds. Other than a flat tire sustained by a taxi parked a few feet away, there is no evidence of property damage or injury to anyone else. Both police officers carry Department issued .40 caliber H&K handguns. They each have a capacity of fourteen rounds. Turner’s weapon was a Springfield XD .45 caliber handgun. It was loaded with nine rounds. There is no evidence that Turner fired his gun during the incident.

Following the incident, detectives served a search warrant at Turner’s Oxnard residence. They recovered the manufacturer’s box for the Springfield firearm, plus extra ammunition. It was originally reported that Turner left the US Navy last June. A Navy source has since reported that he left the service last April. Much of Turner’s Navy personnel record is considered confidential, but SBPD is working with Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

On the night of the shooting, detectives believe that Turner, Mark Anthony Smith, Michael Joseph Williams, and Randall Johnson drove to Santa Barbara in Johnson’s Chevy Silverado pickup. They parked behind the Bank of America at 834 State Street. Turner carried his holstered handgun in a rear pant’s pocket. Johnson had a loaded .40 caliber Ruger handgun that he left in his truck. The four men walked down State Street.

When they reached the front of the Hamburger Habit restaurant at 628 State Street, they encountered Christopher Bishop, Jermaine Lukas, Terrence Ruben, and a 16-year-old female. All the men claim to be in the Navy. The exception was Turner, who left in April. All the men said they know each other. Some of the men knew of allegations that Turner’s wife had been romantically involved with Terrence Ruben. Turner’s wife is also in the Navy. This involvement led to a series of arguments, fights, and threats between Turner and Ruben. According to his family, Turner moved to New York after leaving the Navy. He recently moved back to California to find work.

When Turner’s group met the Ruben group, a confrontation quickly ensued. Turner lifted his shirt, causing Ruben to believe he had a gun or weapon in his waistband. Turner did not have a weapon in his waistband, but he then reached into his rear pant’s pocket. Ruben believed Turner was reaching for a gun and felt in fear for his life. He punched Turner in the face and the two began fighting. Turner’s group joined in assaulting Ruben, Bishop, and Lukas. The fight progressed from the sidewalk, over a twenty-inch high wall and into the Habit’s patio area. The fight scattered tables and customers. The fight attracted the attention of Officer Kushner and Officer Claytor, who were on foot in the 600 block of State Street. The officers approached to restore order and investigate the circumstances. At varying distances, a Santa Paula police officer, and two armed Ventura County probation officers walked up too.

The officers saw the fight involved six to eight combatants who were throwing punches, kicking, wrestling, and fighting on the ground. The officers were separating the combatants when they saw Turner holding a firearm in his right hand. Gun in hand, Turner started going over the wall to the crowded sidewalk. As he did so, the gun barrel was leveled in the direction of the police officers, the other people involved in the fight, and in the direction of hundreds of people on both sides of State Street. Officer Kushner and Officer Claytor drew their firearms and fired at Turner. Witnesses report the duration of shooting was three to five seconds. Hundreds of people in the area ducked for cover. No other officers fired their weapon. Turner fell to the ground, mortally wounded. The gun dropped on the sidewalk and was immediately secured by a police officer. Turner was pronounced dead at the scene. The entire 600 block of State Street was sealed off until police could determine exactly who was involved in the fight and who witnessed the incident. Hundreds of people were contacted and released. Thirty eyewitnesses were brought to the police station, as were the people involved in the fight. The 600 block of State Street was closed for nine hours for thorough examination and documentation of the scene.

Ultimately, police arrested Smith, Williams, and Johnson for fighting in public. Police recovered the loaded Ruger handgun in Johnson’s vehicle and added a charge of possession of a concealed weapon in a vehicle. ATF is investigating the source of Turner’s and Johnson’s firearms. At this point there is no indication that this was a gang related incident.

Per Department policy, both Officer Kushner and Officer Claytor have been placed on administrative leave. Also per policy, the case will be submitted to the District Attorney for review. Attached below are excerpts from the Department’s use of force policy:

POLICY

It is the policy of this Department that officers shall use only that amount of force that reasonably appears necessary, given the facts and circumstances perceived by the officer at the time of the event, to effectively bring an incident under control. “Reasonableness” of
the force used must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene at the time of the incident. Any interpretation of “reasonableness” must allow for the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving about the amount of force that is nessary in a particular situation.

DEADLY FORCE APPLICATIONS

Use of deadly force is justified in the following circumstances: An officer may use deadly force to protect him or herself or others from what they reasonably believe would be an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/4/2007. The man who was shot by police last night has been identified as Wilfred A. Turner, age 24, of Oxnard. His next of kin has been notified.

The investigation determined that Turner and two male friends drove from Oxnard to Santa Barbara in a Chevrolet pickup. They parked in the Bank of America parking lot at 834 State Street and walked downtown. At 11:50 p.m. they encountered a group of at least three men and a 16-year-old female, also from the Oxnard area. There was pre-existing bad blood between Turner and a man in the other group over allegations that the other man had been romantically involved with Turner’s 20-year-old wife. The two have argued and fought before.

The two groups met on the sidewalk in front of the Hamburger Habit, 600 State Street. Turner and the other man exchanged words and started fighting. Other members of their groups participated in the fight. Meanwhile, two SBPD officers working a uniformed Fiesta foot-beat assignment witnessed the fight and walked over to restore order. Just then, Turner withdrew a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun from a large cargo pants pocket. He pointed the gun at other people. The two officers drew their handguns and fired numerous rounds to protect the citizens who were nearby. Turner was struck by gunfire and died at the scene. Turner’s gun was recovered and found to be loaded. The other suspects involved in the disturbance were detained until the facts could be determined. No one else was injured. A taxi cab parked a few feet away sustained a flat tire, possibly from a bullet or fragment. Numerous law enforcement and citizen witnesses provided statements about what occurred.

Police located and searched the Chevrolet pickup. A second handgun was found inside the truck. Until recently, Turner and the other men were servicemen in the US Navy, stationed out of Port Hueneme. According to Naval sources, Turner suddenly left the service last June. Turner’s body was released to the Coroner.

Three of the other participants in the fight were arrested for fighting in public: Mark Anthony Smith, age 22; Terence Ruben, age 24; and Randall Leon Johnson, age 23. Johnson is the owner of the Chevrolet pickup and was also charged with possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/4/2007: Because of the need to thoroughly process the shooting scene at 600 State Street, the Fiesta Children’s parade route has been shortened: The parade route will be down State Street, from Victoria to Canon Perdido Street.

Police investigators have just opened up the 600 block of State Street to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The uncertainty over when the shooting scene would be open led to the changed parade route.

Another factor in deciding to shorten the parade route was concern over fallen ash from the Zaca Lake Fire. Many parents believed a shortened parade route exposed their children to less risk. The decision to shorten the parade route was jointly made with the City Parks and Recreation Department, who is in charge of the Fiesta Children’s Parade.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/4/2007 –On Friday, August 3rd at 11:50 p.m., an officer involved shooting left one man dead. The incident occurred in the 600 block of State Street, directly in front of the Hamburger Habit restaurant. The incident is under investigation.

Because of Fiesta, hundreds of pedestrians were walking up and down the sidewalks. Numerous officers were working foot-beat assignments throughout lower State Street, including the 600 block. Preliminary details are that Santa Barbara police officers witnessed a fight between several male suspects on the sidewalk in front of Hamburger Habit. One suspect involved in the disturbance brandished a handgun. Moments later several shots were fired. The armed suspect was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. The handgun was recovered. No one else was reported as injured. Numerous witnesses were brought to the police station.

An investigation is in process and additional details will be released once the facts are established and verified. The 600 block of State Street is currently closed to vehicles and pedestrians. Whether or not the 600 block of State Street remains closed beyond the 10:00 a.m. start of the Children’s Parade will be determined later this morning.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/2/2007 – On 8/1/07 at 5:15 a.m. police responded to a homeless encampment near Milpas and Carpinteria Street on a call of a found body. A homeless woman named Sandra McFarlane, age 45 was found deceased in the campsite. She was fully clothed and bore no signs of trauma. Her companions reported that she regularly lived at this location. They observed her being alert the night before, and nothing unusual occurring during the night.

Of particular note was that on 7/26/07 McFarlane had been the victim of a battery. On that date police found her suffering from several blows to the head. She was treated and released from Cottage Hospital. A suspect was arrested and charged with battery and parole violation. Detectives were concerned that injuries inflicted in the assault may have played a role in her death.

Also of particular note, on 7/31/07 police contacted McFarlane after a witness reported her injecting herself with a syringe. McFarlane showed signs of narcotic use, and was cited for illegal possession of the syringes.

An autopsy was conducted today, 8/2/07. The findings are that the battery incident did not appear to play a role in her death. The final cause of death will be determined pending a toxicology examination.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 8/1/2007. Since the July 16th homicide of Lorenzo Carachure, SBPD has taken a firm position against current and continuing gang violence. Increased police action includes daytime and nighttime gang patrols, increased use of gang officers, and use of bicycle patrols in areas where gang members congregate. The increased response follows not only the homicide, but several gang fights occurring a few days prior and a few days following the fatal attack. In the last sixteen days, SBPD has arrested and booked more than forty (40) suspects as a direct result of stepped up enforcement. Thirty five (35) of the arrestees were gang members or associates. Arrest charges include: Assault with a deadly weapon, possession of illegal weapons, parole and probation violation, fighting, drug violations, and committing a crime in furtherance of a street gang. Many more suspects have been cited for more minor violations including vehicle and municipal code violations. In addition, police have conducted searches at more than sixty (60) residences. Some searches were directly related to the homicide and others were to ensure gang members are complying with probation and parole terms. SBPD has been assisted by other agencies including the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s and Probation Departments.

Police Chief Cam Sanchez has directed the increased efforts and is fully aware of the progress. He is personally committed to keeping our community safe while holding violent gang members accountable for their actions. SBPD has committed its entire resources to making Fiesta 2007 safe and enjoyable for everyone.

SANTA BARBARA, CA – 7/31/07. Today at 7:00 a.m., the Santa Barbara Police Department conducted an early morning search operation at thirty two (32) residences throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta. This operation was in response to recent gang violence including the July 16th homicide of Lorenzo Carachure, age 16. Fifty law enforcement personnel participated in the operation including SBPD detectives, gang experts, SBSO deputies, and County Probation officers. Searches were conducted on the authority of parole and probation terms, and search warrants. Law enforcement personnel believe gang members or associates lived at each residence.

Thirteen suspects were arrested: Eight adults and five juveniles. Most but not every suspect arrested or contacted was a gang member/associate. The arrests include:

Samuel Branuelos, age 19, for probation violation;
Raymond Jasso, age 21, for drug charges;
Sergio Inda, age 20, for drug charges;
Ivan Quezada, age 22, for parole violation;
Cesar Quintero, age 38, for parole violation;
Isaac Solis, age 20, for parole violation;
Ismael Torres, age 19, for probation violation;
Jaime Vargas, age 32, for drug charges.

Four juveniles were arrested for probation violation and one for assault with a deadly weapon stemming from the July 21st stabbing at Circuit City. This sweep is the latest effort in response to gang violence. A more comprehensive press release on SBPD’s response to gang violence will be made tomorrow.