A 23-year-old La Palma man has been arrested in the death of his uncle, whose charred body was found off East Camino Cielo Road near Painted Cave Road in rural Santa Barbara County.
La Palma police Sgt. Raul Morales said in a news release issued Monday that Kirk Michael Galvin faces homicide charges in the death of 58-year-old Douglas Brian Galvin of Buena Park, who was reported missing by a relative.
On Aug. 1, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department reported the discovery of Douglas Galvin’s charred body by a citizen.
Morales said sheriff’s detectives and La Palma detectives conducted a joint investigation that led to Kirk Galvin’s residence at 5600 Orangethorpe in La Palma.
Potential evidence in the murder was recovered, according to Morales, and Kirk Galvin was questioned and later arrested.
He was booked at the La Palma police station and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
The UCSB student directory shows a Kirk M. Galvin as an undergraduate student from fall 2006 through winter 2011 who received a bachelor’s degree in business economics in June, according to news director George Foulsham.
— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at mnelson@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.
