Three men have been arrested and criminally charged with drug offenses related to the fatal overdose of a woman in a Goleta motel last month.
Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies arrested the trio on felony narcotics charges following the death of 20-year-old Aylin Lizana Castillo at Motel 6 at 5897 Calle Real.
On June 21, motel staff entered a room when checkout time passed without a response and found Castillo unresponsive, sheriff’s public information officer Raquel Zick said.
Staff called 9-1-1, and deputies determined she had died of a suspected accidental overdose.
“Through investigative leads, detectives quickly identified multiple suspects believed to have trafficked illegal narcotics to the victim in this case,” Zick said.
Ofelio Hernandez, 31, of Santa Barbara was arrested June 22. William Tyndal Morrison, 44, of Santa Barbara and Jose Angel Hernandez Leos, 31, of Goleta were arrested on June 23.
Deputies seized “a multitude of narcotics” while conducting search warrants in those three cases, including methamphetamine, Xanax, fentanyl, heroin and ketamine, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The District Attorney’s Office has since filed criminal charges in all three cases.
Hernandez was charged with felony transportation for sale of a controlled substance, transportation for sale of narcotics, and an enhancement of having a prior felony conviction.
He pleaded not guilty to charges and denied the enhancement, according to Superior Court records. He is being held in jail custody with bail set at $1 million.
Morrison was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of narcotics for sale and an enhancement of having a prior felony conviction.
He pleaded not guilty to charges and denied the enhancement, according to Superior Court records. He is being held in jail custody with bail set at $1 million.
Hernandez Leos was charged with felony transportation of a controlled substance for sale and transportation of narcotics for sale. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released from jail custody.
The Sheriff’s Office additionally arrested him on suspicion of manufacturing a firearm after deputies seized a semiautomatic 9mm “ghost gun” pistol and ammunition while conducting a search warrant.
The District Attorney’s Office did not file gun-related charges in that case, according to court records.
Castillo’s death remains under investigation, and anyone with information can contact the Sheriff’s Office online or through the Anonymous Tip Line at 805.681.4171. Her family has created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs.
“This investigation demonstrates the all-too-often lethal consequences of illegal narcotics trafficking and use in our communities, as well as our unwavering commitment to holding those responsible for dealing these drugs accountable,” Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement.
“The scourge of overdose deaths continues to devastate families throughout our county. In this case, our detectives moved immediately to identify those responsible for providing these dangerous drugs to the victim.
“We will continue to use every investigative tool and legal avenue available to us to seek out, identify, and bring to justice those who facilitate these tragic and preventable deaths.”