Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy in connection with a stabbing death that occurred on Santa Barbara’s Eastside over the weekend, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Valentine Hernandez, 40, of Port Hueneme was fatally stabbed at about 2 a.m. on Sunday on the 500 block of North Milpas Street.
He was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he passed away.
Taken into custody in connection with the slaying were:
» Carlos Rios, 53, of Santa Barbara, who was arrested on Tuesday on the 400 block of South C Street in Oxnard.
He was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of murder, according to Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale. Rios’ bail was set at $2 million.
» Alejandro Mendoza Zarco, 44, of Santa Barbara, who was arrested on Sunday on the 1000 block of East Montecito Street in Santa Barbara.
He was booked on suspicion of felony conspiracy to commit murder. His bail was set at $2 million.
» Leticia Munoz, 60, of Oxnard, who was arrested on Sunday on the 400 block of South C Street in Oxnard.
She was booked on suspicion of felony conspiracy to commit murder, with bail set at $1 million.
» Jesus Manuel Zavala-Zazueta, 45, of Port Hueneme, who was arrested on Tuesday near the intersection of Cook and Chino streets in Santa Barbara.
He was booked on suspicion of felony conspiracy to commit murder, with bail set at $1 million.
All four remained in custody Wednesday evening.
Ragsdale previous said that “some sort of confrontation” preceded the stabbing, which investigators do not believe was gang-related.
“Though several suspects have been arrested, this case is still under investigation, and more follow-ups will be conducted,” Ragsdale said.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.