Detectives have arrested a man in connection with a death that occurred last weekend on Painted Cave Road in the mountains above Santa Barbara, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, deputies and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the area of Painted Cave Road north of Highway 154 for a report of a person down in the roadway, said Raquel Zick, sheriff’s public information officer.
They found Nicole Lawson, 45, of Santa Barbara, unconscious in the street, and Daniel J. Zuzinec, 37, of Santa Barbara awake near a vehicle, Zick said.
Paramedics pronounced Lawson dead at the scene, Zick said, and detained Zuzinec, who was experiencing a medical emergency.
Zuzinec was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment, and later transferred to the Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was being held without bail Friday afternoon.
He was booked on suspicion of DUI causing injury and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, both felonies, and being under the influence of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, as well as a remand for previous pending charges, Zick said.
The sheriff’s Major Accident Response Team was called in for the traffic-collision investigation, and was assisted by forensic technicians, Zick said. Sheriff’s detectives also responded to the scene to handle the criminal investigation.
The sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau conducted a death investigation that included an autopsy on Wednesday.
“This multi-faceted investigation remains ongoing, and Lawson’s final cause and manner of death are pending toxicology,” Zick added.
Lawson was married to Zuzinec, according to her Facebook page.
— 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.
