A Santa Barbara man has been charged with murder in the March 20 stabbing death of Valentin Hernandez, 40, of Port Hueneme.
Hernandez was stabbed on Milpas Street in Santa Barbara around 2 a.m., and was transported to the hospital, where he passed away, according to Santa Barbara police.
The District Attorney’s Office last week charged Carlos Rios Zavala, 53, with murder and allegations of personally using a deadly/dangerous weapon (a knife).
Zavala remained in Santa Barbara County Jail custody on $2 million bail as of Monday.
Three other people have been charged with felony accessory after the fact “for their independent roles in assisting Mr. Zavala in attempting to evade and flee from law enforcement,” the DA’s Office said in a statement.
Those three people are: Alejandro Mendoza Zarco, 44, of Santa Barbara; Leticia Munoz, 60, of Oxnard; and Jesus Manuel Zavala-Zazueta, 45, of Port Hueneme.
All four allegedly connected to this case were arrested last week, according to police.
Police said a confrontation occurred before the stabbing, but no further details were available.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.