A Santa Maria man has been charged with murder and other felonies in connection with a fatal assault at a mini-storage facility over the weekend.
Carlos Israel Loyola, 30, is accused of killing Jesus Luis Cruz Martinez, 35, of Santa Maria. (The victim’s name also has been listed at Jesus Luis Martinez Cruz.)
At approximately 7:40 p.m. Sunday, Santa Maria police officers responded to a self-storage complex on the 1900 block of North Preisker Lane in north Santa Maria for a reported assault, according to Lt. Daniel Rios.
Officers found Martinez unconscious and suffering from serious head trauma, Rios said.
They provided aid until Santa Maria Fire Department and American Medical Response ambulance personnel arrived.
Martinez was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers learned that the alleged assailant had stolen the victim’s car and fled the area after the attack.
Police found Loyola driving the victim’s vehicle in an unincorporated area in San Luis Obispo County — near the Highway 101/Highway 166 interchange north of the crime scene.
Loyola attempted to evade officers but collided with a marked police car, rendering the vehicle inoperable, Rios added. No one was injured during the crash.
Santa Maria officers safely took Loyola into custody less than 30 minutes after the initial call for service.
The criminal complaint filed in Santa Maria Superior Court includes three felony charges — murder, evading a peace officer with wanton disregard, and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Loyola also faces a special circumstance, or sentencing enhancement, that the killing occurred during a robbery.
Under a special circumstance case, if convicted the defendant could be sentenced to the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, the District Attorney’s Office does not intend to seek the death penalty in this case, Deputy District Attorney Lindsey Bittner said.
During Loyola’s arraignment hearing on Tuesday, he did not enter a plea, and the case was continued to Aug. 6 in Department 6.
Loyola remained in custody without bail Wednesday at the Northern Branch Jail .