The woman found dead in Orcutt on Sunday, the apparent victim of a homicide, has been identified as Elyse Marie Erwin, 28, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department said Monday.
Deputies responded to the 100 block of Goodwin Road on Sunday morning and found Erwin’s body.
She reportedly had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
Sheriff’s investigators and forensics-unit members spent several hours processing the crime scene before reopening the street and parking lot, the Sheriff’s Department said.
“Due to the active investigation, still in its early stages, no additional details regarding the crime will be released at this time,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
Erwin graduated from Santa Maria High School, and later attended Allan Hancock College.
She worked at the Santa Maria Country Club as a server and bartender for five years before becoming a catering coordinator at The Monarch Club in Nipomo nearly three years ago.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help the family, and can be found by clicking here.
“She was a beautiful and wonderful loving woman, mother, and friend that touched every single one of our hearts,” the post said, adding that Erwin has a daughter.
The page had raised more than $2,820 toward the $5,000 goal as of Monday night.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call detectives at 805.681.4150 or the sheriff’s anonymous tip line at 805.681.4171.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.