The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says suspect Levi Gaze, 38, allegedly “used the front loader to destroy the victim's vehicle following a dispute" early Saturday in Santa Maria.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says suspect Levi Gaze, 38, allegedly “used the front loader to destroy the victim's vehicle following a dispute" early Saturday in Santa Maria. Credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office photo

A Paso Robles man was arrested early Saturday morning after he allegedly used a front-loader tractor to crush a vehicle with a female adult passenger inside in Santa Maria, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Raquel Zick said deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call at 12:03 a.m. on the 1700 block of Sinton Road, where they discovered a crushed vehicle with severe damage. 

Zick said Levi Gaze, 38, allegedly “used the front loader to destroy the victim’s vehicle following a dispute” after ramming the vehicle “several times” with a tractor.

The vehicle’s passenger escaped “without being seriously injured” before Gaze allegedly “used the bucket to further destroy the vehicle,” according to Zick. 

Deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call at around 12:03 a.m. on the 1700-block of Sinton Road, where they discovered a crushed vehicle with severe damage. 
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call at 12:03 a.m. Saturday on the 1700 block of Sinton Road in Santa Maria, where they discovered a crushed vehicle with severe damage.  Credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office photo

Gaze was taken into custody without incident while still in the front loader. 

He was booked into the Northern Branch Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, a felony, and vandalism. He also was arrested on an outstanding no-bail warrant from San Luis Obispo County. 

He was being held without bail as of Monday night.

— Noozhawk staff writer Jack Dindia can be reached at jdindia@noozhawk.com.