A Santa Maria man was arrested for suspicion of homicide after an assault victim died due to his injuries.

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, Lt. Daniel Rios of the Detective Bureau said.

Officers found an adult male victim unconscious and suffering from serious head trauma, Rios said. 

They provided aid until Santa Maria Fire Department and American Medical Response  ambulance personnel arrived.

The victim was subsequently transported to Marian Regional Medical Center for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

“Tragically, despite the best efforts of first responders and medical personnel, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced deceased at the hospital,” Rios said. 

Officers learned that the alleged assailant had stolen the victim’s car and fled the area after the attack. 

Police found Carlos Israel Loyola, 30, of Santa Maria, driving the victim’s vehicle in an unincorporated area in San Luis Obispo County near the Highways 101/166 interchange, just north of of the crime scene. 

Loyola attempted to evade officers but collided with a marked police car, rendering his vehicle inoperable, Rios added. No one was injured during the collision.

SMPD officers safely took Loyola into custody at approximately 8:02 p.m., less than 30 minutes after the initial call for service. 

SMPD detectives and Crime Lab staff responded to the scene and the investigation was ongoing Monday, Rios said. 

The victim’s identity is currently being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Loyola was booked into the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail for suspicion of murder. He is being held on $2 million bail.

Individuals with any information regarding this incident can contact Detective Whitney at 805.928.3781 ext. 1329 or the Communications Center at 805.928.3781, ext. 2277.

This was the second homicide in the city during 2024. The first occurred at a large party in late June leaving one man dead and another injured. A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the shooting days later in Santa Barbara.