A 17-year-old has become the second person arrested in connection with a homicide earlier this year in Lompoc, while the first suspect changed his plea in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
Officers with the Lompoc Police Department said that Maurilio Delacruz, 37, was shot and killed while in the 1100 block of North H Street early Feb. 19. (His obituary spelled his last name as De La Cruz.)
Delacruz suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at a local hospital, in what was the city’s first fatal shooting of the year.
More than five weeks later, Lompoc police detectives arrested Jorge Tafoya Jr., now 19, for murder at a residence in Lompoc.
On Tuesday, Lompoc detectives arrested a 17-year-old male on suspicion of murder and participation in a criminal street gang for his role in the shooting death of Delacruz.
The juvenile, whose name wasn’t released because of his age, was already in custody for an unrelated charge and was rebooked into Santa Maria Juvenile Hall on his new charges.
Earlier this month, Tafoya pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Lompoc to voluntary manslaughter and being an accessory along with admitting personal use of a firearm.
Tafoya initially was charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter and being an accessory plus faced several allegations or sentencing enhancements.
On Nov. 30, Tafoya will return to the Lompoc courtroom to be sentenced to 14 years 8 months in state prison.
Tafoya has remained in the custody of the Northern Branch Jail since his arrest.
— 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.