Two additional suspects were arrested this week in connection with an attempted murder that occurred in March in Goleta, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
On Thursday, detectives served a search warrant in the 100 block of Alisos Street in Santa Barbara as part of an ongoing investigation into a “gang-related” attempted homicide that took place on March 6 in Goleta, spokeswoman Raquel Zick said.
Miguel Angel Arizmendi, 18, was arrested on suspicion of participation in a gang, assault with a deadly weapon and accessory charges for his part in the attempted homicide, Zick said. He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $100,000.
On Friday, detectives served an arrest warrant for Kevin Vasquez Fernandez, 18, in the 1200 block of Quinientos Street in Santa Barbara, Zick said.
Fernandez was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide in association with a criminal street gang, conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon and inflicting bodily harm during the commission of a felony. He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
“The two arrests this week are in addition to five arrests made in March and April for the same case,” Zick said.
Sheriff’s detectives previously arrested five juveniles on attempted-murder charges in connection with two violent attacks that occurred in March in Goleta and Carpinteria.
An assault occurred at about 7:45 p.m. on March 6 and left a 14-year-old boy with severe injuries, including multiple lacerations to his head, according to Zick.
A second victim was attacked, but was not as seriously injured.
“The suspects fled the area prior to the arrival of responding deputies,” Zick said in April. “Deputies later learned that several suspects had attacked the victims with weapons including hammers, bats, pipes and a machete.”
Later that night, deputies responded to the 4500 block of Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria to investigate another reported fight, according to Zick.
“Deputies learned that several male suspects, armed with the same variety of weapons, had attempted to assault another group of males,” Zick said last month. “No victims were injured during this assault, and the suspects fled the area before deputies arrived.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.