A benefit with a lot of heart
Serve it up Westmont men’s and women’s tennis teams open their seasons at home - A7
Annual Friendship Center festival goes virtual - A3
Our 165th Year
75¢
F R I DAY, F E BRUA RY 5 , 2 0 21
Mayor Murillo seeks re-election Incumbent hopes to continue engaging residents on the ground By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown announced Thursday that two people have been arrested in connection with last month’s double homicide that occurred in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County, which claimed the lives of a pair of 19-year-old residents. Hope Slason, of Paso Robles, attended the press conference and held a sign calling for justice for one of the victims, 19-year-old Enzo Marino Rastelli.
Arrests made in double homicide
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo is ready for round two. After serving as a city council member from 2011 to 2017 and serving as mayor since 2017, she cited many accomplishments she’s proud of, and she hopes to continue using her vast experience to serve community members. “I am really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish working with so many folks in the city during my first term on a number of important issues,” Mayor Murillo told the News-Press Thursday. “The excitement and early support I’ve received for my re-election are a testament to that.” Since announcing her run for re-election in September 2020, she’s already raised more than $50,000, giving her a leg up against her opponents, Planning Commissioner Deborah Schwartz and James Joyce III, an entrepreneur and ex-staff member for former state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara. Throughout her four years as mayor, Ms. Murillo said she has prided herself on always delivering balanced budgets and growing operating reserves. She explained that because the city put money
By MITCHELL WHITE The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that two people have been arrested in connection with last month’s double homicide that occurred in the unincorporated area of county, which claimed the lives of a pair of 19-year-old residents. During a press conference at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters, Sheriff Bill Brown announced that 21-year-old Brian Munoz and 24-year-old Joshua Isaac Vega, both of Santa Barbara, have been taken into custody. Two others, including 32-year-old Jorge Luis Silva Guevara, of Santa Barbara, and a 15-year-old boy, were also arrested as a result of the service of warrants that were served at four different residences in the city of Santa Barbara. Mr. Munoz was arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder, multiple special circumstances, robbery, criminal conspiracy and committing a felony in the benefit of a criminal street gang. He is being held without bail. Mr. Vega was arrested on suspicion of robbery and criminal conspiracy and is being held on $60,000 bail, Sheriff Brown said. Mr. Guevara was arrested on suspicion of narcotics for sale and the juvenile was arrested on outstanding no bail warrant for a violation of probation, he added. The shooting occurred around 12:30 p.m. Jan. 7. The Sheriff’s
COURTESY PHOTOS
At left, Brian Munoz, 21, of Santa Barbara, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder, multiple special circumstances, robbery, criminal conspiracy and committing a felony in the benefit of a criminal street gang. He is being held without bail. At right, Joshua Isaac Vega, 24, of Santa Barbara, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and criminal conspiracy and is being held on $60,000 bail.
Office responded to the 600 block of Burtis Street, and a passerby observed a suspect fleeing the area on foot. Responding deputies discovered two victims in the front seat of a parked vehicle. Enzo Marino Rastelli, 19, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head and 19-year-old Jasper Pieter van der Meulen suffered a gunshot wound to the head, but survived the shooting and was transported to a local hospital. Mr. van der Meulen “fought for his life for a number of days,” but
FOLLOW US ON
66833 00050
3
Please see homicide on A2
Please see murillo on A8
Health department adds 241 new cases By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported 14 COVID-19 deaths Thursday. Death certificates listing COVID-19 as the cause or a significant condition make up this count. Of the deceased, 10 were 70 or older, two were 50-69 and two were 30-49. Underlying conditions were present in 11 of the deceased, and nine cases were associated with an outbreak at a congregate living facility. Four of the deceased lived in the South County area containing Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria. Four resided in Santa Barbara; three were from Santa Maria; two lived in Goleta, and one was from the unincorporated area of the Goleta Valley and Gaviota. Public Health detected 241 daily COVID-19 cases, increasing the county’s total to 29,431. Of those, 1,171 are still infectious. Santa Maria reported 72 of Thursday’s cases. It has a total of 10,096 cases, and 337 of those are active. Santa Barbara counted 41 cases, which brings its total to 5,363 cases. Officials deem 252 of
those cases still infectious. Lompoc confirmed 38 cases. Its total is 3,069 cases, and 124 are active. The South County area containing Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria detected 15 cases Thursday, bringing its total to 1,157 cases. Of those, 76 cases are infectious. Other areas that reported cases Thursday are: the unincorporated area of the Goleta Valley and Gaviota, 12 cases (1,002 total, 59 active); Orcutt, 12 cases (1,539 total, 50 active); Goleta, 11 cases (1,507 cases, 54 active); the Santa Ynez Valley, 10 cases (854 total, 32 active); Isla Vista, five cases (1,024 total, 63 active); the North County area of Sisquoc, Casmalia, Garey, Cuyama, New Cuyama and Guadalupe, five cases (1,123 total, 30 active). The geographic locations of 20 daily cases are pending. Across Santa Barbara County, 164 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals, and 48 of those are in critical care. The county has 19.7% of its staffed ICU beds available. As of Thursday, 1,263 health care workers have contracted the virus. email: ahanshaw@newspress. com
L O T T E RY RESU LTS
ins id e Classified.............. A7 Life.................... A 3-4 Obituaries............. A8
6
succumbed to his injuries and died Jan. 28, Sheriff Brown said. Authorities said detectives logged more than 2,000 hours of investigative time in the case and developed information on the identities of the suspects in the case, who are members of a criminal street gang. The warrants, all served Thursday at four residences within the city of Santa Barbara, were served at residences in the 1900 block of Robbins Street, the 600 block of West Cota Street, the
600 block of North Voluntario Street and the 800 block of San Pascual Street, the sheriff said. The Sheriff’s Office received assistance from a variety of local resources, including the Santa Barbara Police Department and their SWAT team, the Santa Barbara City Fire Department and the Santa Barbara City Animal Control team, who helped secure “a potentially dangerous dog at one of the locations,” said Sheriff Brown. The Sheriff’s Office responded with members of its criminal investigations bureau, special investigations bureau, special enforcement team, its SWAT team, K9 units and a county Air Support helicopter. “The victims of this terrible crime … made some bad choices and fell victim to what is often thought to be a victimless crime, the illicit sale of drugs — in this case marijuana,” Sheriff Brown said. “And I think this case underscores how much of a misnomer that is to think that illicit drugs, including marijuana which is legal in certain circumstances, but if it’s purchased, if it’s sold, if it’s grown, if it’s distributed illegally, it obviously has connections to some very sinister and very dangerous … potential ramifications, and that’s what happened in this case. “Our sympathies go out to the Rasetelli and van der Meulen families and the friends of these
away prior to the pandemic, it was able to dip into those funds when revenue sources flatlined. Under her leadership, the council provided assistance to renters unable to pay their rents during the pandemic, and it passed the Just Cause Ordinance, which included robust relocation assistance. Mayor Murillo has also taken
County reports 14 new COVID-19 deaths
Sheriff’s Office reports two men taken into custody
NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo is running for reelection this year.
Sudoku................. A5 Sports ................... A7 Weather................ A8
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-15-27-28-34 Meganumber: 16
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 4-8-2-4
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS:13-37-38-40-67 Meganumber: 10
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 2-11-16-19-24
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 01-11-04 Time: 1:40.92
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 5-37-40-64-66 Meganumber: 5
Thursday’s DAILY 3:1-3-8 / Thursday’s Midday 5-0-8