Alleged gang associates appear in court over s tearns Wharf fatal shooting

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The four alleged Santa Barbara gang associates charged in the Dec. 9 fatal shooting of an innocent bystander on Stearns Wharf appeared in court Thursday to set a date for their preliminary hearing.

No date was set, however, and the case was continued to next month.

“Today, all four defendants appeared in Dept. 6,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Tate McAllister told the News-Press.

“All four set their matters to May 4 for a preliminary hearingsetting conference.”

Prosecutors allege the defendants engaged in a firefight with two juveniles with alleged ties to Ventura County street gangs, and that the bystander, Robert Dion Gutierrez, 52, of Camarillo, and his wife were walking on the wharf when the shooting erupted.

According to police, he “was struck and killed by one of the rounds fired” during the altercation. He was treated at the scene for his gunshot wound and taken to the hospital, where he died on Dec. 20.

Of the four adult Santa Barbara defendants, only one of them — Jiram Jhunue TenorioRamon, 22 — faces a special allegation of personal use of a firearm causing death.

Mr. Tenorio-Ramon is charged with murder with the special circumstance of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang, and with conspiracy to commit murder and criminal street gang conspiracy.

However, the District Attorney’s Office will not seek the death penalty.

“He is the only defendant charged with a special circumstance making him death penalty-eligible, but our office has already decided not to seek the death penalty,” the prosecutor said.

“Thus, he is now facing a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole if he is convicted of both firstdegree murder and the special circumstance that the murder was committed for the benefit of the Westside gang.”

Two defendants — Ricardo Tomas Jauregui-Moreno Jr., 20, and Christopher Dave Miranda, 21 — are each charged with murder, with special allegations of committing the murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang and principal use of a handgun, conspiracy to commit murder and criminal street gang conspiracy.

Mr. Jauregui-Moreno is also charged with having been previously convicted of a violent felony or “strike” offense.

The fourth defendant, James Lee Rosborough, 21, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, criminal street gang conspiracy and being an

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday for additional protections for the up to 1,000 residents facing eviction from the CBC and Sweeps apartment complexes in Isla Vista.

The board agreed to amend County Code Chapter 44 to add “Article IV: Just Cause for Residential Evictions.”

The change goes into effect immediately, and the adopted amendments were provided by the Legal Aid Foundation.

The vote was 4-0 in favor of the amendments. The fifth member, Supervisor Bob Nelson, was not available for the vote, although he was present for most of the discussion and public comments.

Notices of evictions at the CBC and Sweeps complexes were issued by the Chicago developer Core Spaces, and emotions during the public comment segment of the meeting reached the point of tears.

A staff presentation was made by Spencer Brand and Jordan Killebrew, the district representatives for Supervisor

Das Williams and Supervisor Laura Capps respectively. Isla Vista is part of Supervisor Capps’ district, and Supervisor Williams chairs the Board of Supervisors.

“Existing law requires that landlords pay three months of fair market rent or $7,000, whichever is greater, when there is a qualifying relocation event such as an eviction,” said Mr. Brand.

According to state law, there must be just cause for eviction.

One example of just cause is substantial remodeling of a unit. State law also allows for local jurisdictions to pass their own just cause ordinances so long as they are more protective than what exists in state law, according to Mr. Brand.

“Proposed ‘just cause’ requirements include: Landlords must demonstrate good faith, must provide early notice of plans to perform a substantial remodel, obtain all necessary permits prior to giving notice of termination of tenancy and provide tenants a copy of all permits of scope of