All four defendants have pleaded not guilty

Shooting

Continued from Page A1 street gang conspiracy and being an accessory after the fact, with the special allegation of committing the crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

They face a maximum of life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted of murder or conspiracy to commit murder, Prosecutor McAllister said.

All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.

They are due back in court on April 6 to set a date for a preliminary hearing.

Currently, they are being held without bail.

Mr. Rosborough appeared in court Thursday for a bail reduction hearing, but the hearing was continued to April 20. email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

Two 15-year-olds with alleged ties to Ventura County gangs – Matthew Lopez and Adan de la Cruz – have denied murder charges filed against them.

They are due back in Juvenile Court on March 28 for further proceedings.

A 16-year-old from Ventura County was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, and with illegal possession of an unregistered firearm.

The three juveniles were arrested by Santa Barbara Police Department officers on Feb. 16. Their arrests were the result of an intense police investigation to identify and bring to justice additional suspects following the Jan. 19 arrest of the four adult defendants in Santa Barbara.

Prosecutors allege the four adult defendants were driving on Stearns Wharf when they verbally challenged their alleged Ventura County rivals, and that they stopped their vehicle for the purpose of deploying two of their party to attack them with a firearm.

Police said Mr. Gutierrez was an innocent bystander who was struck and killed by one of the rounds fired during the altercation at the base of the wharf.

Prosecutors contend the four Santa Barbara defendants fled the scene of the shooting afterward, two on foot and two by vehicle, and that those in the vehicle then circled back to the location of the shooting to extract those who fled on foot to avoid apprehension.