Law enforcement seeks man accused of sexual abuse

The finalists to be the 2023 Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta were announced Monday at the Lobero

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

The sun was shining on the steps of the historic Lobero Theatre on March 27 as David Bolton, El Presidente of Old Spanish Days Fiesta, announced the finalists for the 2023 Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta.

The Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta are young flamenco dancers who are, according to the Old Spanish Days Fiesta website (sbfiesta.org), the “visual representation of Fiesta, and a goodwill ambassador to local residents and visitors alike.”

The dancers who are awarded the title will be in attendance at the 2023 Old Spanish Days Fiesta, a five day festival from August 2-6 for local Santa Barbara residents to celebrate community and culture. This is the first fiesta since the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, there are 10 junior finalists and 12 spirit finalists at the auditions, all hoping to be awarded the Spirit or Junior Spirit of Fiesta title for the August celebration.

Tara Mata and Layla Gocong were in attendance at the announcement, as they were the 2022 Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta.

In addition to the title of Spirit of Fiesta, the winner is awarded a $5,000 scholarship to visit Spain and learn more about the culture, dance and history of the country.

Ms. Mata just traveled to Spain in honor of her 2022 award. She mentioned that “it was an absolutely amazing opportunity and honor to visit Spain on this scholarship.”

The Spirit of Fiesta auditions will be held on April 15 at the Lobero Theatre. The Division Chief of Dance and Entertainment of Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Pratricia Oreña, did say that the auditions are sold out, with over 650 people anticipated to attend.

Due to this high demand, the auditions will be livestreamed on the Old Spanish Days website in partnership with KEYT.

If you would like more information on the auditions or the Old Spanish Days Fiesta, visit sbfiesta.org. email: abahnsen@newspress.com

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Even as the District Attorney’s Office begins its prosecution of a Carpenteria man charged with the long-time sexual abuse of a child under 10, law enforcement officials continue their monthslong hunt for an 80-year-old Goleta man charged in a similar case.

A no-bail arrest was issued for Samuel Camargo-Reyes after he broke contact with probation and failed to appear in court Dec. 12 to set a date for his preliminary hearing. He is charged with sexually abusing a young girl for four years.

“Mr. Reyes’ warrant remains outstanding,” Deputy District Attorney Sarah Barkley told the News-Press. “Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office at 805-681-4150 or the District Attorney’s Office Investigation Bureau at 805-568-2300.”

Mr. Reyes was charged with a single count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, a felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison, prosecutors said.

On May 3, 2022, detectives began investigating a report

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Man fatally shot in Lompoc

LOMPOC - Lompoc police officers responded Sunday at 7:20 p.m. to 321 W. North Ave. for a report of a victim being shot.

When officers arrived, they located a male victim lying on the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The male victim was identified as Ivan Lopez Lopez.

Detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

The next of kin have been notified.

This incident does not appear to be gang related, police said.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Lompoc Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

- Neil Hartstein

Data: Overdose deaths in county continue to rise

SANTA BARBARA -- The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is sharing its latest data on overdose death statistics in the county, which reveals that the situation continues to escalate.

A total of 168 overdose deaths occurred in 2022, with 115 of them being related to fentanyl. This compares to 133 total overdose deaths in 2021, with 78 related to fentanyl. In 2020, there were 113 total overdoses with 37 related to fentanyl.

In light of these alarming statistics, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is taking action. The Sheriff’s Office and Project Opioid, a diverse coalition of community leaders from various disciplines, are committed to addressing the opioid crisis and saving lives. To this end, they are supporting the distribution of Narcan, a drug that reverses the often-lethal effects of an opioid overdose.

Sheriff Bill Brown said, “Narcan is a harmless, yet miraculous drug that reverses the often lethal effects of an opioid overdose. Simply put, it’s easy to use and it saves lives. Making more Narcan available to community members will help us lower the unacceptably high rate of overdose deaths we are seeing in our community and across the nation.”

Beginning this week, the Santa Barbara

County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a FREE Narcan Distribution Program through the Department of Health Care Services, Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) at Sheriff’s Headquarters, as well as the Carpinteria and Santa Maria substations. This program aims to distribute Narcan to members of the public and increase awareness about the opioid crisis and the importance of Narcan in saving lives.

Members of the public can come to the lobby of one of these three stations during business hours, obtain information about a short instructional video and receive Narcan. This program is free to the public and members of the public are not required to provide personal information to participate.

The Sheriff’s Office is joining our partners in Project Opioid who also have Narcan distribution programs including the Pacific Pride Foundation, the Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition, UC Santa Barbara Student Health Services Alcohol and Drug Program, and Fentanyl is Forever SB.

The members of Project Opioid are committed to working together to address the opioid crisis and reduce the number of overdose deaths in the county. The Narcan Distribution Program is an important step towards achieving this goal, and we encourage community members to take advantage of this program and help us save lives.

- Neil Hartstein

Caltrans plans ramp closures in Seacliff

VENTURA COUNTY — The California

Department of Transportation (Caltrans) plans daytime closures of Seacliff off- and on-ramps on southbound U.S. Highway 101 south of Mussel Shoals in Ventura County from today through Friday. Signs will be posted. Motorists can expect delays. All work is subject to change due to weather.

The National Weather Service is forecasting several hours of steady, mostly light rain on today and Wednesday in the Central Coast and southern California. Check http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ for realtime traffic information.

Motorists traveling south on U.S. 101 can reach state beaches on State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) by continuing to the Main Street off-ramp in Ventura, U-turn to northbound U.S. 101 and exit at the State Beaches off-ramp.

La Conchita residents traveling south can use the same route but continue north on U.S. Highway 101.

Residents and businesses located near the freeway may experience noise, vibrations and dust associated with construction activities.

Caltrans reminds drivers to “Be Work Zone Alert” and to “Slow for the Cone Zone.”

- Neil Hartstein