10 states ban abortions
From Texas to Los Olivos
Roughly half of the states are expected to ban abortion in some capacity - A2
Wine and food summit adds Santa Barbara County to its tour - B1
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MS-13 members convicted of murder Santa Barbara jury hands down verdicts for three defendants
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A Santa Barbara jury has found MS-13 gang members guilty of multiple first-degree murder charges with special circumstances, conspiracy to murder and gang conspiracy charges. Guilty verdicts were rendered for Jose Balmore Saravia Lainez, Jose Ricardo Saravia Lainez and Jose Narciso Escobar Hernandez, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced Tuesday. This trial was the second of two trials involving the prosecution
of 10 MS-13 gang members who committed nine murders and conspiracies to murder 14 additional victims in Santa Maria and Oxnard in 2015-2016. The first trial against five separate defendants concluded in April 2022 when a Santa Maria jury found Luis German Mejia Orellana, Juan Carlos Urbina Serrano, Marcos Manuel Sanchez Torres, Tranquilino Robles Morales and Juan Carlos Lozano Membreno guilty of the murders of the same nine victims and the conspiracy to murder 14 victims. “This case was by far the most complex gang case in the state of California,” District Attorney
Dudley said in a news release. “This successful prosecution was possible because of the extraordinary prosecutors and other members of this office who work tirelessly to ensure that justice was served.” The Santa Maria Police Department’s investigation, led by detectives Michael Huffman and Scott Casey, began in 2015 when there was an unprecedented number of homicides in Santa Maria. The investigation continued into early 2016 after four more homicides and six attempted homicides. On March 3, 2016, the defendants’
killing spree ended when the Santa Maria Police Department arrested the defendants, with the help of teams from the Oxnard Police Department, the Lompoc Police Department, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. In July 2016, a criminal grand jury indicted 12 defendants on 50 counts — including murder with special circumstances, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and gang conspiracy. Ten defendants asserted their right to a jury trial. The Santa Barbara County Superior Court
split the trial into two groups of five defendants in late 2019. The first trial against five defendants began in March 2020, but after only 10 days, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, putting the trial on hold, indefinitely. The first trial restarted in July 2021, led by Senior Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen and cocounsel, Deputy District Attorney Peter Telesca. The second trial began in October 2021, led by Chief Deputy District Attorney Kelly Duncan and co-counsel, Senior Deputy District Attorney Lynmarc Jenkins. Two juries — in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara — listened to many
months of testimony from hundreds of witnesses, the District Attorney’s Office noted in its news release. On May 16, Judge John McGregor sentenced each of the five trialone defendants to a range of 313 years to life, followed by six to nine life without parole sentences. The second trial’s three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m. July 26 in Department 11 of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Each defendant faces multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole, according to the district attorney’s office. email: kzehnder@newspress.com
Little impact on SB Airport Nationwide flight cancellations not causing problems here
Santa Barbara City Council calls for more study, will require future parklets to be portable
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Gov. Gavin Newsom
Newsom signs budget
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Agreement includes $1,050 in ‘inflation relief’ By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the state budget, which will see 23 million residents receiving a four-digit check from the state. The budget enactment came after Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, D-San Diego, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, sent Gov. Newsom the framework of the 2022-23 budget. The lawmakers say there will be a $17 billion “inflation relief package” in the budget, which Gov. Newsom’s office indicated he signed Monday. In addition to the payouts, the budget will suspend the state sales tax on diesel and provide funding for both rent and utility assistance. “California’s budget addresses the state’s most pressing needs, and prioritizes getting dollars back into the pockets of millions of Californians who are grappling with global inflation and rising prices of everything from gas to groceries,” the statement from the lawmakers said. The budget will increase Please see BUDGET on A4
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Nationwide flight cancellations haven’t impacted Santa Barbara Airport.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Despite more than 2,000 flight cancellations nationwide this past weekend, the Santa Barbara Airport has remained largely unaffected. Angi Daus, marketing coordinator for the Santa Barbara Airport, told the News-Press that she and her team haven’t seen anything unusual. “We had a couple flights rerouted and one delayed, but everything was safe and sound,” Ms Daus said. “However, sometimes we are impacted by delays due to cancellations because we are a small hub.” More than 1,500 domestic flights were canceled this past Saturday
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No major change for State Street
and Sunday, and on Monday, at least 800 flights were canceled nationwide, according to a report by CNN. On Monday, Delta canceled at least 224 flights or 7% of their operations, United canceled 128 flights and American Airlines, 67, according to CNN. “Delta teams continue to safely manage through compounding factors affecting our operation this weekend, including higherthan-planned unscheduled absences in some of our work groups, weather, and air traffic control constraints,” a Delta Air Lines spokesperson told CNN. “Canceling a flight is always our last resort, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for any disruption to their travel plans.”
Ms. Daus noted airlines are are experiencing an extremely experiencing shortages in aircraft high, record-breaking volume of and pilots and other staffing and passengers. that the pandemic contributed to “Our motto right now is: ‘Arrive those shortages. early and be prepared,’” said Ms. “We went from 1,800 passengers Daus. a day on average to the low 20s “The couple organizations that during COVID,” she said. “When support airlines here are doing that happened, the airlines had to better in regards to hiring,” she make dramatic cuts in staff. said. “Alaska, American and “Schools shut down and training United are supported by United was delayed,” Ms. Daus said. Ground Express, which provides While each airline is having ground support and staffing to a different experience, the one airlines. Southwest does its own constant is that people now want hiring internally. to get back to traveling, Ms. Daus “UGE recently held a hiring said. event at Santa Barbara Airport “The travel demand for summer where they were able to hire some leisure travel is so high right now,” staff, but they are still hiring,” said she said. “Airports and airlines Ms. Daus. are working hard to keep up with the demand,” Ms. Daus said. “We Please see CANCELLATIONS on A4
The Santa Barbara City Council Tuesday discussed the future of lower State Street, voting 4-3 to continue the outdoor dining parklets. In that same vote, the council decided to require future parklets to be portable and called for further research about State Street. The council primarily discussed the resumption of parades and whether businesses should change their parklets to portable facilities. The council also discussed charging a usage fee for establishing outdoor facilities such as parklets. The council did not make any decisions on existing parklets, usage fees or parades. Council members concluded that research still needs to continue at the ad hoc and community levels. After Tuesday’s vote, lower State Street in downtown Santa Barbara continues to remain closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians and bicyclists and for outdoor dining. The council directed the Ad Hoc committee to continue to work on portability, parades and work with boards to have a genuine plan as well as address issues of cleanliness, stormwater and design. Councilmember Kristen Sneddon said some existing structures may need to be modified and added that businesses are responsible for cleanliness adhering to city standards and mitigation of stormwater. Please see PARKLETS on A4
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-27-39-43-44 Meganumber: 1
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 0-7-0-0
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 5-7-9-12-37
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-11-01 Time: 1:45.72
Monday’s POWERBALL: 11-13-18-30-37 Meganumber: 16
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 7-5-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 7-3-6