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NEWS-PRESS EXCLUSIVE
DA’s office will not seek death penalty in Stearns Wharf shooting case By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The District Attorney’s Office will not seek the death penalty for the only alleged Santa Barbara gang associate charged with personally firing a weapon causing death in the Dec. 9 fatal shooting of an innocent bystander on Stearns Wharf. Jiram Jhunue Tenorio-Ramon, 22, is charged with murder with the special circumstance of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang, and with the special allegation of personal use of a
firearm causing death. He also is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and criminal street gang conspiracy. “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,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Tate McAllister told the News-Press. “Thus, he is now facing a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole if he is convicted of both first degree murder and the special circumstance that the murder was committed for the benefit of the Westside
gang. “As for why we are not seeking the death penalty, that is a very involved process that involves the evaluation of mitigating and aggravating factors …,” the prosecutor said. “The process involves multiple members of the management team and the assigned prosecutor. The final decision is made by the District Attorney. I cannot be more specific than that without getting into case-specific facts.” He declined to say whether prosecutors are alleging that Mr. Tenorio-Ramon fired the fatal shot that killed Robert
Dion Gutierrez, 52, of Camarillo. “We have alleged that he personally fired a weapon that caused death. That’s all I can say,” the prosecutor said. Prosecutors allege that Mr. TenorioRamon and his three co-defendants – all alleged Santa Barbara gang associates – engaged in a Dec. 9 firefight with juveniles from Ventura County with alleged ties to Ventura County street gangs. Mr. Gutierrez was walking on the Santa Barbara wharf with his wife at the time, and was caught in the crossfire. He suffered a single gunshot wound and died later at the hospital.
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 Please see SHOOTING on A4
Burglary Town of towers charge against NEWS-PRESS EXCLUSIVE
Andy Dick dismissed
Santa Barbara homeowner says incident was a ‘misunderstanding’ By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Two distinctive towers in Santa Barbara - the spires of the Arlington Theatre, left, and Saint Anthony’s Seminary - rise above the city on Sunday.
Goleta City Council to review accessory dwelling units By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Goleta City Council will discuss accessory dwelling units at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta. The council will consider adoption of an ordinance to amend Title 17 (Zoning) of the Goleta Municipal Code related to accessory dwelling units. The proposed ordinance includes a new set of citywide ADU and Junior ADU standards that staff says will fully comply with the changes in state law (Senate Bill 897 of 2022). The ordinance also makes other minor revisions to the city’s previous ADU regulations. Changes to the city’s permanent ADU regulations include but are not limited to: ADU heights and front setbacks; changes to the processing and denial of ADUs; and JADU locations, configurations, and definition. Many of the proposed revisions were included in Urgency Ordinance No. 22-16U, which was adopted by city council on Dec. 20, 2022.
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The new ADU regulations in the proposed ordinance would replace the regulations in Urgency Ordinance No. 22-16U. The staff report can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/ ycyx8ktu. In other business, the council will: - Discuss the fiscal year 2023-2024 funding for the Support to Other Agencies Program. The city allocates General Fund monies for the STOA program to fund organizations in the Goleta area that provide services that the city cannot. Council awards STOA funding in the form of grants to nonprofits in four categories: 1) government/interagency; 2) city facilities/ recreation; 3) economic development/ marketing and promotions; and 4) homelessness initiatives. The council will review the recommendations from the Grant Funding Review Standing Committee for government/ interagency and city facilities/recreation organizations. The staff report can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/cm9m8j9v. - Receive an update and presentation on the Stow Grove Park Draft Master Plan and
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email: kzehnder@newspress.com
email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com
Mr. Dick, a longtime comedian and actor in movies and TV shows, was arrested on Oct. 13 by Santa Barbara police after dispatch received a report of a burglary in progress at a home under construction in the 100 block of Conejo Road.
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provide feedback to be incorporated for the final draft. The city is looking to renovate Stow Grove Park (580 N. La Patera Lane) as part of the adopted Parks, Facilities and Playgrounds Master Plan. Community feedback has been a large part of the process in creating the plan. Input has come from multiple surveys, workshops, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. The staff report and presentation can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/3xx3bz8z. For the city council agenda, go to https:// tinyurl.com/yvn6ns83. People can attend the meeting in person, watch it live or participate fully via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ yDbV9vAnS5GGwsABjRjOIA. The webinar ID is 817 0136 4424. You can also watch the meeting live at www. cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas or Goleta TV Channel 19. If you miss the meeting, it is rebroadcast on Channel 19 Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and is available to watch at any time on the city website.
The District Attorney’s Office has dismissed a charge of felony first-degree residential burglary against comedian Andy Dick after the owner of the Santa Barbara home where he was arrested told prosecutors the Oct. 13 incident was a “misunderstanding.” Mr. Dick, 57, had been scheduled to return to Superior Court on March 7 to set a date for a preliminary hearing on the charge filed by prosecutors in the wake of his arrest at a vacant home in the hills of Santa Barbara. The hearing never happened, however. Instead, prosecutors dropped the residential burglary charge they had filed against the comedian/actor. “Based upon information received from homeowner Dario Pini after the case was filed, the matter was dismissed,” Deputy District Attorney Sherwin Nadjm told the News-Press. Asked to elaborate, the prosecutor repeated that “the case was dismissed yesterday (3/7/23), based on a declaration received from homeowner Mr. Dario Pini, indicating that Mr. Dick’s presence on his property was a misunderstanding, that he had no objection to his presence on the property, and that he did not want to seek prosecution. The incident was reported to 9-11 by a property manager for Mr. Pini, and not by Mr. Pini.” Mr. Dick, a longtime comedian and actor in movies and TV shows, was arrested on Oct. 13 by Santa Barbara police after dispatch received a report of a burglary in progress at a home under construction in the 100 block of Conejo Road. Police responded at about 5:45 p.m. “The (property manager) informed officers when they arrived on scene he did not know Dick nor did he have permission to be on the property or in the
home,” Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale, the Santa Barbara Police public information officer, told the News-Press at the time. “Probable cause was established to arrest Dick after it is believed he removed several items (power tools) from the home,” Sgt. Ragsdale said. “He was booked in the Santa Barbara County Jail for 459PC–Felony (Residential) Burglary with $50,000 bail.” He said Mr. Dick did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and he did not resist his arrest. “From what the arresting officer told me, he was cooperative,” Sgt. Ragsdale said. The felony complaint was filed the next day, Oct. 14, alleging that Mr. Dick “did willfully and unlawfully” enter the house “with the intent to commit larceny …” Prosecutors also filed a special allegation that the offense was considered a serious felony. Mr. Dick pleaded not guilty at his Oct. 17 arraignment. Deputy Public Defender Brian Mathis later released a statement that his office was “confident additional facts will come to light supporting Mr. Dick as this case moves forward.”
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