Doing The Twist
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’
Chubby Checker to perform at community block party Saturday - B1
Review: Sequel delivers a good mix of drama and comedy - B2
Our 167th Year
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T U E S DAY, M AY 16 , 2 0 2 3
NEWS-PRESS EXCLUSIVE
Suspect in Santa Maria fire to be sent to treatment facility Prosecutors tell News-Press that man charged with arson will go to locked state facility By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Nipomo man charged with arson for allegedly setting a fire inside a Santa Maria courtroom will be sent to a locked state facility for treatment of undisclosed mental health problems, prosecutors said. In addition, the defendant, Eric Wolfgang Spies, 31, will be required to take medication, by force if necessary. “The judge ordered Mr. Spies to be
125 known, suspected terrorists apprehended at southern border this year
transported to the Department of State Hospitals to receive restoration services in a locked facility,” Deputy District Attorney Austin Ingalls told the NewsPress. “The court also authorized forced medication compliance,” he said. “We are back in court on 06/22/2023 for a review of Mr. Spies’ treatment progress.” The facility had not yet been determined when the judge issued his ruling last Thursday, the prosecutor said.
The Department of State Hospitals, he said, “will decide where he receives his treatment. “There are numerous locked DSH facilities all over the state,” the prosecutor said. “Some of the ones close to us are Atascadero State Hospital and Coalinga State Hospital.” The issue arose on March 2, when Mr. Spies’ attorney declared his doubt about his client’s mental competency. Criminal proceedings against Mr. Spies were
suspended. On April 20, a judge ruled that Mr. Spies was not legally competent to stand trial, which means he is unable to assist in his own defense. Mr. Spies has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of arson and seconddegree commercial burglary in connection with the Feb. 18 incident, in which he allegedly broke into the Santa Maria courtroom and set a fire, triggering the sprinkler system.
Court officials said the combination of flames and water caused extensive damage to furniture, wall paneling, cabinetry, carpeting and court records. They estimated the cost to be about $750,000. Mr. Spies allegedly went to the Santa Maria court complex, ignored a security guard’s order to leave and broke two glass doors to gain entry into the criminal court building. Please see TREATMENT on A4
Pre-Fiesta excitement City of SB NEWS-PRESS SPECIAL REPORT
La Primerva raises more than $40,000 for Old Spanish Days
plans for ‘Vision 2030’
Afghan with terrorist ties apprehended near San Diego
Staff look at future for local government’s finances
By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
(The Center Square) – An Afghan national on the federal Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) was apprehended attempting to enter the U.S. illegally near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, California. The TSDA is the federal government’s database that includes sensitive information about terrorist identities. It originated as a consolidated terrorist watch list “to house information on known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) but has evolved over the last decade to include additional individuals who represent a potential threat to the United States, including known affiliates of watch listed individuals,” CBP states. The Afghan national apprehended in California was identified after a fingerprint scan showed he was in the TSDA. Information about his identification hasn’t been released. In January, The Center Square reported on 38 known or suspected terrorists apprehended in the first three months of fiscal 2023 and in March, newly reported CBP data showed the number was nearly 10 times greater. Data as of May 15 shows the number of foreign nationals believed to be known or suspected terrorists illegally entering the U.S. is even higher. In fiscal 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations agents apprehended 67 KSTs at ports of entry and 98 between ports of entry at the southern border, totaling 165. At northern border ports of entry, they apprehended 313. Combined, CBP OFO agents apprehended 478 Please see BORDER on A4
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For more on the southern border, please see A3.
Editor’s note: This concludes a three-part series on finances for the City of Santa Barbara government. By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY FRITZ OLENBERGER / COURTESY OLD SPANISH DAYS
World-renowned Spanish flamenco dancer Patricia Guerrero performs at La Primavera at El Paseo Restaurant.
By ANNIKA BAHNSEN At the historic El Paseo Restaurant on Saturday, a sold-out crowd was in for an exciting and memorable night of history, dance and community, all while raising more than $40,000 for Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara. David Bolton, El Presidente of Old Spanish Days, told the News-Press that this is the largest amount of money raised by a single event in Fiesta history. In 1919, the La Primavera Association was created, and the annual La Primavera celebration has entertained the Santa Barbara community since then. The goal was to host a spring festival to honor the memory of the early Spanish and pioneer days of California. The La Primavera Association is also the origin of the presentday Old Spanish Days. Please see FIESTA on A4
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PHOTO BY ISAAC HERNANDEZ / COURTESY OLD SPANISH DAYS
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in s ide Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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La Primavera includes Folklórico regional dances of Mexico.
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
For nearly four years, the city of Santa Barbara staff have been actively working to plan for the city’s future. In July 2020, staff presented its Vision 2030 plan to the Santa Barbara City Council Finance Committee. “Vision 2030 is the framework by which staff take on these budget and operational challenges to improve the work we do to meet the needs of the community given our limited financial resources,” Finance Director Keith DeMartini said. “It is a framing of an initiative to preserve the best of what makes Santa Barbara unique, and direct us to where we are headed over the next 50 years, and positions the city as a leader in smarter, proactive government, ensuring the city is sustainable, and the community is thriving.” Then two years later, staff unveiled another plan with an equally impressive name: Fiscal Sustainability Initiative. It presented this initiative to the Finance Committee in June 2022. “It’s a staff-led effort to develop recommendations and solutions to ensure the city continues to meet the needs of the Santa Barbara community now and for many years to come,” Mr. DeMartini said. “The objectives of this initiative are to identify and assess options that will increase revenues, create efficiencies, eliminate redundancies, and make continual process improvements that may ultimately reduce costs.” Staff have made great progress thus far, he said, calling their proposed Cost Recovery and Please see FINANCES on A4
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 5-11-16-18-39 Mega: 12
Monday’s DAILY 4: 2-4-5-0
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 1-2-23-40-45 Mega: 15
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 1-3-6-10-39
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 06-04-12 Time: 1:49.65
Monday’s POWERBALL: 1-26-28-55-58 Meganumber: 25
Monday’s DAILY 3: 9-5-9 / Midday 8-5-0