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Christmas spirit lands at Hillside Residential facility brings reindeer and more to its lighting display
Santa’s reindeer have made an early stop at HIllside on Veronica Springs Road in Santa Barbara.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
FYI Hillside welcomes donations. To help, contact Michael Padden-Rubin, director of development at 805-687-0788, ext. 115, or mpaddenrubin@hillsidesb. org or visit hillsidesb.org.
Lompoc killer to be sentenced Jorge Tovar Fernandez, 32, pleads guilty to first-degree murder By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A Lompoc man who pleaded guilty to killing the mother of their 6-year-old daughter in Santa Maria five years ago will be sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison when he returns to court on Feb. 24, prosecutors said. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced last week that Jorge Tovar Fernandez, 32, had pled guilty to the willful, premeditated and deliberate murder of Elyse Marie Erwin, in violation of Penal Code section 187, first degree murder. “This horrific murder was the worst kind of domestic violence,” District Attorney Dudley said. “It occurred years after the couple separated, but the defendant continued to engage in relentless stalking behavior. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing any form of domestic violence, or is being stalked, please call 9-1-1. In doing so, you could become a life-saver.” According to prosecutors, Ms. Erwin was returning to a friend’s residence on Goodwin Road in Santa Maria on Easter morning, April 16, 2017, when Mr. Fernandez confronted her. “As Ms. Erwin was exiting her car, the defendant shot Ms. Erwin in the back of the head,” prosecutors said. “Ms. Erwin died on the scene.” The defendant will be sentenced by Judge Patricia Kelly on Feb. 24, 2023 in Department 8 of the Superior Court in Santa Maria. At that time, the defendant will be sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison, prosecutors said. “On that date, the victim’s family will have the option to give victim impact statements, and the judge will formally sentence the defendant,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Heather Trapnell told the News-Press Monday. She and Deputy District Attorney Catherine Martin were the prosecuting attorneys for the case.
Mr. Fernandez’s jury trial had been scheduled to begin on Feb. 6, 2023. “We weren’t scheduled to go back to court until January for pretrial motions,” Deputy District Attorney Trapnell said. The D.A.’s office had decided it would not seek the death penalty but instead seek a sentence of life in prison without parole if Mr. Fernandez was convicted. However, he changed his mind and opted to forgo his trial and plead guilty in exchange for the lighter sentence that allows the possibility of parole. “When we reached an agreement, we calendared the case for plea on Dec. 15, and he entered a guilty plea,” D.D.A. Trapnell said. Mr. Fernandez smiled in court Thursday, as he did during prior courtroom appearances and in his booking photo. D.D.A. Trapnell could not explain his odd reaction given the seriousness of the proceeding. “As for the smiling in court, he smiled throughout,” she said. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Mr. Fernandez days after Ms. Erwin’s death. He and Ms. Erwin, parents of a 6-year-old girl at the time, were involved in an intense custody fight that required law enforcement officers to keep the peace, according to testimony at his 2019 preliminary hearing. Mr. Fernandez gave different stories to law enforcement officers about where he was at the time of the shooting, including that he had driven up State Route 1. A detective, however, testified during the preliminary hearing that his story couldn’t be true because a massive landslide had closed a long stretch of the road. Evidence showed a 9 mm handgun was the murder weapon as the weapon used in the killing. Mr. Fernandez owned a 9 mm Beretta, but claimed he no longer had it in his possession, but law enforcement officers searching his Lompoc backyard found a 9 mm ammunition magazine in a plastic bag in a cinder block fence. email: nhartsteinnews@gmail.com
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Reindeer are pulling Santa’s sleigh again at Hillside. The Santa Barbara residential facility for people with developmental disabilities has installed its Christmas lights at its campus, 1235 Veronica Springs Road. There you’ll find reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh and strings of light that form a Christmas tree. And you’ll be greeted by a snowman. Everyone is welcome to check out the lights at the sixth annual Shining Light on Abilities, which continues through Dec. 31. Admission is free. Earlier this month, people gathered at the site to sing Christmas and Hanukkah songs. The vocalists included Assistance League of Santa Barbara carolers led by Ann Rudolph, and everyone was accompanied by accordionist Gail Campanella. Santa Claus came too. Then, like magic (considering this is Southern California), snowflakes fell — just in time
Councilmember Kyriaco addresses Goleta issues Kyriaco, Reyes-Martin to be sworn in tonight By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
for Hillside President and CEO Michael Rassler, Santa Claus and Candace, a Hillside resident, to lead the countdown to the lighting of the decorations and lights. To close the program, everyone Please see HILLSIDE on A4
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Councilmember James Kyriaco
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James Kyriaco will be sworn in tonight for his second term on the Goleta City Council, and Luz Reyes-Martin will take the oath for her first term. The council members will be sworn in during the 5:30 p.m. meeting at Goleta City Hall, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta. It marks the first such ceremony for council members elected on a districtby-district basis. Councilmember Kyraico will represent District 2, and Ms. Reyes-Martin, District 1. In advance of tonight’s Please see KYRIACO on A4
Above, passersby stroll by the Christmas decorations, which will remain up through Dec. 31 at Hillside. At right, young passengers take a ride on Santa’s sleigh.
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-4-11-27-39 Mega: 22
Monday’s DAILY 4: 2-9-4-1
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 8-35-40-53-56 Mega: 11
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 18-25-27-28-37
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 03-11-06 Time: 1:46.84
Monday’s POWERBALL: 7-37-55-65-67 Meganumber: 12
Monday’s DAILY 3: 8-0-1 / Midday 8-7-5