District Attorney’s Office finds Sheriff’s Detectives justified in fatal January shooting

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office issued its review of the law enforcement-involved shooting death of Wesley Klotthor of Santa Maria on Jan. 13, 2024, finding that Sheriff's Detectives were justified in their use of force during the incident and face no state criminal liability.

Your News Channel covered the stand-off and the later release of the names of the Detectives involved in the incident.

On Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, the parents of 32-year-old Wesley Klotthor went to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's substation in Santa Maria to ask deputies about resources their son could use regarding his history of mental illness stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office in their Public Report On Officer Involved Shooting of Wesley Klotthor On January 13, 2024 (hereafter referred to as 'the OIS report' or 'the report') issued Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.

According to the report, Klotthor's parents visited the Santa Maria substation as their son's behavior had become "increasingly paranoid and delusional" and that he carried a Glock pistol most of the time.

The following morning of Jan. 13, Klotthor's parents contacted the Sheriff's Office to explain that Klotthor brought a firearm with him to breakfast at a restaurant and told his family that voices in his head told him that he was the "black angel of death" detailed the OIS report.

Wesley Klotthor claimed to his family he had a concealed carry weapon permit and Sheriff's deputies prepared a Gun Violence Restraining Order which was signed by Judge Stephen Dunkle on Jan. 13 at 12:45 p.m. explained the report.

A Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) is a temporary civil action by a local court that allows people in crisis to access help. Eligible petitions for such an order include family members, law enforcement, current household members, coworkers, teachers, or someone who has a child with the person.

According to the OIS report, a clinician on the Sheriff's Co-Response Team also placed Klotthor on a 5150 hold believing he posed a danger to others and preparations were made to service the GVRO, a 5150 order, and execute a search warrant of Klotthor's home and vehicle.

Later the same day, at 5:28 p.m., a member of the Klotthor family called 911 to report that Wesley Klotthor had brandished a firearm at the family saying, "I will shoot someone" while under the influence shared the OIS report.

The family left the home and Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the residence on Blake Street to establish a perimeter stated the report.

Sheriff's deputies created a perimeter, deployed a Sheriff's helicopter, and requested additional surveillance using a Santa Maria Police Department drone detailed the report.

According to the OIS report, deputies began evacuating residences adjacent to 891 Blake Street and Deputy Muneton began negotiating on the phone with Klotthor in an attempt to de-escalate the situation which deputies continued to try for the next several hours.

Deputy Anthony Muneton is a member of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Co-Response Team and his primary assignment is mental health-related calls for service and he was already familiar with Wesley Klotthor's ongoing mental health crisis from information documented the day before the standoff explained the report.

At 6:40 p.m., Deputy Muneton began an hour and fifteen-minute conversation where Klotthor claimed he was receiving death threats from the Mexican Mafia, a former employer, his neighbors, and that the District Attorney's Office was "instigating" against him and had attempted to frame him for a crime as well as discussed various subjects related to Greek and Aztec mythology shared the OIS report.

According to the report, Klotthor informed negotiators that God told him he was not insane and that he should stay inside the home and "stand his ground".

At 8 p.m., the Sheriff's Special Enforcement Team relieved patrol deputies at the scene and FBI-trained Crisis Negotiator Deputy Samaniego began to communicate with Klotthor detailed the OIS report.

According to the report, just after 9 p.m., Klotthor informed Deputy Samaniego that in ten minutes he would "kill everyone on his property".

Deputy Samaniego was able to keep Klotthor on the phone beyond the ten minute deadline, but Klotthor eventually hung up and Deputy Samaniego was unable to contact him stated the OIS report.

Three Sheriff's Special Enforcement Team members: Detective Adomaitis, Detective Savey, and Detective Swank were assigned to enforce the perimeter in the backyard of the home and stood on ladders at a neighbor's property at 860 Patterson to see over the wooden fence between the homes and into the Klotthor's backyard detailed the OIS report.

Below is an image showing the Klotthor home at 891 Blake Street and detailing the backyard where Detectives were staged.

Originally, patrol teams had intended to serve the GVRO and search and arrest warrants and, upon arrival of the Crisis Negotiation Team, attempts were made to de-escalate the situation so that those orders could be fulfilled explained the OIS report.

Klotthor entered the backyard "several times armed with a Glock firearm" that had a green laser sight and shouted, "FBI! Drop your guns!" while scanning the area before returning inside stated the report.

Around 9:30 p.m., Klotthor returned to the backyard and repeated the same steps as before, but this time, approached the fence detailed the report.

Klotthor was heard to say, "Let's go get them" by Detective Adomaitis who believed Klotthor was aware of where Detectives were positioned stated the OIS report.

According to the report, Detective Adomaitis said, "Stop!" or "Drop it!" and both Detective Adomaitis and Detective Savey, who were next to each other, reported seeing Klotthor's firearm pointed at them.

Both Detectives reported they thought Klotthor would fire at them and, in response, fired their weapons until Klotthor fell to the ground detailed the OIS report.

Members of the Sheriff's Special Enforcement Team then entered the backyard and approached Klotthor who was "obviously deceased" stated the report.

According to the OIS report, crime scene investigators recovered bullet fragments near Klotthor's body, a damaged Glock 23 next to Klotthor's body, as well as a broken green laser sight and broken magazine spring shown below.

On Jan. 18, 2024, a forensic pathologist with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, Dr. Manuel Montez, performed a post-mortem examination of Klotthor shared the OIS report.

Dr. Montez determined the cause of death was the six gunshot wounds Klotthor received to his head, neck, shoulder, right arm, and right ring finger stated the OIS report.

According to the report, toxicology results showed the presence of intoxicants in Klotthor's blood including methamphetamine, marijuana, and alcohol and Deputy Coroner Bibby with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office certified the manner of death as a homicide.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office concluded the OIS report stating:

In reviewing the evidence and considering all of the circumstances, the actions taken by
Detectives Adomaitis and Savey were reasonable based on the facts known and perceived by
them at the time of the shooting. Detectives Adomaitis and Savey reasonably believed that
Wesley Klotthor posed an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death to themselves and
their partners on scene. Any reasonable law enforcement officer would perceive Klotthor’s
actions as an immediate lethal threat to anyone in the immediate vicinity. Therefore, Detectives
Adomaitis and Savey’s use of lethal force was justified and they bear no state criminal liability
for their actions.