Fifth suspect arrested in connection with fatal April 2025 stabbing in Goleta
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A fifth suspect, a 16-year-old from Santa Barbara, has been arrested in connection with a fatal April 2025 stabbing in Goleta.
On April 30, 2025, deputies responded to a parking lot between Vons and Play It Again Sports for a reported person down in the roadway.
Arriving deputies found a 17-year-old had been stabbed and he was transported from the scene for further medical treatment.
The teen died from his injuries days later.
Eyewitnesses shared they believed the stabbing was tied to graffiti that covered a nearby apartment's carport, the shopping center's sidewalk, and a driveway behind the Vons.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office at the time, at least four people had fled the area after the stabbing.
"While no arrest can undo the tragedy suffered by the victim's family and loved ones, we hope today's arrest provides some measure of reassurance that this case was not forgotten," stated Sheriff Bill Brown regarding the latest arrest in late May of this year. "Our detectives remained committed to seeking justice from day one and continued that work until every known suspect was identified and arrested."
On June 16, 2025, detectives arrested 24-year-old Santa Barbara resident Antonio Sanabia Garcia at his home in the 500 block of Gutierrez Street and he was booked on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit a crime shared the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
Garcia later pled guilty to those charges added the local Sheriff's Office.
On the same day as Garcia's arrest, detectives also arrested a 16-year-old at his home in the 500 block of Canon Perdido Street and he was booked on charges of murder and conspiracy noted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
His case has been concluded in juvenile court stated the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
Also on June 16, 2025, another 16-year-old, who was already in custody on unrelated charges at the Santa Maria Juvenile Detention Facility, was arrested and booked on a murder charge shared the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
Court proceedings in that case are ongoing, including a pending petition to have his case transferred to adult court noted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, detectives identified an additional suspect, a 20-year-old man, who was booked on charges of murder and conspiracy on July 24, 2025.
The 20-year-old was released while his charges were under review by the District Attorney's Office before an arrest warrant was issued and he was re-arrested on May 9, 2026, explained the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
The 20-year-old's charges related to the fatal stabbing are pending before the court shared the local Sheriff's Office.
On May 28, 2026, detectives arrested a fifth suspect, a 16-year-old, at his home in the 900 block of San Pascual Street for murder and conspiracy stated the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
At the time of his arrest, the teen was on juvenile probation and wearing a GPS monitoring device for unrelated offenses, and his charge of murder with a gang enhancement is making its way through Juvenile Court explained the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
"This case is a testament to the determination and professionalism of our detectives," Sheriff Bill Brown shared. "Even after the initial arrests were made, investigators remained steadfast in their commitment to uncovering every person’s role in this homicide. Their persistence over the past year ensured that all those believed to be responsible have been identified and held accountable through the criminal justice process."
