Man pleads guilty in deadly shooting outside Santa Maria restaurant

Published September 21, 2021 5:18 pm

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A man arrested for a deadly shooting outside a Santa Maria taco shop has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges.

Last week, Juan Carlos Hernandez pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for a deadly shooting that happened back in 2019 outside 805 Tacos on Main Street.

He also admitted to personally using a firearm during the crime.

Hernandez, who was 29 at the time of the shooting, originally pleaded not guilty. He's expected to be sentenced to 21 years in state prison.

Investigators say Hernandez fled to Mexico after the shooting, but U.S. Marshals brought him back to Santa Barbara County two weeks later.

He remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County jail with bail set at $3 million.

Article Topic Follows: Crime & Courts

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