Santa Maria U-Haul Murder Trial Begins

Santa Maria’s long-awaited so-called U-Haul murder trial has finally begun.

The jury was painted entirely different pictures of what happened to 28 year old Anthony Ibarra back in March of 2013 by the prosecution and defense attorneys for the six defendants in opening statements Monday in Santa Maria Juvenile Hall Court where the trial is being held under tight security.

The prosecution says the six defendants accused of murder in the trial either knew about and or participated in the brutal killing of Anthony Ibarra because of his alleged unpaid drug debts to a notorious Santa Maria street gang that included the defendants on trial.

The six defendants are Ramon “Crazy Ray” Maldonado, Reyes “Pumpkin” Gonzales, David Maldonado, Santos Sauceda, Jason Castillo and Anthony Solis.

Defense attorneys told the jury the evidence does not support the allegations against those accused and still in jail custody.

“They put Anthony Ibarra’s body in back of that U-Haul”, prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen told the jury in her opening statement.

Bramsen told the jury the kidnapping, torture and murder of 28 year old Anthony Ibarra on March 17, 2013 was a planned, premeditated attack against Ibarra for his failure to pay “taxes” to his drug suppliers, the defendants in the trial that the prosecution says also have links to the infamous Mexican Mafia through the Surenos street gang.

Bramsen says Ibarra was lured to a home on West Donovan Road in Santa Maria and then held against his will, savagely beaten, stabbed and tortured and then left to bleed to death.

“He was injured from head to toe”, Bramsen told the jury in her opening statement, “there was so much blood in the home that police investigators were tracking blood in and out of the house.”

Ibarra’s body was found two days later in the back of a U-Haul truck found parked in a quiet Orcutt neighborhood.

“I will be asking each of you to find all six defendants guilty of the crime of murder”, Bramsen told the jury in summing up her opening statement.

Defense attorneys told the jury the defendants never took part in the actual killing of Anthony Ibarra even though they may have been out to collect on his alleged drug debts.

“The evidence will establish that Mr. Ibarra’s death was a homicide”, defense attorney Michael Scott told the jury, “but the hard, the reliable evidence will provide nothing as to who committed the homicide.”

“The evidence is also going to show that at no time did Mr. Gonzales engage in any conduct that resulted in any injuries or death of Mr. Ibarra”, said defense attorney Tom Allen to the jury in his opening statement.

The trial resumes Tuesday morning in Santa Maria Juvenile Hall Court.