Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives arrest suspects from Goleta homicide

GOLETA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara County Sheriff's detectives recently arrested two suspects for a deadly shooting that took place in Goleta on Feb. 10.

Richard Andrew Cardona, 43 of Goleta, was fatally shot at the Pacifica Suites Hotel in Goleta just after 8 p.m. on Feb. 10, according to Sheriff's spokeswoman Raquel Zick.

The Sheriff's Office originally identified the victim as Richard Andrew Cardano, but later corrected the spelling as Cardona.

Detectives arrested a 34-year-old Santa Barbara man first on Monday around 3:30 p.m. when he was located on the 1600 block of State Street, Zick said.

He was booked at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail and was being held for murder on a $2 million bail.

The second suspect was a 36-year-old Santa Barbara man who was arrested just after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Zick.

He was booked at the Main Jail for the felony counts of robbery and attempted extortion, Zick said, adding that his bail amount is pending.

Initial investigation found that Cardona and the suspects were familiar with each other, and that the incident was "not a random attack," Zick said.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Cardona's family.

The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact detectives at 805-681-4150. People may leave anonymous tips by calling 805-681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.