Santa Barbara County District Attorney charges man for murder on Santa Barbara’s east side

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A 53-year old Santa Barbara resident has been charged for the fatal stabbing of a Port Hueneme resident on Santa Barbara's east side on March 20.

The District Attorney's Office charged Carlos Rios Zavala with murder and a special allegation for personal use of a knife.

Zavala stabbed Valentin Hernandez, 40, near the 500 block of North Milpas Street around 2 a.m. on March 20, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department. Hernandez was transferred to the hospital for treatment after the stabbing, but later died from his wounds.

Santa Barbara Police Officers arrested Zavala on Tuesday along with two others involved with the crime, and another person involved was arrested on March 20.

Three other individuals – Manuel Zavala-Azaueta, Leticia Munoz, and Alejandro Zarco – were charged with accessory after the fact to the murder for their "independent roles" in helping Zavala flee from law enforcement, according to the District Attorney's Office.

He is currently being held on a $2 million bail and is set to be arraigned in the Santa Barbara Superior Court on March 28.