Gabriel Zepeda convicted of the 2022 murder of Theresa Ann Carina on State Street

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Gabriel Zepeda of Santa Maria was convicted of the March 14, 2022, murder of Theresa Ann Carina on State Street near Stearns Wharf.

Zepeda, 49, was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery with special circumstances following a five-week trial shared the Santa Barbara Police Department in a press release Friday.

On March 14, 2022, law enforcement began to investigate the suspicious death of an unhoused woman found in the parking lot of Surf N Wear's Beach House near Stearns Wharf in the 100 block of State Street .

Later the same day, Zepeda was arrested in connection with the murder and robbery while wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his parole in an earlier commercial burglary arrest.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, Zepeda told fishermen on the Wharf that he had "just robbed a lady" and an early morning passerby found Carina with her feet and hands bound.

On March 16, the 49-year-old Santa Maria man was officially charged with the killing with the special circumstance that the murder occurred during a robbery and an additional charge as Zepeda had a prior felony conviction that qualified as a strike offense under California state law.

Zepeda is currently scheduled for sentencing on June 16, 2026, where he faces a potential life sentence without the possibility for parole shared the Santa Barbara Police Department.

The Santa Barbara Police Department added that he will remain in custody without bail.

"This crime was senseless and tragic. A vulnerable woman lost her life to a calculated act of violence," said District Attorney Savrnoch. "We are grateful for the exceptional work of Senior Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Branch. Her dedication to securing justice for Theresa Ann is a testament to what this Office stands for—seeking truth and justice. We also commend the Santa Barbara Police Department, Sgt. Adam Mik, and DA Investigator Eric Davis for their thorough investigation and dedication to this case."