Santa Maria Police Department arrest man in connection to 1988 murder investigation
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) arrested a former Santa Maria resident Tuesday in connection to a murder investigation from Sept. 18, 1988.
The now 57-year-old man murdered 30-year-old Ofelia Sandoval at the Town Center Motel of the 200 block of North Broadway in the City of Santa Maria, according to SMPD.
The SMPD Detective's Bureau took over the investigation but the case grew cold as the 57-year-old eventually moved to Gainesville, Georgia.
Several agencies conducted a search warrant in Gainesville Tuesday and the man was booked into the Hall County Jail in Georgia without bail for Sandoval's murder, according to the SMPD.
Other unrelated crimes and additional victims of threats, sexual assault, and domestic abuse are believed to also be connected to the man, explained the SMPD.
The SMPS asks anyone with additional information about violent or sexual crimes connected to the 57-year-old are encouraged to contact SMPD Detective Nate Craven via phone at 805-928-3781.
