Man to be arraigned on felony murder in connection with 2017 Santa Maria homicide
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch announced Monday that a petition has been filed against an adult man -only identified as J.L.- charging him with one felony count of murder in connection with the 2017 death of Edward Ramirez in Santa Maria.
J.L. is also facing charges that he intentionally used a firearm to commit the murder and that the murder was committed on behalf of a criminal street gang added the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, J.L. was seventeen when Ramirez was murdered on Sep. 3, 2017, and therefore J.L. will be arraigned on the felony murder charge in Santa Maria Juvenile Court, Department 1 on March 25, 2025.
Your News Channel reported that three men were charged in connection with the murder in July of 2018 and the results of those charges are detailed for each man below.
Thomas Castillo entered a guilty plea to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in October of 2021 and he was sentenced to 22 years in prison as it was found true that he committed the crime on behalf of a criminal street gang and this was his second strike under California's Three Strikes Law.
Juan Contreras pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime in August of 2021 and it was found true that he committed the crime on behalf of a criminal street gang. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Nicholas Guzman entered a guilty plea to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in October of 2021. It was found true that he committed the crime on behalf of a criminal street gang and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Your News Channel reached out to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office for more information and will add their response when it is received.
