A Santa Maria man is in custody after a fatal stabbing Sunday on East McElhaney Street
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A 59-year-old Santa Maria man was arrested Sunday night after a man died at the hospital following a stabbing on East McElhany Street earlier the same evening.
On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the Santa Maria Police Department confirmed the identity of the deceased as 44-year-old Evaristo Ortiz Cortez of Santa Maria.
On Sunday, March 25, around 9:38 p.m., officers were dispatched to a reported fight and stabbing in the 300 block of East McElhany Street stated a press release from the Santa Maria Police Department.
Arriving officers found an adult man inside a nearby apartment who had been stabbed and he was transported from the scene to Marian Regional Medical Center shared the Santa Maria Police Department.
The man -identified Tuesday as Evaristo Ortiz Cortez of Santa Maria- was later pronounced dead at the hospital added the Santa Maria Police Department.
According to Santa Maria Police, officers identified a 59-year-old Santa Maria man as the alleged perpetrator of the fatal stabbing during the initial investigation.
The 59-year-old was located at a neighboring residence and was taken into custody without incident shared the Santa Maria Police Department.
Detectives assumed control of the homicide investigation and the 59-year-old was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on a charge of homicide and he is being held on a $2 million bail detailed the Santa Maria Police Department.
The case has been forwarded to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office for prosecution and is the second homicide of 2025 noted the Santa Maria Police Department.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Santa Maria Police Detective Juan Rubio at 805-928-3781 ext. 1682.
