Police are still investigating what may have led to two large brawls, which happened separately in mid-October, sending one man to the hospital with a stab wound. Investigators are searching for another man who fired shots in a Santa Maria neighborhood.
While officials suspect both incidents may have been gang-related, nobody—including the victim—is talking, said the Santa Maria Police Department’s Lt. Jerel Haley.
The two rumbles, each of which witnesses described as involving approximately 20 males ranging in age from 16 to 20, occurred roughly a half-mile from each other in Santa Maria.
The latest incident occurred at 10:51 p.m. on Oct. 16 on the 100 block of East Bunny Street, where officers responded to calls of a large fight. By the time they arrived, the suspects had cleared out, but officers found a 20-year-old man suffering from a single stab wound. The unidentified victim was taken via ambulance to Marian Medical Center. Haley said his injuries weren’t life threatening.
That melee came just a week after a similar incident on Oct. 10, when patrol officers responded to a midday street fight involving about 20 young males, this time accompanied by reports of shots fired. Officers arrived to the 100 block of East Orchard Street at approximately 12:45 p.m. and were unable to locate any suspects. They did, however, find a number of expelled shell casings in the street, but no victims or significant damage.
As of Oct. 31, Haley said investigators were no closer to identifying a suspect or the cause of the fights. Haley told the Sun the department has reason to believe the incidents were gang-related because of the presence of at least one known gang member during one of the incidents, but he said that information is “not confirmed.”
“We suspect [the incidents] are in some way related, and possibly related to gang activity,” Haley said. “It’s certainly suspicious.”
Haley added that there’s no reason to believe there’s any kind of “turf war” occurring. On the contrary, he said the criminal landscape of Santa Maria is unique in that it lacks the traditional gang boundaries found in many urban areas. Such boundaries would simplify investigations and narrow down potential suspects, he said.
“There’s no one specific area where we see one gang saying, ‘This is our turf, get out.’ Actually, the opposite is true,” Haley said. “We have a lot of inter-occupancy.”
In cases such as these, Haley said, it’s also difficult for investigators to get an idea of whom they’re dealing with because of the reluctance of people to get involved and talk to police—including witnesses and victims.
Even so, Haley said the investigation remains ongoing and the department is asking anyone with information to place an anonymous tip with CrimeStoppers, at 1-877-800-9100.
This article appears in Nov 3-9, 2011.