Santa Maria

A California woman pleaded guilty to murder after a DUI wrong-way crash on the 101 Freeway killed one person and hospitalized another. The incident occurred on Sept. 8, 2024, with Kendra Cordova driving southbound in the wrong lanes near Santa Maria.

A California man was arrested on suspicion of committing lewd acts and exploiting minors through online platforms. The suspect, Edward 'Eddie' Alessandro Zarate, 20, of Santa Maria, was investigated by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly communicating with underage girls online and exchanging sexually explicit material.

Five Santa Maria teens died in a single-car crash where alcohol was believed to be a factor, sparking a call to action around local alcohol culture.

Five Santa Maria teens died in a single-car crash where alcohol was believed to be a factor, authorities said. The tragedy has sparked a call to action around local alcohol culture.

A Santa Barbra County crash victim and five friends were involved in a high-speed collision with a pole. The Santa Maria community is mourning through a growing memorial and discussions about prevention efforts.

Five teens were killed in a crash in Santa Maria. Police suspect the vehicle may have been speeding and alcohol may have contributed to the incident.

Five teens were killed in a crash in Santa Maria, with police indicating that the vehicle may have been speeding and alcohol potentially involved.

A deadly single-car collision in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County, left five teens dead. Police have not determined the cause of the crash.

A 31-year-old Santa Maria man, Clayton Peavey, was sentenced to seven years in state prison for beating a teenage Chick-fil-A employee with a brick. He pleaded guilty to a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon in Santa Barbara County.