Fifth suspect arrested in connection with fatal April 2025 stabbing in Goleta

Fifth Suspect Arrested in Connection with the 2025 Murder of 17-Year-Old

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office arrested a fifth suspect last week in connection with the April 30, 2025 fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old in the Goleta Valley. While officials haven’t publicly named the victim, family members identified him in a GoFundMe as Damien Hernandez. The fifth suspect in the incident, whose name was not released, is 16 years old, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick. He was arrested at his Sant…

Fifth suspect arrested in connection with fatal April 2025 stabbing in Goleta

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A fifth suspect, a 16-year-old from Santa Barbara, has been arrested in connection with a fatal April 2025 stabbing in Goleta. On April 30, 2025, deputies responded to a parking lot between Vons and Play It Again Sports for a reported person down in the roadway. Arriving deputies found a 17-year-old had been stabbed and he was transported from the scene for further medical treatment. The teen died from his i…

Santa Barbara County deputies arrest fifth suspect over fatal stabbing

By JOSH FRIEDMAN Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives last week arrested a fifth and final suspect over the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old in the Goleta area last year. On April 30, 2025, the teenage victim was stabbed near San Simeon Drive and Turnpike Road, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Since then, […]