Update: A third suspect has been arrested and the victim’s identity is released. Read the latest here.
Santa Barbara Police are investigating a stabbing early Friday morning that left one person dead and two people hospitalized.
At 12:23 a.m., Santa Barbara Police officers were on foot patrol for Fiesta festivities when they were flagged down by a passersby. The passersby reported a man with knife in the 500 block of State Street, the Police Department states.
Officers responded to that area and found a subject with a stab wound lying on the ground. Other Officers quickly saturated the area and located two additional subjects nearby who also sustained stab wounds.
Emergency aid was rendered to all three victims. Multiple Santa Barbara Fire and AMR ambulance units responded and transported all three victims to Cottage Hospital for further medical treatment.
At 11:45 a.m. Friday, the Santa Barbara Police Department announced that despite life-saving efforts, one victim has died at the hospital as a result of their injuries. The individual’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The two other victims are in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.
Detectives are actively working the investigation, and Luis Gerado Terrazas, 29 years old, has been arrested in connection with this incident.
Less than a day later, Santa Barbara Police announced they had arrested a second suspect. Juan Fernando Rios, 28 years old, was taken into custody without incident.
Detectives continue to pursue additional leads and encourage anyone with information, photos, or video related to the incident to contact the Santa Barbara Police Department at (805) 882-8900.
The Santa Barbara Police Department states that preliminary information indicates the individuals involved may have known each other, and there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
A significant portion of the 500 block of State Street was closed off to allow Santa Barbara Police to conduct further follow-up and crime scene investigation.
The Santa Barbara Police Department asks that if you witnessed the incident and have any photos, videos or information that may help further this investigation, to please contact the Santa Barbara Police at (805) 882-8900.
The incident took place during Santa Barbara’s annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebrations in the downtown area.
“The Santa Barbara Police Department remains fully committed to ensuring safety and security during Fiesta. All Fiesta related events are continuing as planned, and officers will remain highly visible and fully deployed throughout the festivities to maintain public safety,” the police department states.
This is a developing story. Santa Barbara Police Department will provide additional information once it is available as the investigation is ongoing.
A portion of the 500 block of State St. was sealed off for a major crime scene in downtown Santa Barbara just after midnight. It was a reported stabbing. Surveillance video is being collected. A related crime scene investigation is one block away. (Courtesy photo) pic.twitter.com/sC4S06xqO7
— John Palminteri (@JohnPalminteri) August 1, 2025
Related Articles
https://www.edhat.com/news/three-suspects-arrested-in-fatal-state-street-stabbing-during-fiesta-victims-identity-released/
[Ed Note: This article has been updated with information from the Santa Barbara Police Department.]
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One stabbing and a related crime scene one block away. “Old” Spanish Days is definitely underway and the more active nights (Friday/Saturday) are yet to come.
Very true
Example of why many locals stay away from Fiesta nowadays.
I hope SB City and biz have a dozen cameras on the State street high crime areas. or city needs more under cover cops!!
Wouldn’t it be great if we had more beat cops and resources for keeping our community safe. Too bad a couple hundred billion is going to chasing gardeners and farm
workers.
That would be great! Too bad we have people here like BASIC who support more funding for ICE instead of our local police so they can do their jobs!
CreekMo: Most people agree with you. One thing that does not help is the reduction (defunding) of LE and calls to not support their mission to protect us. How unfortunate that this murder and stabbings will keep even more people away from the festivities. Our out-of-town guests called to cancel because they heard about the murder on State Street. We still plan to head downtown tonight (Friday) and tomorrow as we refuse to let this incident ruin Fiesta for us. “Back in the day” (up until the early 80s) it was just fine to wander around downtown with open containers/tumblers/cups …my-oh-my how things have changed (for the worse). LE will be on super-high alert for the remainder of Fiesta. May I suggest that if you do appreciate LE, be sure thank them when you see them and let them know they have your total support.
Shovel that horsepuckey, Bends Knees!
There has been zero defunding here
Per police “preliminary information indicates the individuals involved may have known each other,”
That’s a cookie cutter stat whenever there s violence.
Or is it just that we have that big of a gang problem?
SBLets – I’ll guess preliminary information regarding an incident is just that, preliminary. One or more persons interviewed likely reported this the cops. The information is about identity not statistics. From what I read it appears many crimes are reported using similar wording even though one is more significant than the other. As to a SB “gang problem,” have you ever heard of a “north side” gang?
I know the intention of Santa Barbara is to ‘protect people’, but the guy who stabbed this guy RIOS
2013 stabbed someone on the west side.
2018 stab someone on State Street.
2025 stab someone on State Street… Again.
How in the world would you call this protecting your citizens or immigrants.
In what world do you stab someone on State Street in 2018 and serve one year in jail.
Immigrants are the ones who suffer the most as they live in these neighborhoods with these extremely dangerous people and have to be very careful walking at night.
Let’s be clear SB policies do not protect anyone, it’s just virtue signaling, which in the end leaves our community, a more dangerous place, ESPECIALLY for the immigrants.
A true more chronic threat to immigrants is releasing criminals back into their neighborhoods, not the white neighborhoods, reduction of police force, no patrols, and no consequences for breaking the law. This is what ultimately affects my family and friends who are the immigrants here.
YOGI – agreed! We absolutely need more police patrols downtown. Been saying this for years. It is pretty shocking though, to see that someone convicted of 2 violent crimes within 5 years was out of prison already.
Your comments seem well intentioned but misdirected. Santa Barbara police arrested this individual each time he committed an offense, each time he was found guilty. Jail time and release dates are determined by the courts. Releasing people like him is not “SB policy.” Also, during Fiesta police presence on State Street was hard to miss.
Both Yogi & Anon make good points.
DA’s office also plays a large role, in terms of what he was charged with and prosecuted for in the past.
Don’t automatically call out the current DA! Use your brain, please. And realize there are ALWAYS details the public and the jury is not aware of, and never will be, for legal reasons.
I was STUNNED when I read of Rios’s prior history. I don’t automatically support or criticize criminal justice decisions. They’re ALWAYS aware of facts that we aren’t.
But I got no explanation for what I’ve read about this guy.
First ANON here – my intent was not to criticize the DA, but to acknowledge that these are not decisions made by any city agency (it is not “SB Policy.”) I agree that a lot goes into the DA’s prosecutorial decisions, and that a big part of it comes down to overcrowded jails. It’s a shame, but it’s the reality we’re living in.
Just a tinge of racism in that little rant.