Third Suspect Arrested, Firearm Recovered in Downtown Santa Barbara Shooting

Santa Barbara Police have arrested a third suspect and recovered a firearm in connection with an altercation last week that ended with a gunshot in downtown Santa Barbara.

Jose Manual Suastegui, a 20-year-old Santa Barbara resident, was taken into custody on Saturday, January 31, closing a multi-day investigation.

According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, the investigation continued after the initial incident. Detectives identified Suastegui as the outstanding subject and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On Saturday, members of the department’s Directed Patrol Team located Suastegui during a regular neighborhood patrol in the area of Milpas and Cacique Streets. He was arrested for the outstanding warrant without incident.

Following an interview with detectives, Suastegui was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The arrest stems from an incident that occurred on Thursday, January 29, around 3:02 p.m. Police officers responded to reports of “shots fired” near the 300 block of W. Figueroa Street. The response led to a temporary closure of Bath Street from Carrillo to Figueroa Streets as over ten officers secured the scene.

Investigators determined that multiple subjects had been involved in a fight, during which a single gunshot was heard. All involved parties fled the scene on foot.

Shortly after the incident on Thursday, police detained two other individuals on the Anapamu Street footbridge. The latest police update clarified that both of those subjects are juveniles and were subsequently booked into the Santa Maria Juvenile Hall.

Officials confirmed that with Suastegui’s arrest, the firearm involved in the incident has also been recovered. In their statement, the department highlighted the successful investigation, “resulting in another firearm being removed from the streets of Santa Barbara.”

Based on the initial investigation, it did not appear that anyone was injured as a result of the gunshot.