Luis Bernabe Jimenez, a 61-year-old resident of Santa Maria, California, was found dead on April 23, 2022. His body was discovered inside his vehicle, which was parked on the side of the road near Main Street and Hanson Way. Jimenez had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and the Santa Maria Police Department quickly launched a homicide investigation.
Initial reports indicated that the shooting had occurred hours before his body was found, with several residents hearing the gunshots but not reporting them to the authorities. The police were seeking information from the public to learn more about Jimenez's background, as little was known about his personal life or his activities leading up to the incident.
The investigation into Jimenez's death revealed connections to gang activity in the area. In the days leading up to his murder, there had been three other shootings in Santa Maria, all of which were believed to be linked to gang violence. The police identified two primary suspects in Jimenez's murder: 23-year-old Isacc Anthony Almaguer and 21-year-old Felix Antonio Martinez-Just Jr., both residents of Santa Maria. Almaguer was already incarcerated at Solano State Prison on unrelated felony charges but was brought back to Santa Barbara County to face new charges of attempted murder. Martinez-Just Jr. was arrested without incident and charged with multiple counts of attempted murder.
Additionally, three women were implicated as accessories to the crime. Maria Guadalupe Hernandez, a 25-year-old resident of Nipomo, along with Monique Alesha Arriola, 38, and Brenda Roberta Aguirre, 36, both from Santa Maria, were arrested and charged with being accessories to attempted murder and murder. These charges included sentencing enhancements due to the crimes being committed in furtherance of a criminal gang. The arrests and charges were the result of a 17-month investigation by the Santa Maria Police Department, which worked diligently to piece together the events leading to Jimenez's death and to bring those responsible to justice.
