Photo: Adrian Ramon Campos, Brian Charles Ruiz and Joel Angel Campos
SANTA BARBARA — It all began late on the night of December 31st, an occasion for revelry that turned into tragedy with the shooting death of 24-year-old Jesus Reyes and the attempted murder of 19-year-old Tomas Arzate at the hands of multiple suspects.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department spokesman Det. Anthony Wagner, the immediately ensuing investigation led to the identification of three suspects, including 30-year-old Santa Barbara resident Charles Ruiz, 25-year-old Goleta resident Adrian Ramon Campos, and 25-year-old Santa Barbara resident Joel Angel Campos.
On January 14th, the police investigation led detectives to the San Ysidro, Mexico-U.S. border crossing where Ruiz “was taken into custody.” Just two days prior, on January 12th, Adrian Campos was found at his Goleta home and arrested “on suspicion of being an accessory to murder and unrelated drug charges.” Joel Campos remains at large and is the object of a widening manhunt “for the murder of Reyes and attempted murder of Tomas Arzate.”
In his report to the media, Wagner gave a detailed description of Joel Campos as “a Hispanic male adult, 5-foot-8, 190 pounds, with shaved brown hair and brown eyes,” further indicating that Campos “has distinctive tattoos” indicating his close ties to the Santa Barbara area.
“Investigators have been actively working this case since New Year’s Day,” Wagner declared, adding that “information obtained through the course of this investigation” indicates that all three suspects were provided aid and means to further their evasion from arrest, giving rise to the expectation of additional arrests forthcoming for “accessory to murder.” Anyone with information about Campos’ whereabouts is encouraged to contact SBPD detectives at (805) 897-2427.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara Police Department
