Photo: Stock Image
Image of suspects Andrew Paul Garcia,Arnulfo Villavicencio- Ramirez, and David Olaf Barajas | Santa Maria PD
A holiday house party at a Santa Maria residence on the afternoon of December 17, 2023 came to a violent end when three men attempted to rob revelers at gunpoint.
During the confrontation with partygoers, two adult males were shot at close range, one of whom—33-year-old Joshua Maldonado—died at the scene. 911 Emergency calls for service immediately ensued and responding Santa Maria Police Department officers promptly transported the second victim to a local area hospital where, according to SMPD spokesman Lt. Daniel Rios, he was treated for “critical injuries.”
Detectives promptly initiated an investigation and learned that the dead man—Maldonado—along with 33-year-old Santa Maria resident Andrew Paul Garcia “had attempted to rob people at the gathering by gunpoint” when Garcia shot “both the partygoer who survived” and “his associate.”
Characterizing the violence as “a botched robbery attempt,” Rios described evidence leading to the identification of Santa Maria residents 44-year-old Arnulfo Villavicencio- Ramirez and 34-year-old David Olaf Barajas as “conspirators and participants” in the robbery. On April 30, 2024, SMPD detectives, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Bureau, and the SMPD SWAT Team served multiple search warrants throughout Santa Maria, whereupon contact with Villavicencio-Ramirez and Garcia occurred, leading to their arrests.
Both men were transported to Santa Barbara County Jail. Garcia was booked on charges of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy, with his bail set at $1,000,000. Villavicencio-Ramirez was booked on charges of robbery and conspiracy with his bail set at $250,000. Barajas is currently incarcerated at North Kern State Prison on other criminal charges with additional charges now pending.
