Murder Suspect Arrested After Deadly Shooting & Stabbing in Santa Maria
-By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA MARIA, CA – June 9th, 2025 – A 31-year-old Santa Maria man is facing murder and attempted murder charges after a violent attack left one man dead and another seriously injured.
Santa Maria Police Department patrol units responded to a 911 Emergency call just after 2:30 p.m. on June 3rd reporting a disturbance on North Western Avenue. When officers and emergency crews arrived, they found two victims—one in the front yard of a residence, the other inside.
The first victim, later identified as Pedro Sanchez Rojas, had suffered stab wounds. He was treated at the scene and transported to a hospital in stable condition.
Inside the home, officers discovered a second victim, 24-year-old Julio Sanchez Lopez, with a gunshot wound to the torso. He was rushed to Marian Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, SMPD detectives “quickly identified the suspect as 31-year-old Josue Anguiano of Santa Maria.” On Thursday, the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office filed multiple charges against Anguiano, including “murder, attempted murder, resisting arrest, and weapons violations.”
He remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail with bail set at $2 million.
