Three Arrests for Fatal Fiesta Weekend Stabbing – $2 million bail
– By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA BARBARA, CA — August 1st, 2025 – Three alleged gang members are now facing a slate of felony charges—including murder.
Officers arrived to a chaotic scene as crowds were gathered for Fiesta celebrations.
One victim staggered toward them with visible stab wounds to his torso.
A second man collapsed nearby, also suffering from multiple stab wounds. A third
victim was located shortly after, as officers swept the surrounding area.
All three men were rushed to Cottage Hospital, but one—36-year-old Anthony Bisquera-Hartley, a father of
three—later died from his injuries.
As an investigation into the violence ensued, investigators recovered
“knives, bloody clothing, and other forensic evidence” from the scene.
Within hours, Santa Barbara Police detectives made their first arrest: 29-year-old Luis Gerardo Terrazas of Santa Barbara, who was
himself hospitalized with stab wounds.
Over the next two days, detectives arrested two more suspects: Juan Fernando Rios, 28, and
Sergio Rivas, 30, both of Santa Barbara.
At the time of his arrest, Rivas was carrying “a handgun, loaded magazines, and cocaine.” He
was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges of murder with
gang enhancements, assault with a deadly weapon, and multiple firearms and narcotics
violations.
Rivas previously served a three-year sentence for second-degree robbery in 2017 and
was registered as a gang member upon release.
Rios also has a violent criminal history, including a 2018 stabbing case involving three victims,
for which he served four years in state prison and was likewise registered as a gang member.
He remains in custody on charges of murder with gang enhancements, use of a deadly weapon, and
committing a felony while out on bail from a July 26 arrest involving separate firearms charges.
Terrazas, meanwhile, is accused of the attempted murder of co-defendant Rivas, with prosecutors
alleging gang involvement and use of a knife in the attack.
All three suspects remain in custody at Santa Barbara County Jail with bail for each in excess of
$2million.
