Arrest Made in Westside Santa Barbara Domestic Violence Incident
By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA BARBARA, CA — April 20, 2026 — A domestic violence incident on Santa Barbara’s Westside on the afternoon of April 17 ended with the arrest of a local man who allegedly attacked another person.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department spokesman Ryan DeJohn, the confrontation
unfolded shortly before 4 p.m., when Felix Hernandez, 35, of Santa Barbara, allegedly “assaulted
the victim during a domestic dispute as the encounter escalated quickly.”
As the intensity of the situation drew attention of nearby witnesses, Hernandez “became aware
he was being watched” and left the area on foot, prompting a search by responding SBPD patrol
officers.
Officers then established a secure perimeter and “canvassed the neighborhood,” ultimately
discovering Hernandez “asleep inside a vehicle” on a local residential street. He was then taken
into custody “without resistance.”
Hernandez was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of
multiple felony offenses, including domestic battery and kidnapping, with his bail set at
$300,000.
