Covelo Woman Arrested for the Alleged Attempted Murder of Her Roommate
COVELO, CA — “On 06/26/2026 at approximately 11:08 A.M., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to the 23600 block of Biggar Lane in Covelo for a report of an assault.
Upon arrival, Deputies contacted the victim, a 44-year-old male from Covelo, who reported being assaulted by his roommate, Abigail Sanchez-Santos (39-year-old female from Covelo).
The victim notified Deputies that Sanchez-Santos had entered his bedroom armed with a rifle, struck him with the rifle and attempted to take his personal belongings. During the robbery, Sanchez-Santos moved the victim towards the outside of the residence, made threats to kill him then pulled the trigger on the rifle. The firearm malfunctioned and did not discharge. The victim was able to escape the property and report the incident to law enforcement. The victim received medical treatment by emergency medical personnel and had superficial injuries consistent with his statements.
Deputies responded to the residence where the incident occurred and made call outs to Sanchez-Santos who ultimately surrendered peacefully. Sanchez-Santos was accompanied by a male, Benito Temis-Cortes, a 31-year-old male from Covelo.
A search warrant was authored and approved by a Superior Court Judge. The Search warrant was served at the property, and investigators recovered an assault weapon during their search. The assault weapon was identified by the victim as the firearm used during the assault perpetrated by Sanchez-Santos. Upon the completion of the investigation, Deputies obtained probable cause to arrest Sanchez-Santos and Temis-Cortes.
Sanchez-Santos was charged with Attempt Murder – 664/187(a) PC, Attempted Robbery – 664/211(a) PC, Kidnapping – 207 PC, Criminal Threats – 422(a) PC, and Possession of an Assault Weapon – 30605(a) PC. Sanchez-Santos was booked at the Mendocino County Jail where she is being held in lieu of a $1,000,000.00 bail.
Temis-Cortes was charged with Possession of an Assault Weapon – 30605(a) PC. Tamis-Cortes was booked at the Mendocino County Jail where he is being held in lieu of a $15,000.00 bail.
Anyone with information related to this incident is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip-line at 707-234-2100.”
