Hidden Body Found After Routine Welfare Check at Santa Barbara Apartment Complex
SANTA BARBARA, CA — November 6, 2026 – A routine welfare check at a Santa Barbara apartment complex led to the discovery of a man’s body concealed inside a metal container and the arrests of two neighbors accused of hiding the circumstances surrounding his death.
On the night of Oct. 27, 2026, Santa Barbara Police Department patrol officers conducted a welfare check on Lawrence “Shorty” Matthew Brennen Jr. at his apartment complex residence.
According to SBPD Cmdr. Ben Ahrens, officers encountered what he described as “suspicious circumstances.” Based on their findings, officers obtained a search warrant for the property.
The following morning, Oct. 28, detectives and patrol officers returned to the apartment to investigate Brennen’s whereabouts and condition.
During the search, detectives discovered Brennen’s body wrapped in a bedroll and placed inside a metal container that had also been covered in plastic wrap.
Investigators determined that two other residents of the apartment complex, Jenica Ochoa, 45, and Kenneth Tompkins, 43, had apparently concealed Brennen’s accidental death.
Both suspects were arrested at the scene and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail.
Ochoa and Tompkins, who each have prior felony convictions, were charged with felony conspiracy, misdemeanor concealing a death and second-strike enhancements.
– by F. Scott Faulkner
Photo: Stock Image
