Full Notification

Jose Alejandro Perez, age 40, of Santa Barbara, was arrested for attempted murder stemming from an incident that occurred on February 22, 2013. Perez is affiliated with a Santa Barbara area gang however this was not a gang incident.

On February 22, 2013 at 9:12 a.m., Santa Barbara Police Department officers responded to a call of a possible robbery on the 300 block of W. Arrellaga Street. This incident was later reclassified as an assault with a deadly weapon. Upon arrival the officers located a 34-year old male victim who was suffering from multiple non-life threatening stab wounds. The victim was transported by paramedics to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment.

Investigation over the next two weeks by SBPD Crimes Against Persons detectives Michael Claytor and Brian Larson identified Perez as the suspect in this case and revealed that the victim was a former neighbor of Perez and a friend of Perez’s estranged wife’s family. On the morning of the incident the victim was riding a scooter out of his driveway when he was approached by Perez, knocked down, and stabbed. The attack was unprovoked. Over subsequent months repeated efforts were made to find Perez both locally and outside of Santa Barbara. On January 14, 2014 a $500,000.00 arrest warrant was filed for Perez for the crimes of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

On July 30, 2014 at 11:54 a.m., a uniformed SBPD officer leaving Santa Barbara Superior Court following a courtroom appearance saw Perez on the 100 block of E. Figueroa Street. Perez had just stepped off of an MTD bus. The officer, a member of the Police Department’s Criminal Impact Team, recognized Perez and knew he was wanted for attempted murder. The officer contacted Perez and tried to arrest him for his warrant. Perez resisted being handcuffed, fighting with the officer. Perez was taken into custody when additional SBPD officers and a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputy responded to assist.

Perez was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on the aforementioned warrant for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with a bail amount of $500,000.00. He was also booked on an additional misdemeanor charge of resisting or delaying an officer with a bail amount of $2,500.00.

The text below is from the February 25, 2013 SBPD media release entitled Westside Stabbings that described the original incident:

The Santa Barbara Police Department is currently investigating two recent stabbings that occurred on Santa Barbara’s Westside.

On February 22, 2013 at 9:12 a.m., SBPD officers responded to a call of a possible robbery on the 300 block of W. Arrellaga Street. This incident was later reclassified as an assault with a deadly weapon. Upon arrival the officers located a 34-year old male victim who was suffering from multiple non-life threatening stab wounds. The victim was transported by paramedics to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment. Investigation indicates that this incident was not gang related. No arrests have been made. This incident is still under investigation and additional details are being withheld.

On February 24, 2013 at 4:48 p.m., SBPD officers responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls of several subjects with baseball bats fighting in the vicinity of Kowalski Avenue and Sola Street. This, too, was later determined to be an assault with a deadly weapon. Upon arrival officers found a 17-year old male victim suffering from several non-life threatening stab wounds on the front porch of a residence on 800 W. Victoria Street. Investigation indicates that the victim and a 17-year old male companion were walking on 800 W. Victoria Street, en route to a quinceanera practice, when they were confronted by subjects, chased, and the victim was assaulted. The victim’s companion was unhurt. The victim was transported by paramedics to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment. Neither the victim nor his companion have any gang affiliation; nevertheless, investigation indicates that this incident is gang related. No arrests have been made. This incident is also still under investigation and additional details are being withheld.