SLO County security guard suspected of attempted murder in Santa Maria arrested

A San Luis Obispo County man was arrested Monday in connection with an attempted murder in Santa Maria.

David Garcia Ochoa, 28, was accused of shooting a 28-year-old man Sunday in a commercial parking lot on the 1700 block of South Broadway in Santa Maria, Santa Maria Police Department said in a news release.

Santa Maria police officers responded to the scene around 7:30 a.m. and found the victim, who was believed to be unhoused, with multiple gunshot wounds. He said the wounds occurred around 3 a.m.

The victim was transported to a local hospital to receive treatment, police said.

Detectives identified Ochoa as the primary suspect, police said. Ochoa worked as a private security guard for construction equipment near the scene, police said, and was believed to have been illegally carrying a loaded firearm at the job site prior to the shooting.

Ochoa never notified law enforcement of the shooting and left the scene immediately after, police said.

Detectives from Santa Maria Police Department, with help from the department’s SWAT team and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Bureau, executed a search and arrest warrant at Ochoa’s residence in the 200 block of Avila Beach Drive in San Luis Obispo around 2 a.m. Detectives collected evidence at his home connected to the investigation, police said.

Ochoa was arrested and taken into custody without incident. He was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held on $1 million bail. He was still in custody as of 5:40 p.m. Monday.

Police said they believe Ochoa may be connected to other shootings.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Erik Hesch at 805-928-3781 ext. 1349 or Detective Neil Patel at ext. 1680.