Full Notification

At approximately 5:00 a.m. this morning, January 12, 2019, an unknown suspect rang the doorbell at a residence in the Lasalle Canyon Road area near Lompoc. The 65-year-old victim, who was home alone, went to the front door, but could not see the suspect through the peephole. The suspect stated he was with the Sheriff’s Office and needed to speak to the victim. The victim opened the front door and was immediately attacked by the suspect. The suspect struck the victim multiple times with a pistol and what the victim described as a “night stick.” The victim attempted to fight back, but was overwhelmed by the suspect and forced into his bedroom. The suspect demanded money and guns and said he would harm the victim’s family if his needs were not met.

The victim gave the suspect the money he had in his pants pocket. The suspect then bound the victim’s hands behind his back with duct tape and left the room. The victim freed himself from the duct tape, retrieved a baseball bat and struck the suspect when he returned to the bedroom. The suspect took the bat from the victim and continued to beat him with it, before leaving through the front door. The victim suffered extensive injuries including facial lacerations and a fractured skull. Despite his injuries, the victim managed to drive to friend’s house nearby for help. The friend then drove the victim to the hospital and called 911. The victim is hospitalized but expected to survive his injuries.

When Sheriff’s deputies were notified of the home invasion robbery at 5:45 a.m. they rushed to the scene and launched an investigation into finding the suspect. Sheriff’s Forensics technicians responded to process the scene and gather evidence. The suspect is described as a light-skinned Hispanic male adult, approximately 5’10” tall with a heavy build. He was wearing dark clothing.

The Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the case. At this time, it is unknown why the victim or his particular residence was targeted. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office by calling the non-emergency dispatch number at 805-683-2724. For anonymous tips, please call 805-681-4171 or go to our website at https://www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.