On Saturday, December 13, 2025, at approximately 5:28 p.m., a Santa Maria Police Department officer was patrolling the 200 block of West Betteravia Road when he observed a male subject attempting to exit a secured parking lot adjacent to a closed business.
The subject, later identified as 46-year-old Jaime Coria, a Santa Maria resident, saw the officer approaching and fled back into the secured lot, where he attempted to hide among several parked vehicles.
Officers established a perimeter around the area, and due to limited lighting conditions, a department drone was deployed. A Santa Maria Police Department K-9 team also responded to assist in the search.
Using the drone’s thermal imaging capabilities, officers located Coria, who was taken into custody without incident. Coria was subsequently booked into the Santa Maria Northern Branch Jail for commercial burglary.
Authored by: Todd Logan, Lieutenant
Santa Maria Police Department
1111 W Betteravia Rd.
Santa Maria, Ca. 93455
(805) 928-3781 ext. 2277
