Grover Beach man arrested for sexually abusing girl in Lompoc
By JOSH FRIEDMAN Lompoc police detectives arrested a 29-year-old Grover Beach man on Thursday for allegedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl. On Oct. 6, the girl and her mother came to the Lompoc Police Department to report a sexual assault. The teen victim said she met a man from outside...
Pedestrian killed in fatal Paso Robles crash
By KAREN VELIE A vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian walking on Highway 46 East in Paso Robles on Friday night. The name of the pedestrian in not being disclosed pending notification of their next of kin. Shortly before 10:30 p.m., a caller reported a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on...
Santa Maria police seek help finding missing girl
By KAREN VELIE The Santa Maria Police Department is seeking the public’s help finding a missing 12-year-old girl. Paola Barajas Garcia was last seen on Oct. 13 at approximately 7 p.m. She was wearing black leggings, white socks, brown sandals, and a dark blue or black jacket. She is 5...
Rep. Jimmy Panetta on envelope of white powder sent to his office
Opinion by U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) issued the following statement after an envelope containing a white powdery substance was received and opened by a staffer at his Santa Cruz district office this morning: An envelope containing a suspicious white powder was delivered to my Santa Cruz...
San Luis Obispo County unemployment rate decreasing
By KAREN VELIE Over the past month, unemployment rates decreased in San Luis Obispo County, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. The county unemployment rate dropped from 4.7% in August to 4.6% in September. During September, job gains were seen in the state educational sector which gained 400 jobs....
Serial thief gets nine years in prison for San Luis Obispo County crime spree
By JOSH FRIEDMAN A Paso Robles woman, who is a serial thief with a criminal history that crosses multiple California counties, has received a sentence of nine years in prison, along with the possibility of an additional two years, for a crime spree she committed last year in San Luis...
Pismo Beach councilwoman accused of snatching campaign fliers
By KAREN VELIE A Pismo Beach resident allegedly caught a city councilwoman taking another candidate’s brochure from his porch in late September, according to a police report. On Sept. 28, Pismo Beach City Council candidate Stacey Inman was walking door-to-door when she walked onto a porch where an eight-page “Scott...
