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Our 167th Year
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USS Santa Barbara commissioned
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
At top left, sailors give a salute aboard the USS Santa Barbara, an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the US Navy, above right, during the ship’s commissioning ceremony at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme on Saturday. Above left, Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, right, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, speaks before officially commissioning Commander Brian Spark’s USS Santa Barbara into service.
‘Officers and crew of the USS Santa Barbara, man our ship and bring her to life,’ sponsor Lolita Zinke says during ceremony By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
History was made Saturday morning when the USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) was commissioned at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme. After the commissioning, the littoral combat ship returned to its home port in San Diego. The commanding officer of the USS Santa Barbara is Commander Brian P. Sparks. The executive officer is Commander Paul F. Richardson III, and the command senior chief is CMDCS Rose Thibodeaux. “We are here today to celebrate the commissioning of the USS Please see CEREMONY on A2
Above, ship sponsor Lolita Zinke, center, flanked by the ship’s Command Senior Chief Rose Marie Thibodeaux, left, and Commander Brian Sparks speaks during the ceremony. At right, sailors stand at attention on the ship.
Man to stand trial in child abduction case By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A judge has ordered a Santa Barbara man to stand trial on a felony charge that he tried to abduct a 12-year-old girl in Carpinteria last November. Elias Maldonado, 52, “was held to answer as charged” following his preliminary hearing on Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Hannah Meyer told the News-Press. “The case is on for arraignment on the Information (formerly the complaint) on 4/12/23.” Whenever defendants are charged with a felony, they are arraigned again after their preliminary hearing to give them a second chance to enter a plea of not guilty or guilty. Sheriff’s deputies announced Nov. 10 that they had arrested
Mr. Maldonado on suspicion of attempted kidnapping for an incident that occurred two days earlier. Community Resource Deputy Bryan Dickey was notified Nov. 9 by Carpinteria Middle School staff of a kidnapping incident that had occurred at approximately 4 p.m. Nov. 8 in the 5500 block of Carpinteria Avenue near the entrance to the bicycle path. Deputy Dickey spoke with the female juvenile reporting party who provided a thorough account of the incident and a suspect description, sheriff’s officials said. He and patrol deputies conducted a follow-up investigation, identified the suspect as Mr. Maldonado and tracked him to a motel in the 5500 block of Carpinteria Avenue. Deputies also learned that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
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and/or violent felony. Prosecutors also alleged aggravating factors, contending the alleged crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm or other act disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness, and that the victim was particularly vulnerable. They also allege he engaged in violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society. He also is charged with two misdemeanors, one for allegedly annoying or molesting a child under 18, and the other for resisting arrest. Prosecutors said they intend to introduce evidence of any prior acts of sexual offenses committed by the defendant. email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The City Council’s Finance Committee is urging the full council to approve a pilot program aimed at counting the number of short-term housing rentals operating in Santa Barbara – and cracking down on the ones that are illegal. Chair Eric Friedman told the council at its last meeting that the Finance Committee had voted 3-0 to endorse the oneyear rental enforcement pilot program, to be directed by the City Attorney’s Office and the Finance Department. The council could consider the
matter at its April 11 meeting. The city has long wanted to do something about the increasing number of illegal short-term housing rentals operating in Santa Barbara, and the Finance Committee believes this aggressive enforcement program could do the trick. There seem to be two main problems being addressed by the crackdown, aside from the fact that these illegal rental housing units violate the city’s zoning code. The first is that they’re often incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood. Please see RENTALS on A2
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At approximately 9:50 a.m. on Nov. 9, Deputy Dickey along with patrol deputies and a Sheriff’s K9 unit contacted Mr. Maldonado at the motel where he was taken into custody after allegedly briefly attempting to flee. Mr. Maldonado was booked at the Main Jail on suspicion of attempted kidnapping of a child under the age of 14, a felony, and obstructing a peace officer, a misdemeanor, as well as an outstanding warrant for domestic violence and false imprisonment, both felonies. Prosecutors charged Mr. Maldonado with attempted kidnapping, alleging the defendant, who stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, attempted to abduct the girl either by force or “by any other means of instilling fear,” with the intention of taking her elsewhere. The charge is a serious
Council to consider action on illegal short-term housing rentals
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Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-9-11-13-46 Mega: 9
Sunday’s DAILY 4: 5-4-6-1
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 16-26-27-42-61 Mega: 23
Sunday’s FANTASY 5: 9-10-18-29-32
Sunday’s DAILY DERBY: 08-07-09 Time: 1:47.80
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 11-19-21-29-52 Meganumber: 17
Sunday’s DAILY 3: 2-0-2 / Midday 6-5-9