Goleta

Shooting of man by officer ruled justified

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office has determined that the killing by deputies of a man who reportedly refused to drop a handgun, and pointed it at a deputy, was justified.

The District Attorney's Office concluded Wednesday its investigation into the death of Donald George, 64, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department said Thursday.

George reportedly turned toward one of the deputies and pointed a gun at him March 6 in the 4000 block of Via Gennita in an incorporated area near Goleta.

Three deputies fired their weapons at George, who was pronounced dead a short time later.

Indications that George intended to commit “suicide by cop” contributed to the finding by the District Attorney's Office that the killing was justified homicide, according to the sheriff's department.

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Oceano

Unconscious woman DOA at hospital

A 53-year-old woman was pronounced dead on arrival at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Wednesday night after being found unconscious at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., rangers responded to a medical call in a camping area of the dunes near post marker No. 4, according to Lt. Mike Lack.

Neighboring campers were administering CPR to the woman, who was not breathing, when rangers arrived and took over resuscitation efforts, Lack said.

The woman, whose identity was being withheld pending notification of relatives, was camping with three unidentified males, all age 50, who were arrested at the dunes on unrelated charges, including public intoxication and outstanding warrants, according to the Sheriff's Department.

The San Luis Obispo County Coroner's Office was investigating the cause of death. Autopsy results were not available.

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Santa Barbara

Man arrested for possesion of cocaine

A 30-year-old man was arrested by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's detectives Wednesday and booked into county jail on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sale and child endangerment.

Isidro Muro was arrested after detectives served a search warrant in the 300 block of Mission Street, officials said. During the search detectives found about 80 grams of cocaine with an estimated $8,000 street value, a digital scale, plastic packaging material and $1,323 cash, officials said.

Also in the residence was Muro's 3-year-old daughter and his girlfriend, 30-year-old Melinda Grijalva, deputies said.

Grijalva was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Muro was booked into county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

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Solvang

Council to support name change

A wary Solvang City Council has decided to support a local water district's attempts to change its name through legislation, but council members plainly stated their intentions to protect the city's current water rights.

The Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, Improvement District No. 1 (I.D. No. 1) through Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, has proposed Assembly Bill 2686, which would turn I.D. No. 1 into a special district called the Santa Ynez Valley Water District.

On Monday, the Solvang council directed City Attorney Roy Hanley to draft a letter to support the bill, adding references to preserve the city's current rights with the water district, specifically prohibiting eminent domain property acquisition by the water district against Solvang.

I.D. No. 1, formed in the early 1960s by the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District, serves more than 8,000 residential, agricultural and commercial customers in Santa Ynez, Ballard and Los Olivos. The district also serves as a middleman for water from the State Water Project, which it has sold to Solvang since 1996.

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Santa Maria

Den-Mat wins Appeals Court ruling

Den-Mat Corp. of Santa Maria announced Wednesday that it has won a summary judgment in federal Appeals Court in a patent infringement case.

PSN Illinois had alleged that Den-Mat's Lumineers manufacturing process along with the processes of several other companies infringed on PSN's now expired patent, according to a statement released by Den-Mat.

The appeals court “affirmed the District Court's summary judgment of non-infringement ...,” said Dr. Robert Ibsen, president and chairman of Den-Mat. “The Lumineers technology is completely different.”

Lumineers are porcelain tooth veneers used in cosmetic dentistry.

- From staff, wire reports