Man Shot by Deputies Identified as Goleta Gang Member
25-Year-Old Gerardo Martinez Being Held in Custody at Cottage Hospital
The man shot by Sheriff’s deputies early Saturday morning in Goleta has been identified as 25-year-old Goleta resident Gerardo Martinez. He’s in custody in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, a Sheriff’s spokesperson said Sunday, and is in stable condition.
Martinez is being held on charges of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer with a semi-automatic handgun, and a criminal gang enhancement. His bail is set at $300,000. It’s unclear if Martinez actually fired his weapon at deputies or simply threatened them with it.
According to reports following the incident, deputies responded to gunshots in the area of Andrita and Rosemead streets near San Marcos High School at around 3 a.m. They found Martinez standing in a nearby front yard holding a handgun. “[He] confronted the deputies and that is when several shots were fired striking the suspect,” said Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Mark Williams in a prepared statement Saturday.
Martinez was in critical condition when he arrived at the hospital, and it doesn’t appear any deputies were wounded in the confrontation. Sheriff’s spokespeople have so far been unavailable for further comment on the incident. Detectives, said Williams on Saturday, are working to determine how many shots were fired and by whom.
