A student at Ernest Righetti High School in Santa Maria was arrested Wednesday after a school resource deputy discovered a loaded handgun during a warrant-related contact on campus, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The encounter occurred around 11:50 a.m. when the deputy, working with the Santa Maria Police Department, contacted 18-year-old Felix Alejandro Antonio-Leon in connection with a Ramey warrant — an arrest warrant issued by a judge based on probable cause before formal charges are filed.
During the detention, the deputy found Antonio-Leon was carrying a loaded handgun. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into Northern Branch Jail on suspicion of felony possession of a firearm on school grounds.
Authorities said additional charges related to the warrant are expected as the investigation continues.
The Sheriff’s Office said the situation was resolved quickly and did not prompt a lockdown or other protective measures at the school.
The Independent has reached out to school officials for comment and reviewed court records, but no additional information was immediately available as of publication.
This is the second time this school year that a student has been arrested after bringing a loaded gun to the high school. On September 22, 2025, a Righetti High School student was arrested after a loaded .22 caliber handgun was found in his backpack during a search by a student resource deputy. In that case, the student was a juvenile and booked into Santa Maria Juvenile Hall on charges that include possession of a firearm on school grounds, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana on campus while under 18.
