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Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced today that on September 4, 2026, a Santa Barbara County jury convicted Kevin Medrano of first-degree murder for the February 4, 2023, killing of Robert “Bobby” Valencia in Santa Maria. The jury also found true allegations that Medrano personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing death.
On February 4, 2023, at approximately 11:46 p.m., Medrano and another person approached a home on North Railroad Avenue in Santa Maria and opened fire when Mr. Valencia came to the front door. Six shots were fired into the residence, killing Mr. Valencia and injuring another person inside the home. Medrano and the second shooter then fled the area.
The case was built through an extensive investigation by the Santa Maria Police Department and involved a significant amount of circumstantial and digital evidence. Investigators conducted a week-long canvass of the surrounding area to locate surveillance footage from homes and businesses. That evidence, together with FLOCK camera data, cell phone location records, social media messages and calls, and firearms evidence, allowed investigators to reconstruct Medrano’s movements before and after the shooting.
The evidence tracked Medrano’s vehicle through Santa Maria and ultimately showed Medrano and another person walking toward the North Railroad residence just minutes before the shooting. Cell phone evidence provided additional corroboration, including evidence that Medrano’s phone was turned off during the approximately 15-minute period surrounding the murder.
Medrano was arrested in October 2023 following the months-long investigation. Following his September 4, 2026, jury conviction, the Honorable Judge Imel conducted a court trial on September 16, 2026, on the remaining charge and allegations. The court found Medrano guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Penal Code section 29800, and also found true factors in aggravation pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 4.421.
“This was an incredibly difficult case that required investigators and prosecutors to piece together a tremendous amount of circumstantial evidence to show what happened that night,” said District Attorney John T. Savrnoch. “I especially want to thank Detective Brian Santiago of the Santa Maria Police Department, who served as the lead detective and worked this case from the very beginning through trial. His dedication, persistence, and countless hours spent putting the pieces of this case together were instrumental in reaching this result. The Santa Maria Police Department’s persistence in locating and analyzing surveillance footage, digital evidence, cell phone records, and other evidence was critical to this conviction.”
District Attorney Savrnoch also recognized Senior Deputy District Attorneys Cathy Martin and Bryant Estep, who prosecuted the case, as well as Investigative Specialist Javier Mendez of the Santa Maria Police Department for his extensive work on the mapping and surveillance evidence and Skylar Eckerfield of the California Highway Patrol’s Computer Crimes Division for his work on the digital evidence.
“This truly was a team effort,” Savrnoch said. “I am grateful to Cathy Martin and Bryant Estep for the enormous amount of work they put into presenting this case to the jury, and to everyone from our Office and our law enforcement partners who worked behind the scenes to bring this case to trial. I also want to recognize Victim Witness Advocate Bianett Garcia, who supported Bobby’s family throughout this nearly three-year process with tremendous compassion and consistency. Most importantly, we hope this verdict brings some measure of justice to Bobby’s family and loved ones.”
Medrano is scheduled to return to court on October 21, 2026, in Santa Maria Department 6. Sentencing will trail two other pending felony cases. Medrano faces 50 years to life in state prison.
