Sergio Rivas Sentenced for 2025 Fiesta Stabbing in Downtown Santa Barbara

After a long and turbulent case, one suspect in the fatal State Street stabbing that occurred during Fiesta last year has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Sergio Rivas, 31, pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon with force likely to cause great bodily injury and possession of a controlled substance while armed. He also pleaded guilty to two enhancements: a second strike allegation and causing great bodily injury. 

He was sentenced to prison in August. Charges related to assault were in connection to the August 1 stabbing, while possession allegations were related to his arrest on August 2. 

Rivas has been in custody at Wasco State Prison, according to state records. He will be eligible for parole in March 2033.

Rivas was one of three suspects identified in the August 1, 2025 stabbing that took the life of 30-year-old Anthony Michael Bisquera Hartley and injured multiple others, including Rivas and another man identified only as J. Ramos. 

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on the crowded 500 block of State Street outside of Baja Sharkeez, where police responded to three men with stab wounds, one of whom was lying on the ground. Despite life-saving measures by first responders, Bisquera Hartley succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, his family told the Independent last year. 

The two other suspects arrested in connection with the incident were Luis Gerardo Terrazas, 29, and Juan Fernando Rios, 28.

Originally, Rivas and Rios were charged with the murder of Anthony Bisquera-Hartley with special allegations of committing the crime “to benefit a criminal street gang and personal use of a knife.” Rivas allegedly delivered the fatal stab to Bisquera Hartley’s chest, piercing his heart.

However, in a surprising change of circumstances, the District Attorney’s office dropped the murder charges against the two suspects after a video came to light allegedly showing that Bisquera Hartley was armed with a knife and initiated the fight. Prosecutors then said the Rios and Rivas acted in self-defense. All gang allegations were also dismissed. 

Bisquera Hartley’s family had been outspoken about their grief, and came to his defense, saying he was an “easy-going” and devout father of three. They said they were “outraged” by the DA’s decision.

After the murder charges were dropped, Rivas still faced several other charges: assault with a deadly weapon against a separate victim, identified only as J. Ramos, with the special allegation of causing great bodily injury, as well as multiple firearm-related charges. 

Rios, however, had all allegations as to his involvement in Bisquera Hartley’s death completely dismissed. After those charges were dropped, he only faced charges from a previous arrest in July, in which he was charged with driving under the influence and possessing a loaded firearm.

As for Terrazas, attempted murder and gang-related charges were similarly dismissed. He still faced other charges related to stabbing Rivas, to which he pleaded not guilty, and was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 9. 

However, Terrazas was shot and killed at Bohnett Park on February 20. He had posted a $150,000 bail and was released from jail custody.

The District Attorney’s Office filed charges against three people in connection with Terrazas’s death: 18-year-old Jimmy Alexander Mora Jr. and 19-year-old Jorge Angel Hurtado, both of Ventura County, and a juvenile whose name was not released. Mora Jr. and the unnamed juvenile are being tried in Santa Barbara Juvenile Court, as both were under the age of 18 at the time of the murder. Hurtado has pleaded not guilty, and is set to appear on October 28 for a preliminary hearing.