Following last Tuesday’s brutal beating of a 37-year-old man walking home from work, police have taken a fourth suspect into custody for the Punta Gorda Street attack.

Michael Cardenas, 24, has been charged with murder and committing a crime to benefit a criminal street gang. Cardenas, like other suspects in the case, is known to be a gang member.

Michael Cardenas
SBPD

The three other suspects, Steven Santana and brothers Miguel and Ismael Parra, made their first court appearance Thursday afternoon, which will be continued tomorrow. On Monday, prosecutors amended the charges and the three are now accused of murder.

On Saturday, police received a tip that Cardenas was hiding out at a residence on the 1400 block of Lou Dillon Road. As officers responded to the area, Cardenas spotted them and fled into the hillside. An hour into the search, Cardenas surrendered.

George Ied, a native of Syria, was on his way home from work at Mi Fiesta Liquors on Milpas Street before he was beaten unconscious only a block away from his home. Ied was put on life support until he was pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m. Saturday by the Cottage Hospital Intensive Care Unit. His parents live in Syria, and other family members live in Ventura County.

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