Four suspects were arrested Wednesday for an alleged attempted murder that occurred last Friday, June 2, in the Forte Ranch condominium community between Santa Barbara and Goleta.
According to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office on Thursday afternoon, deputies responded around 3:37 p.m. on Friday to a report of a fight near the neighborhood’s community pool in the 4600 block of Gate Way. There, deputies found a wounded 20-year-old man, who was immediately transported to an area hospital with “serious injuries,” according to Sheriff’s spokesperson Raquel Zick. It is currently unclear what the extent of the victim’s injuries are, though Zick said he is expected to survive.
The assailants reportedly fled the area before deputies arrived, but following an investigation, detectives were able to track down the four suspects to two separate locations. On Wednesday, deputies arrested Brandon Tyree Smith, 21, from Santa Barbara, in the 100 block of East Carrillo Street and Jordan Alexander Lopez, 20, from Santa Barbara; Michael Christian Lee, 21, from Goleta; and Jude Issam Hallal, 19, from Santa Barbara in the Mesa Road and Los Carneros area. All four were booked in the county’s Main Jail on felony charges of attempted murder, robbery, and conspiracy and are each being held on $2 million bail.
Zick said the investigation remains ongoing but that “detectives do not believe this was a random attack” and that “the suspects and victim are known to each other.”
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Sheriff’s detectives at (805) 681-4150 to leave an anonymous tip at at (805) 681-4171 or SBSheriff.org.