SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A 28-year-old Santa Maria man was arrested during a traffic stop after almost two pounds of methamphetamine and about 1.5 ounces of fentanyl were recovered from the vehicle ...

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a man who was found unresponsive in his cell the night of June 28 at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria. The inmate, ...

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A 59-year-old Santa Maria man was arrested Sunday night after a man died at the hospital following a stabbing on East McElhany Street earlier the same evening. On Tuesday, May 27 ...

Press releases are posted on Independent.com as a free community service. Santa Maria, Calif. – On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Sheriff’s Office Programs Unit and Allan Hancock College celebrated a ...

At around 12:35 a.m. on Sunday, November 9, Santa Maria Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1000 block of Black Road. According to witnesses, a fight took place at a home in the area, ...