A Santa Maria man has been charged with suspicion of murder following a fatal stabbing in Pismo Beach, the District Attorney’s Office announced on Sept. 17.
The case started on Wednesday, Sept. 11 when Pismo Beach Police received a report of “an unresponsive male on the 1200 block of Price Street,” according to a PBPD news release.
Officers arrived to find a male victim that had reportedly been stabbed and was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect was quickly identified but had already fled the scene, reportedly headed for Ventura.
The suspect later tried committing suicide but survived and was found being treated in a Ventura Area hospital, according to PBPD.
Pismo Beach officers reportedly stood watch over the suspect as he was being treated in the hospital. And when he was discharged on Sunday, Sept. 16, he was immediately arrested by detectives and taken back to SLO County where he was booked into County Jail on suspicion of murder, and is being held without bail.
The suspect was identified as Andrew Rodriguez, 34 of Santa Maria. He is being charged with the murder of Jonathan Perez. According to PBPD, Perez and Rodriguez were “acquaintances” at the time of the alleged murder. Police did not say what the two men’s boggle was about.
This case is being prosecuted by Dep. D.A. Kimberly Dittrich and investigated by the Pismo Beach Police Department and the D.A.’s Bureau of Investigation.
