Police make arrest in gang-related shooting

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara police have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a suspected gang-related shooting on Friday night that sent two men to the hospital.
During their investigation of the incident, detectives searched the home of Sebastian Covarrubias and uncovered a crude explosive device known as a Molotov cocktail, Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte said.

“Also recovered was the firearm suspected of being used in this incident,” he said in a news release. “The incident is being investigated as gang-related. Sebastian Covarrubias was arrested and booked for possession of an explosive device.”
Sgt. Duarte said detectives are continuing to investigate and have yet to determine who fired the gun, although they have not ruled out Covarrubias.
The incident began at approximately 11:25 p.m. near the intersection of De la Vina and Gutierrez streets when residents reported a large fight and multiple suspected gunshots.
After arriving, officers discovered several shell casings in the area. Shortly thereafter, police received a call from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital reporting two men with suspected gunshot wounds had just arrived, Sgt. Duarte said.
“Additional officers responded to the hospital and contacted a 28-year-old male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen and an 18-year-old male victim suffering from a wound to his nose,” he said.
Authorities initially believed the injury to the teen’s nose was a knife wound, but later determined it was also a gunshot wound, police said. The 28-year-old victim was last reported to be in critical but stable condition.
Detectives learned both victims had been involved in the fight, during which someone had pulled a firearm and fired several shots, Sgt. Duarte said. During their investigation, officers found Covarrubias at his home in the 400 block of De la Vina Street.
During their search, authorities discovered the Molotov cocktail, typically a bottle containing a flammable liquid with a rag as a fuse.
Sgt. Duarte said the firearm also found in the home has been placed into evidence and processed. The investigation remains ongoing and detectives are still following leads, he said.
Authorities asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the police department’s investigative division at 897-2335.