A Santa Barbara County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of a crime rampage in which he tried to kill police and CHP officers.
It happened in November of 2020. A Santa Maria Police officer spotted Dustin Daniel Morales at an apartment complex. Morales was wanted for a crime. Investigators say Morales tried to run away, fell, and then pulled out a gun and shot at the officer.
The policeman was unhurt, but didn’t return fire because there were other people in the area. Morales carjacked a van, fled the area, dumped the vehicle, and got a ride to Los Angeles.
He was located in a car, and there was a chase. Morales fired shots at the pursuing CHP officer, but no one was hurt. He crashed the car, barricaded himself in a nearby home, but finally surrendered. Morales was convicted of a string of crimes in both Santa Maria and Los Angeles. The 31-year-old man is facing a combined total of 193 years in prison.
