Authorities have released the name of a murder victim on the Central Coast, as well as the ID of the suspect in the killing who was fatally wounded by police.
Lompoc Police were called to the Santa Ynez Riverbed area Sunday morning by reports of a possible murder. Officers found the body of Timothy Ross Culley of Lompoc. Based on witness accounts, officers started looking for Geronimo Vicente Santos of Lompoc.
They spotted him about 90 minutes later. They say the 34 year old man refused orders to surrender, and opened fire on them with a handgun. The officers returned fire, fatally wounding Santos.
No Lompoc officers were wounded in the exchange of gunfire. Investigators aren’t saying what they think led to Culley’s murder.
