One suspect arrested in 2021 Foxen Canyon Road murder, second at large

Murder charges have been filed against the two people accused of killing 17-year-old Santiago Maldonado Martinez, according to a press release from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office on Monday.

The murder is believed to have occurred on Foxen Canyon Road in Santa Maria on May 7, 2021. Authorities said they responded to a 911 call about a single-vehicle traffic accident in the area. They reportedly found that the car was not involved in an accident and that its occupant, later identified as the murder victim, was dead.

One of the suspects, Fabian Apolinar-Solano, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge in court on Friday. The 35-year-old man is currently in custody with bail set at $4 million and is scheduled to return to Santa Maria Superior Court on July 8.

The other suspect, 29-year-old Hilario Moreno Solano, is still at large and has an arrest warrant for murder against him, according to the district attorney’s office.

According to officials, Moreno Solano also used a firearm in the murder.

The County District Attorney’s Office urges the public with any information regarding Solano’s whereabouts to contact Detective Matt Maxwell of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.