Ten days after Santa Maria Police Officer Albert Covarrubias, Junior, was fatally shot by another officer, the police chief shared new details of the investigation that led up to the shooting.
Speaking before a heated city council meeting full of citizens and Covarrubias' relatives carrying signs demanding the chief be fired, Chief Danny Macagni described the day and a half investigation of Covarrubias on allegations of sexual misconduct with a teenage girl.
The chief said Tuesday night his department first received a tip on Thursday, January 26th, that a 17-year-old girl told an acquaintance Covarrubias gave her some gifts.
Detectives spent the next day trying to track down the teen, said Chief Macagni, to investigate the relationship.
They finally found her that Friday night as Officer Covarrubias was working at a DUI checkpoint in Santa Maria.
"After hours of interviewing her in the presence of her parents, she finally divulged a whole lot more than a minor relationship," the chief told a hushed crowd.
The chief said the girl eventually shared information with SMPD detectives about having a sexual relationship with the 29-year-old officer who got married just three weeks earlier.
That information prompted investigators to listen in as the teen called Covarrubias at work early Saturday morning as he was finishing up his shift at a DUI checkpoint.
"The call was a fifteen minute call during which time that officer admitted to the allegations, admitted his relationship with this 17-year-old high school student and then he became very concerned, almost threatening , telling her not to tell anyone. And he insisted she not divulge that he was involved because he said I am not going to prison,"said the chief.
Chief Macagni said the situation left his investigators no choice but to arrest Covarrubias for his safety and that of the public.
"The intent was arrest him but to also save his life," said the chief.
During the attempt to arrest Covarrubias, the chief said Covarrubias resisted and fired his gun before another officer shot him. That officer, Matt Kline, was also Covarrubias' best friend and had worked with him that night on the DUI traffic assignment.
Before the public meeting, the city council went into a closed-door session with their legal counsel to discuss lawsuits they expect to be filed against the city by Officer Covarrubias' family.
Between the private meetings with their attorney, the city council heard from a long list of citizens calling for the firing of Chief Macagni.
Some were critical over the shooting of Officer Covarrubias. Others criticized prior incidents under the chief's leadership. Several citizens also spoke in support of the chief.
Other speakers Tuesday night included current and former officers who criticized Chief Macagni's leadership of the SMPD.
The Mayor has been silent on the investigation of the officer-involved shooting ten days ago. On Tuesday night, Mayor Larry Lavagnino broke his silence saying the shooting was "one of the worst tragedies in our city's history."
City Manager Rick Haydon told the City Council an outside auditor has been hired to review police department policies and practices.
At the same time, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff deputies are investigating the shooting of Officer Covarrubias. The results of that investigation will be presented to the Santa Barbara District Attorney, Joyce Dudley, who will decide if the shooting was a lawful use of deadly force.
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