KTLA

Santa Barbara man arrested on suspicion of killing his father

A Santa Barbara County sheriff's official responds to the scene of a homicide on July 15, 2021 in this photo provided by the agency.

A 29-old Santa Barbara man was arrested last week on suspicion of killing his father in a home, officials said.

The incident was reported about 2:35 p.m. July 15 at a home in the 500 block of North La Cumbre Road, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.


Deputies responding to a welfare check found the suspect, Casey Tolivar, at the location.

The victim, 72-year-old Bradley Tolivar, was found dead in the home.

An investigation revealed that Casey Tolivar assaulted his father with an unknown object.

The suspect was arrested and later booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

The cause of Bradley Tolivar’s death was not immediately clear, but was determined to be suspicious.

Later, an autopsy revealed the preliminary cause of death to be blunt force trauma and the manner to be homicide.

Detectives re-booked the suspect on suspicion of murder.

No additional details, including what led to the death and a possible motive, have been released.

The investigation is ongoing.