Tragic
death of Laura Cleaves leaves community shocked
“When a person
passes, it is so rare that they touch so many lives, agencies, her students,
the pony club – she touched so many of our area. She just loved Santa Ynez,”
said Chris Burns, longtime friend and co-worker of Laura’s. “She always made
time for everybody.”
Cleaves was well-known in the valley for her horsemanship
classes for children, pony club, group camping trips, enormous community
Christmas open houses and as team leader for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s
Department Mounted Unit. The traffic collision occurred near the intersection
of Highway 154 and the south end of Armour Ranch
Road.
Buellton California Highway Patrolmen T. Hall and C.
Powers responded to a 9-1-1 call that an intoxicated driver in a Black Mercedes
SE on Segunto Street in Santa Ynez was heading toward
Highway 154 from Highway 256 at 11:36 p.m. They found the vehicle stopped
partially in the eastbound lane of Highway 154 in the vicinity of Armour Ranch with a female driver at the wheel.
After the CHP officers positioned themselves directly
behind the Mercedes and began approaching the vehicle, the female driver sped
away in an easterly direction on the roadway, crossing the double yellow lines
and entering the oncoming lane. The officers returned to the patrol car, and as
they entered the traffic lane the Mercedes hit the Dodge Stratus driven by
Cleaves.
After striking the Stratus, officers said the Mercedes
continued east and collided with a Ford Escape. Ashley Johnigan,
22, of Santa Barbara, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence
of alcohol. Officers said she sustained minor injuries, as did the driver of
the Ford. The name of the driver of the Ford was not available at press time.
Highway 154 was closed in both directions until 7 a.m. the following morning, May
2.
Laura Cleaves was a supervising criminal investigator with
the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office, and the wife of Santa
Barbara County Deputy Sheriff Steve Cleaves, and was a long-time reserve deputy
sheriff and a founding member of the Sheriff’s Mounted Unit. “She was the glue
that held it together all these years,” said Burns, regarding the mounted unit.
Laura also was on the board of the Deputy Sheriff’s
Association and the L.A. Sheriff’s Association. She is survived by her husband
Steve, adult daughters Krista and Kelley and many, many friends and co-workers.
“Laura was a dedicated investigator, loving wife and
mother, and a fine woman who touched many lives and devoted herself to many
organizations. She will be greatly missed,” stated Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown
in a memo to his department May 2.
The sheriff’s facility has posted the U.S. flag at
half-staff and “all personnel shall wear a black memorial band over their
badges until Laura is laid to rest” continued Brown’s memo.
“Continuing shock
and numbness is the best way I can describe what I and the rest of the office
is feeling now. I have listened to her last voice mail she left for me the
night of the crash — a message left shortly before she headed over the hill for
home. She was engaged in her work right up to the last minute of her life. She
was a super investigator and a wonderful person — a blue chip all the way. Victims are writing to us and to the blogs
and the media praising her for her great work and her kindness. I will miss her
very, very much,” said Assistant District Attorney Patrick J. McKinley.
Teona
Schley, publisher of “The Santa Ynez Valley Guest,” remembers working with
Laura when Laura became a contributing writer for the publication in the
mid-90s.
“There was a tragic incident of a 3-year-old that was
killed from being tied to a horse, which bolted,” said Schley. “Laura was
horrified, and began writing articles on horse safety, which metamorphosed into
an ongoing column, ‘Horsesense’ — always perfectly done,
on time each week. She wanted city people that move here to be safe, learn the
rules, wear helmets, wear the proper footwear, and learn how to care properly
for their horses. I have the utmost respect for her as a person.”
“I remember showing
for the Mounted Unit, myself and horse barely on time, and Laura would be there
already, with all six of her horses bathed and groomed and a basket of
freshly-baked muffins to boot,” said Burns.
Laura also gave horsemanship lessons in the area, allowing
the students to use her own horses and only raising her fees to $25 because the
cost of feed had risen.
She also took in foster children caught up in the court
system, giving them chores and responsibilities to improve their lives and
increase their self esteem.
Johnigan,
the Mercedes driver, was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of
alcohol and released on $100,000 bail.
Her arraignment hearing is scheduled for June 12 at the
Santa Maria courthouse.
If convicted of driving under the influence, she will face
up to 6 months jail time and $1,000 in fines, a four-month driving suspension,
three years of formal probation, and will be required to enroll in a California
DUI school, as well as possibly being assigned to perform community service,
have her vehicle impounded or be required to installed an ignition interlock
device. The penalties increase if there are prior DUI convictions.
Due to possible conflicts of interest, the prosecution is
being handled by the state Attorney General’s Office. The Coastal Division of
the CHP Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team is handling the collision
investigation.
No further information was available at press time.
Information regarding where Johnigan was drinking
also was unavailable.
Several people reported seeing Johnighan
at the Maverick Saloon the evening of the accident.
When contacted for comment, the manager of the Maverick
Saloon said, “We have nothing to say.”
A memorial service is planned for
Thursday, May 8, at the Pacific Christian Center, 3434 Santa Maria Way in Santa
Maria at 5 p.m.