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# Arthur Archuletta back in jail
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/arthur-archuletta-back-in-jail/
- Published: 2003-11-25T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:16:05.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Pico, #archive-import

*Santa Monica man still a suspect in murder investigation*

PICO NEIGHBORHOOD — The man suspected of killing a 19-year-old Santa Monica man in September has been arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.

Arthur Archuletta, 21, was arrested by Santa Monica Police on Nov. 22, after officers found a firearm in the car he was riding in. Archuletta, a convicted felon, was charged with being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and for a parole violation. He has no bail, SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega said.

Three others also were arrested in a Ford Taurus stopped by police at $2 million to be spent on construction items 1:50 a.m. — Jesus Martinez, 21 of Santa Clarita, Carlos Godinez, 24, of Santa Monica, and Juan Carlos Bravo, 40, of Santa Monica. Martinez, the driver of the car, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and in a public place, as well as for a probation violation. Bravo and Godinez both face the concealed weapon charge. Godinez also had an outstanding arrest warrant, Fabrega said.

Police stopped the vehicle at 23rd Street and Pico Boulevard for an equipment violation. Police learned that Martinez was driving with a suspended license. Officers searched the car and found a firearm near where Archuletta was allegedly sitting.

Police arrested Archuletta for second-degree murder three days after Jalonnie Carter was gunned down in an alley near 20th Street on Sept. 2\. Archuletta and Carter lived near each other in the eastside neighborhood.

Nearly a week after his arrest, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office didn’t file charges against Archuletta due to insufficient evidence that police had. However, he remained in jail for a few more weeks on an unrelated parole violation. He was released within a month of his arrest and was living with his family’s home in Santa Monica.

“Evidence returned from the crime lab didn’t provide sufficient proof to proceed with the case,” Fabrega said. “There has to be a standard of proof that goes beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Fabrega added that while there was enough evidence to make an arrest, the burden of proof has to be higher in criminal court.

The firearm found on Saturday will be taken to the crime lab for analysis. However, police said it’s not currently linked to Carter’s murder, or any of the shootings that have occurred in the neighborhood recently.

“The crime lab will do ballistic analysis to determine if it was used in any other crime in Santa Monica or the county of Los Angeles,” Fabrega said. “That weapon will be sent to the crime lab to see if it’s linked to any of the shootings.”

Archuletta remains a suspect in the murder investigation, which is ongoing, Fabrega said.

Meanwhile, Terry Archuletta, maintains that her son is innocent. She told the Daily Press last week that her son was falsely arrested and is in constant danger as a result. She couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 25, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)