CA- Ofelia Sandoval, 30, SA & asphyxiated @ the Town Ctr Motel, 18/9/88, Arrested in 2024, GA, Aloysius Winthrop James, 57, *Poss. additional victims*

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Aloysius Winthrop James - Google Search

July '24 rbbm

Georgia man charged in 1988 Santa Maria cold-case homicide

A breakthrough in the cold-case homicide of Ofelia Sandoval on Sept. 18, 1988 in Santa Maria, led to a Georgia man being arraigned on murder charges on Monday.

santamariatimes.com

''Monday afternoon, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office reported that Aloysius Winthrop James was arraigned in Santa Maria Superior Court on charges of first degree murder along with a special circumstance of committing murder during the commission of rape.
James entered a plea of not guilty, and remains in custody without bail. James is next scheduled to appear in Santa Maria Superior Court on July 30. ''

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-woman-motel-killing-cold-case-arrest-19418672.php

'A man has been arrested in Georgia in connection with the 1988 killing of a 30-year-old woman in a motel room in Santa Maria on California’s Central Coast.'

'Former California resident Aloysius Winthrop James, 57, was brought into custody last Tuesday by an FBI task force and other agencies and charged with the murder of Ofelia Sandoval, authorities said. Sandoval’s body was found on Sept. 18, 1988, in a room in the Town Center Motel on the 200 block of North Broadway in Santa Maria, police said. Contemporaneous news reports name the site as the “Tower Hotel.”
Born in Mexicali, Mexico, Sandoval had lived in Santa Maria since 1972. An autopsy revealed she died of asphyxiation. At the time of her death, Sandoval lived at the motel with two roommates who were not considered suspects. Police interviewed about 50 other motel tenants, but made no arrests.''
“Detectives believe there may be other unreported crimes and additional victims related to James involving threats, sexual assault, domestic abuse and other crimes,” the statement read.''

 

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by Janene Scully January 22, 2026

Jurors Hear Opening Statements in Santa Maria Cold Case Murder Trial

Nearly four decades after the killing of a mother of three in Santa Maria, a prosecuting attorney detailed scientific evidence linking Aloysius Winthrop

www.noozhawk.com

''Nearly four decades after the killing of a mother of three in Santa Maria, a prosecuting attorney detailed scientific evidence linking Aloysius Winthrop James to the cold case homicide while his defense attorney accused police of conducting a flawed investigation''.

Ofelia Sandoval was killed in 1988 in Santa Maria. Contributed photo
''James, 58, of Georgia has been charged in connection with the death of Ofelia Sandoval, a mother of three, at the Town Center Hotel on the 200 block of North Broadway on Sept. 18, 1988. The hotel was demolished after being severely damaged in a 2013 fire.

He has been charged with first-degree murder plus faces a special circumstance, or sentencing enhancement, that the killing occurred during the commission of a rape. ''