John Roderick Dungan, charged with three counts of murder after
California
Highway Patrol alleged he intentionally drove into oncoming traffic on Highway 154 ,
has entered a “not guilty” plea. Dungan was originally set
to be arraigned in Judge Clifford Anderson’s courtroom on November 8 ,
but his arraignment was postponed to November 20.
On Friday, October 25, Rebecca Vanessa Goss Bley, 34, and her
two children, Lucienne Bley Gleason, age 2 years old, and Desmond Bley Gleason,
age 4 months, were killed after the suspect allegedly drove headlong into traffic
near Cold Spring Bridge. Dungan, it was later revealed, had recently been arrested
on gun and stalking charges and had been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric
hospital . On the day of the crash, Santa Barbara authorities were on
their way to conduct a welfare check at his home, having received information that
he was suicidal and homicidal.
After being released from Cottage Hospital, where he had been
airlifted following the crash, Dungan was moved to Santa Barbara County Jail, where
he is being held without bail. He is set to return to court on January 31, 2020.