SANTA BARBARA, CA - Two California residents have been charged with felonies after police say they went to extreme lengths to conceal someone's death.
The accused, 45-year-old Jenica Monique Ochoa and 43-year-old Kenneth Eugene Tompkins, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and concealing a death, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE. Both have since entered not guilty pleas and face second-strike allegations based on prior convictions. Ochoa has a 2008 burglary conviction in Santa Barbara County and Tompkins has a 2014 burglary conviction in Tulare County.
On October 27, the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) conducted a welfare check at an apartment around 9:37 p.m. local time. Upon arriving on scene, officers identified "suspicious circumstances that prompted further investigation." They returned the next day with a search warrant and found a deceased individual inside.
The man as identified as 39-year-old Lawrence Brennen. The circumstances surrounding Brennen's death are considered "suspicious," according to SBPD.
Ochoa and Tompkins are alleged to have concealed the dead body between October 23 and October 27, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by SFGATE. They allegedly put the body in a bedroll before placing it inside a metal container wrapped in "saran wrap," the complaint stated.
The complaint does not explain how the person died and does not describe the container. Neither defendant is charged with causing the person's death. Both have been released from jail after posting bond. Ochoa's bail was listed at $100,000 and Tompkins' at $500,000. Their next court date is scheduled for November 30.
The accused, 45-year-old Jenica Monique Ochoa and 43-year-old Kenneth Eugene Tompkins, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and concealing a death, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE. Both have since entered not guilty pleas and face second-strike allegations based on prior convictions. Ochoa has a 2008 burglary conviction in Santa Barbara County and Tompkins has a 2014 burglary conviction in Tulare County.
On October 27, the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) conducted a welfare check at an apartment around 9:37 p.m. local time. Upon arriving on scene, officers identified "suspicious circumstances that prompted further investigation." They returned the next day with a search warrant and found a deceased individual inside.
The man as identified as 39-year-old Lawrence Brennen. The circumstances surrounding Brennen's death are considered "suspicious," according to SBPD.
Ochoa and Tompkins are alleged to have concealed the dead body between October 23 and October 27, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by SFGATE. They allegedly put the body in a bedroll before placing it inside a metal container wrapped in "saran wrap," the complaint stated.
The complaint does not explain how the person died and does not describe the container. Neither defendant is charged with causing the person's death. Both have been released from jail after posting bond. Ochoa's bail was listed at $100,000 and Tompkins' at $500,000. Their next court date is scheduled for November 30.
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