Lompoc fire chief arrested in SLO County on suspicion of domestic violence
A Lompoc fire chief was put on administrative leave after being arrested in San Luis Obispo County during Memorial Day weekend, Lompoc city officials confirmed Tuesday.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call for service in Cambria around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, agency spokeswoman Grace Norris told the Tribune in an email.
After an investigation at the scene, deputies arrested Alicia Welch, 55, on suspicion of felony domestic violence, Norris wrote.
According to Sheriff’s Office booking logs, Welch was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail around 11:40 p.m. Sunday after her arrest. She was no longer listed in jail custody as of Tuesday evening.
Welch has since been put on administrative leave, Lompoc city manager Dean Albro wrote in an emailed statement.
Lompoc Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Nunez has been appointed as acting fire chief, according to Albro.
Albro said the city cannot provide anymore information about the incident at this time because it is an ongoing criminal investigation.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether criminal charges will be filed against Welch.
Welch was hired in August 2021 as the first woman to serve as Lompoc Fire Department chief, Noozhawk reported then. She has about three decades of firefighting experience between Los Angeles and Golden, Colorado.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 5:12 PM.
