In an eight-part series we look back at the world that was, here in our little corner of it. 2020 was a year of challenges. We’ll be publishing this eight piece work daily as we work to the new year. Today’s piece is on the work of police, and the crime they stopped in Windsor.
Use of force
The killing of people of color by police officers brought many issues to a head in 2020, and Windsor wasn’t immune.
At a town council meeting on Oct. 7, Windsor’s Chief of Police Ruben Martinez gave a presentation on use-of-force and related issues to the town council. The presentation was the second of its kind and was the result of a previous presentation on July 1, which triggered interest in the Brother’s Keeper Pledge and applying it going forward.
However, this came on the heels of lawsuit filed on June 24 against the Northern District of California, the County of Sonoma, the Town of Windsor, Sheriff Mark Essick and Windsor police officers Travis Perkins, Brent Kidder and Gregory Clegg for violating the civil rights of La’Marcus McDonald, an African American man, in July 2019. The suit seeks general damages, special damages, punitive and exemplary damages, attorney’s fees and statutory damages.
On Sept. 10, the law firm representing McDonald filed an amended complaint detailing a history of police misconduct. The lawsuit stems from an incident on July 9, 2019, in which a welfare check in Windsor turned into an altercation. The Windsor Police Department are Sonoma County Sherriff’s deputies contracted to the town for police services.
According to the complaint, on July 9, 2019, the Windsor Police Department responded to a welfare check of McDonald, who was sleeping in a legally parked vehicle. Police officers detained McDonald and used “excessive and deadly force by slamming Plaintiff headfirst into the ground while holding his right arm, breaking off Plaintiff’s two front teeth, knocking out a third, causing bleeding from the mouth, facial and arm lacerations, and rendering him unconscious,” the complaint reads.
Attorneys also claim that officers then unlawfully arrested McDonald, filed a false police report and falsely imprisoned him, with the cooperation of supervisors.
The amended complaint filed on Sept. 10 adds what attorneys call “additional evidence” and bring in what they term a history of civil rights issues in the department.
Following protests that turned violent in other areas, the town of Windsor enacted a curfew, according to various statements released on the evening on June 1. The curfew was between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., and lasted until June 4 at 5 a.m. The mandatory curfew required residents of Windsor to stay home during the hours listed.
The curfew was a response to what was characterized as “credible threats,” but appeared to spring from fliers being distributed at the Santa Rosa protests telling people to come to Windsor after 9 p.m. to continue a protest that had started in Santa Rosa. Similar comments were allegedly made over social media.
The curfew came on the heels of a peaceful protest that occurred during daylight hours, for two days immediately prior to the curfew that went off with no problems.
Sebastopol Video Rapist sentenced
Lonnie William Victory, 56, of Windsor, was sentenced on Oct. 9 by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 50 years-to-life in prison after pleading no-contest in August to eight felony sex offenses.
The investigation into Victory began in 2017 following the discovery of a hidden camera he had placed in a bathroom. Following the discovery of the camera, law enforcement secured a warrant and searched Victory’s electronic devices, uncovering homemade videos that depicted him sexually assaulting a child.
It was later determined that Victory had recurring and frequent access to the child. During the investigation, a second child came forward and disclosed the defendant had molested her as well. Victory was charged with — and convicted of — crimes committed against each of the children, as well as with possession of child pornography.
In 1996, Victory, known as the “Sebastopol Video Rapist,” was sentenced in a prior case to 28 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting five separate women in Sonoma County.
“Victory was arrested on Aug. 4, 1995, and in April 1996, Victory was sentenced to the maximum term of 28 years after pleading no contest to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault on five women. According to the report, a sixth woman from the videos was not identified and due to the assault depicted in the recording police searched Victory’s backyard for a body. No human remains were found.
Victory was released from the California Department of Corrections in 2009 after serving 13 years. When Victory molested the children in this case, he was on parole for his prior sex offenses. He was arrested by Windsor police on Oct. 23, 2018 in Penngrove, though he is listed as a resident of Windsor.
Attorney Investigators Rich Celli and Dave Kahl, as well as Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department Detective Fred Schmidt, headed the investigation.
Crime and punishment
Potential burglar detained
On Feb. 12 a community member in Larkfield saw a car parked along a red curb near Airport Boulevard East and Faught Road. A deputy responded and found the vehicle. The lone occupant of the vehicle was Trever Cabrera, 33, a transient from Vallejo. As the deputy was speaking with Cabrera, the deputy noticed a slew of burglary tools and a homemade machete lying below Cabrera’s feet on the floorboard. Cabrera was detained without incident and removed from the car, only to reveal a second knife and additional burglary tools he was sitting on the entire time. In doing a thorough search of the car, the deputy found evidence of drug use and equipment to siphon gas from other vehicles.
Gang sweep
On Feb. 19 deputies from the main sheriff’s office and the town of Windsor participated in a multi-agency gang sweep. Officers visited over 30 people on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS), parole and local felony probation. All of the subjects contacted had prior involvements with criminal street gangs or prison gangs. The operation netted 10 arrests for violation of PRCS, violation of parole, violation of probation and/or drug possession or sales. Officers and deputies seized 8.5 ounces of methamphetamine, 1 ounce of heroin and interrupted at least one sale of narcotics.
Pursuit
On April 25 at approximately 9:45 p.m., WPD received a report of a subject brandishing a firearm near the Windsor High School. Responding deputies then got into a vehicle pursuit when it became clear the registered owner of the vehicle was identified as 34-year-old Tyrell Vargas. Vargas was wanted by the Santa Rosa Police Department for an attempted vehicle theft that occurred earlier that day. He had no known address.
As the suspect vehicle neared Conde Lane, spike strips were successfully deployed to deflate the vehicle’s tires. The suspect vehicle then drove onto the southbound on-ramp of Highway 101 at which time a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver was used to stop the vehicle from entering the highway. The PIT maneuver is a slow speed tactic designed to cause the suspect vehicle to spin out and terminate the pursuit.
The suspect vehicle slid off the roadway and down an embankment landing on its roof. The driver, Vargas, fled on foot from the vehicle. During the foot pursuit, Vargas ran through a tall grassy field and covered a distance of approximately 500 yards.
Deputies were able to close the distance enough to where a Taser was effectively deployed. Vargas was safely taken into custody. A search of Vargas’ vehicle revealed no firearm; however, a small black hatchet was located.
Two men found deceased
On Monday, June 15, deputies and detectives were dispatched to the 9000 block of Starr Road in Windsor. Medical staff had discovered two deceased individuals inside the house. Police secured the scene and began a death investigation.
At 3:10 p.m. they released a statement stating it appears the two men died of an overdose, though their causes and manners of death will be determined when the death investigations are complete.
The victims were identified at two brothers, Hector Garcia, 37, and Juan Garcia, 31, both of Windsor.
Domestic violence leads to car chase
On July 16, a domestic violence call morphed into a car chase through Windsor, that terminated in the parking lot between Home Depot and Office Depot.
“The Sonoma Sheriff’s Helicopter ‘Henry-1’ assisted Sheriff’s patrol deputies with apprehending a fleeing felony domestic violence/assault with a deadly weapon suspect in the Windsor area. After leading deputies on a brief vehicle, followed by a foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody and subsequently booked into the Sonoma County Jail,” said a statement from the Sheriff’s department.
The suspect Jason Cass, 31 years old and transient., was held in the Sonoma County Jail for: assault with a deadly weapon (felony), domestic violence (felony), battery with serious bodily injury (felony), evading arrest (felony) and obstructing/resisting a peace officer (misdemeanor). Cass’ bail was set at $35,000.
Shooting and robbery
Windsor police and other local law enforcement agencies were a bit busier than normal the weekend of Aug. 7. First there was a report of someone shooting from a vehicle in the area of Gemini Drive and Binggeli Drive. Though it was recorded as a shooting at a dwelling, Windsor Police Chief Ruben Martinez said it was a shooting at an empty vehicle.
Unfortunately, Martinez said it’s not the first time they’ve had a similar call in the area. “It’s not the first time we’ve had this in the last few months — a shooting in that area. There have been no witnesses to these shootings coming forward and by the time we arrive they’re gone. It’s fortunate no one’s been injured,” he said, adding it doesn’t appear any one house or individual has been targeted.
The second incident took place on Saturday, Aug. 8 at around 8:45 p.m. when a robbery in the parking lot of the Safeway on Brooks Road South was called in. According to Martinez, three individuals physically assaulted a fourth individual and robbed him, then took off.
The sheriff’s department helicopter Henry 1 was called in to assist with the search, and deputies swarmed surrounding neighborhoods, prompting panicked chatter on social media and a mistaken report than someone had been killed during the robbery, all of which proved to be false and likely confused by a call in Bodega at the same time.
One of the suspects was located and arrested, the search continues for the other two. The victim refused medical attention for his injuries. In addition, two firearms were recovered from a vehicle that fled Windsor police on Saturday evening, unrelated to the robbery.
Girls chased
On Aug. 29, at approximately 10:50 a.m., Windsor deputies were dispatched to the 300 block of Duncan Drive for a report of a disturbance. The caller reported his daughters, ages 13 and 14, were chased home by an intoxicated, white male adult. The girls were able to retreat into the residence before the male made entry.
The man began pounding on the front door of the residence. The girl’s father, who was home at the time of the incident, opened the door at which time the suspect punched the father in the chest and tried to enter the residence. The father fought back, and the suspect attempted to flee the area. The father caught up to the suspect and was able to hold him on the ground.
Deputies quickly arrived on scene and took custody of the suspect, identified at this time only as a “36-year old male Windsor resident.” Upon questioning, the suspect denied following the young girls and stated he was just looking for a friend. It was evident the suspect was heavily intoxicated.
Vandals hit the Town Green
Overnight between Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13, person or persons unknown wreaked a bit of havoc at the fountains, trees and surrounding areas of the Windsor Town Green.
“Saturday evening some vandalism took place on the Town Green and along Old Redwood Highway,” confirmed Windsor Parks and Recreation Director Jon Davis. “This included a massive amount of bubbles being put into the fountain, a wine barrel being thrown into the fountain, several trees being damaged and the plexiglass of a bus stop being smashed out.”
City staff was notified of the damage on Sunday morning, and took action to mitigate the damage. The damage repairs to the bus stop and trees are ongoing, and no suspects have been identified.
Package thieves
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s department announced the capture of two subjects stealing packages and other items throughout the county. At about 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 21, an eagle-eyed Windsor resident observed a subject stealing packages from homes in the southwest area of the town of Windsor. The caller gave dispatchers a description of the vehicle and its two occupants.
Windsor deputies responded to the area and located the vehicle, a red minivan. The vehicle failed to pull over for deputies and a vehicle pursuit ensued, reaching speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. The pursuit ended when the suspect vehicle collided with a tree at the junction of Shiloh Road and Windsor Road.
The driver of the vehicle was detained without incident; however, the passenger of the vehicle ran from the crash, but was detained after a short foot pursuit.
Deputies then determined the vehicle had been reported stolen, although the suspects had switched the license plates. Additionally, the inside of the vehicle was filled with approximately 12 stolen packages from various Santa Rosa and Windsor addresses, as well as stolen tools.
Hearse theft
In a statement released on Dec. 5, the Santa Rosa Police Department announced an arrest in the theft of a hearse from the Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary staff while delivering a casket.
Officers located the hearse at the Motel 6 located at 3145 Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa. When the hearse began to leave the hotel parking lot, officers stopped the hearse in the lot and detained the driver.
The driver in possession of the hearse was identified as Alberto Torres-Morales, 23, a Santa Rosa transient. Morales-Torres was arrested and booked at the county jail on charges of auto theft, grand theft and violation of probation.
Reckless driving
On Dec. 7 the Windsor Police Department (WPD) announced that after weeks of complaints, they had found and cited an individual for reckless driving.
“Over the last several weeks, WPD has received numerous complaints regarding reckless drivers spinning doughnuts in various intersections throughout the town. This is evident with the tire friction marks you may be seeing on the roadways,” said the statement. “Yesterday, a blue Chevy Camaro, was seen by Windsor residents spinning doughnuts in the intersection of Brooks Road South and Foothill Drive”.
WPD narrowed their search to one potential vehicle belonging to a Windsor resident. At approximately 2:20 p.m. on Dec. 7, dispatch received several 911 calls reporting a reckless driver in the area of Hembree Lane and Vinecrest Road. The driver, a 17-year old Windsor resident (not identified because he is a juvenile), was detained at the scene. He admitted to being responsible for the reckless driving and was apologetic. It was determined his license was suspended and he was on probation for being involved in illegal side shows. The juvenile was cited and released to his parents. Additionally, his vehicle was impounded for 30 days as a result of his reckless driving.
