Defendant Jesus Paniagua-Rojas, 51 years old of Santa Rosa, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a Sonoma County jury of committing 18 felony sex offenses against two children from 2014 to 2018.

Defendant Albert Meredith, 27 years old of Cazadero, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 14 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest in May to charges of physically abusing his newborn daughter, and sexually molesting the baby’s 4-year-old half-sister.

California state prison Inmate Kelly Mclaughlin-Cross (60 years old, formerly of Sonoma County) was denied “Elder Parole” by the State Board of Parole Commissioners during a Tuesday afternoon hearing. Commissioners Ground and Lam ruled that McLaughlin-Cross would not be eligible to reapply for parole for an additional 5 years.

Today Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced that her office, with 22 other District Attorney’s Offices in California, resolved “greenwashing” cases with Chewy, Inc., PetSmart LLC, Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., and Target Corporation.  

Defendant William Boyle, 52-years-old of Windsor, was found “guilty” by the Honorable Paul Lozada of all charged offenses on Thursday following an almost month-long court trial at the Sonoma County Courthouse.

District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced today that on August 3, 2021, the California Board of Prison Terms denied parole to Mario Gaburel, 51-years-old of Santa Rosa, who was convicted of the attempted murder of four young persons in 1997.

Jeremy Finnerty, 49 years old of Santa Rosa, appeared today for sentencing before the Honorable Shelly J. Averill in Sonoma County Superior Court following his May 28, 2021, convictions by a jury for felony brandishing a firearm at a motor vehicle, felony vandalism, and misdemeanor resisting a police officer.

Defendant Jose Torres Leveron, 27 years old of Santa Rosa, was ordered to pay $177,112 in restitution following a Wednesday morning hearing in front of the Honorable Troye Shaffer at the Sonoma County Courthouse.

Defendant David Christopher Cook, 55 years old of Sonoma, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve 6 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” in April of this year to a felony charge of committing “lewd and lascivious” acts with a child under the age of 14 years old.

Defendant Rusiate Waqa, 25 years old of Santa Rosa, was found guilty yesterday by a Sonoma County jury for the forcible rape and aggravated kidnapping of Jane Doe committed on August 16, 2019 in Santa Rosa’s Howarth Park. Following the two-week trial, the jury deliberated approximately 15 minutes before returning their verdict.

Defendant Josimar Ortiz-Ortiz, 29 years old from Windsor, was sentenced Monday, July 26 by the Honorable Peter Ottenweller to serve 15 years to life in state prison. 

Defendant Pablo Cardenas Estrada, 62 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert Laforge to serve 30 years-to-life in state prison after he entered no contest pleas in May of this year to six charges of felony child molestation.

Defendant Fernando Aguilera, 33 of Santa Rosa, CA was convicted on Friday July 2, 2021 of Second-Degree Murder for the death of Rosa Lua, 47, of Windsor, on March 20, 2019, along with additional charges of Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while Intoxicated, and Driving Under the Influence Causing Injury, following a jury trial before the Honorable Mark Urioste. 

The District Attorney’s Office has received inquiries regarding a flyer that has circulated concerning a child abuse investigation.  In an effort to provide clarity on the issue, the following facts can be shared. 

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced that in FY 2020/2021, her Environmental and Consumer Law Division (“ECLD”) collected over $1.2 million for the County of Sonoma in civil judgments against businesses that violated state and local environmental and consumer protection laws. The civil judgments, all approved by the Superior Court, included monies collected for civil penalties and reimbursement of costs of investigation and prosecution.

After less than three hours of deliberations, a Sonoma County jury found defendant Josimar Ortiz-Ortiz, 29 years old of Windsor, guilty of second-degree murder on Monday afternoon for his actions in October of 2018 when he killed another man by colliding headon with the victim’s vehicle while driving intoxicated on Old Redwood Highw

Defendant Thomas Alejandro Martinez, 23 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today to serve 20 years in state prison by the Honorable Christopher Honigsberg after pleading “no contest” to charges of attempted murder in April of this year.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch has announced a consumer protection settlement in a civil action against former MoviePass executives Theodore Farnsworth and Mitchell Lowe for engaging in numerous unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business acts and practices while overseeing the operations of the now defunct movie theater subscription service. 

A jury of six women and six men deliberated for three hours today before finding Jeremy Finnerty, 49 years old of Santa Rosa, guilty of felony brandishing a firearm at a motor vehicle, felony vandalism, and misdemeanor resisting a police officer following a week-plus jury trial before the Honorable Shelly J. Averill in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Defendant William Brown, 41 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert Laforge to serve twenty years in state prison after pleading “no contest” in February to three felony sex offenses, including the rape of a child victim, who was under the age of 14.

Defendant Daniel Novello Irving, 68 years old of Chico, was sentenced earlier today by the Honorable Christopher Honigsberg to serve one year in county jail and three years on formal probation after pleading “no contest” in March of this year to felony charges of threatening and stalking his elderly brother over a period of nine months.

Defendant Michael Sean Phillips, 52 years old of Santa Rosa, pleaded “no contest” Monday to various felony charges of sexual assault, with an enhancement for the victim being above the age of 65.

Defendant Benjamin Meza-Perez, 41 years old of Petaluma, was sentenced today to serve 18 years in state prison by the Honorable Dana Simonds following pleas of “no contest” in January of this year to three felony counts of lewd acts with a minor under 14, and one felony count of dissuading a witness.  

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced a consumer protection False Advertising Law settlement in a civil action against Cannacraft, Inc. Cannacraft is a licensed cultivator and manufacturer of cannabis products based in Sonoma County, and does business in California's legal cannabis market. Under the terms of the stipulated judgment, Cannacraft will pay $250,000 in civil penalties $25,000 in cy pres restitution, and $25,000 in investigative costs. Cannacraft also agreed to be bound by an injunction for 10 years. The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office reached the settlement as a member of the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device Task Force ("Task Force"), which also includes Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta and Solano Counties.

Defendant Hector Cabrales-Larios, 39 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve six years in state prison after pleading “no contest” in March of this year to felony charges of hit and run.

Defendant, Patrick Gilles Murphy, 35 years old of Sebastopol, was sentenced on May 4, 2021 by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 6 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” in April of this year to stalking, dissuading a witness by force or threat, and felony domestic battery against his ex-girlfriend. 

Defendant Joseph Nin, 36 years old of Windsor, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste after pleading "no contest" in March of this year to a felony charge of Filing a False Report.  Additional felony charges of Perjury and Grand Theft were dismissed as part of a plea bargain. Nin, a former juvenile corrections counselor employed by the Sonoma County Probation Department, was sentenced to 90 days jail or work release, followed by 24 months of felony probation, the legal limit for most felonies under a new law passed last year by the California state legislature.  

Defendant Victor Torres, 31 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve a term of 25 years to life in state prison after pleading "no contest" earlier this month to multiple charges of child sexual assault.

Defendant Paul Morrow, 60 years old of Rohnert Park, was sentenced today by the Honorable Peter Ottenweller to serve 5 years in state prison following a “no contest” plea earlier in April to one felony count of sexual penetration of an unconscious victim, and one felony count of sexual penetration of a minor under the age of 16.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PGE”) was arraigned earlier today in the Sonoma County Superior Court on a 33-count criminal complaint alleging that it recklessly caused the 2019 Kincade Fire, which burned approximately 78,000 acres, and destroyed 374 structures, including 174 homes. The fire that started on the night of October 23, 2019 at the Geysers Geothermal Field northeast of Geyserville resulted in the largest evacuation in the history of Sonoma County, including the entire towns of Healdsburg, Windsor and Geyserville.

Defendant Henry Palencia-Diaz, 21 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Peter K. Ottenweller to serve 180 days in county jail, pay $1,500 in restitution, and be placed on two years formal probation, after pleading “no contest” in March of this year to charges of assaulting of his 76-year-old co-worker.

Defendant Jack Lee Johnson, 38 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced on Thursday, April 1, 2021 to the maximum term of five years in state prison after having pled “no contest” in March of this year to charges of randomly assaulting two Sonoma County residents, one of whom was an elder. 

I first became aware of sexual assault allegations against the Mayor of Windsor Thursday morning by reading the article in the San Francisco Chronicle. I was deeply concerned at what I learned, and immediately assigned my Chief Investigator and Chief Deputy in charge of sexual assault prosecutions to review the article and recommend next steps. I put out a message asking any victim, named or otherwise, to contact us.  We’ve subsequently communicated with a number of individuals with information. Additionally, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has now opened an investigation, so we are directing anyone with information to contact that agency.

District Attorney Jill Ravitch has announced that after a thorough investigation, her office today initiated criminal proceedings against Pacific Gas and Electric Company ("PG&E") for its role in causing the 2019 Kincade Fire. The criminal complaint, filed with the Sonoma County Superior Court, alleges that PG&E recklessly caused the fire that started on the night of October 23, 2019 at the Geysers Geothermal Field northeast of Geyserville. Specifically, the complaint charges PG&E with 5 felonies and 28 misdemeanors, including unlawfully causing a fire that resulted in great bodily injury, unlawfully causing a fire that resulted in the burning of inhabited structures, and unlawfully causing a fire that resulted in the burning of forest land, as well as various air pollution crimes.

Defendant Austin McClure, 22 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced earlier today by the Honorable Christopher Honigsberg to serve 7 years in state prison after pleading no contest in March to charges of felony domestic assault and forgery.

Defendant Ethan Dean Holbrook, 28 years-old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced on March 25, 2021 by the Honorable Christopher Honigsberg to 7 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest to charges of felony domestic battery using a deadly weapon.

District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced today that the gunman and getaway driver in a September 2020 shooting near the Healdsburg Railroad Depot, were sentenced this morning by the Honorable Shelly J. Averill in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Defendant Alberto Ramon Martinez, 25 year old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced on March 18, 2021 by the Honorable Christopher Honigsberg to serve six years and four months in state prison after pleading no contest to charges of felony domestic battery against his girlfriend. Additionally, he admitted to having two prior domestic violence related convictions within the last seven years.

District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced today that the three adult defendants involved in a September 2020 shooting near the Healdsburg Railroad Depot in Healdsburg have pleaded “no contest” to felony offenses and were found guilty by the Honorable Shelly J. Averill in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Defendant Brandon Byron Cooper, 30 years old of Petaluma, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve 15 years to life in prison, plus an additional 9 years, after being found guilty of 3 felony sexual assault crimes in March of 2019 following a court trial. 

Defendant Betai Koffi, 33 years old of Southern California, was sentenced Thursday by the Honorable Christopher Honigsberg to serve 3 years on felony probation and spend 12 months in county jail after pleading "no contest" to multiple felony counts of assault for a string of crimes that he committed while under the influence of LSD in Bodega Bay on July 4, 2019. 

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office has recently been awarded a federal grant in the amount of $340,000 by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a subdivision of the US Department of Justice, to assist with the investigation and prosecution of opioid-related crimes committed in Sonoma County.

On Friday, February 5, 2021 following a contested hearing, the Honorable Peter Ottenweller denied a motion for a certificate of rehabilitation and pardon brought by convicted sex offender Matthew David Phillips, 46 years old of Santa Rosa, related to his 2008 felony sex convictions.

Defendant Israel Fabian Fuentes, 34 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced earlier today  by the Honorable Shelly Averill to serve 9 years in state prison after pleading guilty in May of last year to charges of felony infliction of corporal injury on his pregnant girlfriend, the mother of his three year old child, and admitting an enhancement for causing great bodily injury.