History Watch: The Year in Review for 2020

 

January:

01/03/20 – Officers responded to the Marin Square Shopping Center regarding a man who was brandishing a tire iron at another motorist in the middle of the street.  The suspect, Matt Tasley, 59 years, struck the motorist on the shoulder with the tire iron.  When officers arrived, Tasley entered his truck and led officers on a wild chase south on Highway 101 and then westbound on Sir Francis Drake Blvd.  Tasley struck a car exiting the Bon Air Center and his truck was pushed into a phone pole.  Tasley was pronounced deceased at the scene.

01/13/20 – Former athletic trainer Izell Lewis, 28 years, was sentenced to eight years in prison for a rape conviction in Corte Madera. While out on bail, he exposed himself to an Uber driver in Terra Linda. That charge was still pending.

01/18/20 – Officers responded to the 200 block of San Marino Drive on a report of shots fired.  Upon arrival, they contacted a homeowner, who reported that someone was trying to break into his home through a rear window.  The homeowner reported that he got a gun and fired at the suspect, however he did not know if he hit him.  Officers searched the area for the suspect with negative results, however several days later Det. Kevin MacDougald developed information identifying the suspect, who was located in his car in Novato.  Jamal Jay Bseiso, 60 was booked into Marin County Jail.

01/24/20 – Officers responded to Victoria’s Secret at the Northgate Mall regarding a theft of merchandise from the store.  The suspect fled in silver BMW, however SRPD Officer Collins was in the area and spotted the car fleeing from the scene.  He followed the vehicle and stopped it on Lincoln Avenue.  A search of the car produced $5,700 worth of Victoria’s Secret merchandise and an additional $3,000 worth of merchandise taken from another unknown store.  Booked at Marin County Jail for burglary, possession of stolen property and three warrants, was Harmonie Taylor, 26 years, from San Jose.

01/30/20 – Officers responded to a report of a threat at the Bio Marin campus on Third Street.  Upon arrival, officers contacted a security guard who reported that a woman had threatened him with a knife after they got into an argument.  Audrey May Morgan, 27 of San Rafael was arrested for possession of a dagger and exhibiting a weapon in a threatening manner and resisting arrest.

01/31/20 – At 12:05 am, SRPD received a report that a man was beating up a woman in the bathroom at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor.  Upon arrival, officers located a male and female in the bathroom, but determined that the altercation was verbal.  Further investigation revealed that the female had a domestic violence restraining order against the male, who was identified as Erick Talbot, 45 of San Rafael.  Talbot was arrested and a search by Officer Vega revealed that Talbot was in possession of heroin, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.  He was booked for various drug charges.

01/31/20 – The City of San Rafael announced a call to artists to submit images/renderings of public art to be permanently installed at the main entry of the new Public Safety Building.

February:

02/01/20 – SRPD put out a public announcement for people to drive responsibly during Super Bowl weekend.

 

02/02/20 – Officers responded to Home Depot regarding a report of an armed robbery.  Upon their arrival, they learned that two suspects, one described as a Black male and the other described as a white or Latino male, entered the store and pulled a gun on an employee and demanded cash.  They fled in a black Ford Mustang. This case was assigned to SRPD Det. James Dooley, who through an investigation identified one of the suspects as Gerald Hood, 37 of San Pablo.  A search warrant was executed at the suspect’s residence and evidence from the crime was recovered.  Hood was located at the federal courthouse in Oakland and arrested. SRPD Officer Oscar O’Con, who was at the courthouse, located the suspect vehicle and stopped it and identified the driver as Thomas Rodriguez, 22 of Richmond.  Both suspects were booked on robbery charges after they were both interviewed.

02/07/20 – SRPD arrested a Vallejo woman suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana after she allegedly hit a 9-month-old baby in a crosswalk and then drove away.  The suspect, Ashley Bowman, 28 of Vallejo, was making a turn onto Fifth Avenue when she hit a stroller with the child inside that was being pushed by an older sister.  The baby was ejected from the stroller and sustained facial injuries.  Officers caught up with the suspect vehicle a short distance away as it hit a parked car.  It was then discovered that the suspect had her 6-month-old daughter in the car.  She was arrested for various charges.

02/10/20 – San Rafael Police responded to the Dollar Store on a report of a gunman who was getting ready to rob the store.  Upon arrival, officers evacuated the store and started a search for the suspect.  Officers detained a man and woman who were sitting in a car parked along the side of the building.  An imitation firearm was found inside the vehicle.  Both subjects were questioned and released.  Officers were to continue the investigation.

02/12/20 – San Rafael Police arrested a suspected gang member accused of robbing a man because of the color of his shirt. The incident took place on Novato Street where the victim was approached by two males.  The suspects questioned the male to see if he was a gang member and told him to remove his shirt and a necklace.  The incident was observed by a passing officer; however, the suspects fled and could not be located.  An investigation revealed that one of the suspects was Dixon Hernandez Gonzalez, 22 of San Rafael.  He was located a few days later during a probation search in Mill Valley.  He was booked for robbery and violation of probation.

02/14/20 – Police K-9 Blue received his official badge with an I.D. number of 643.

02/24/20 – Officers responded to a report of a vehicle that had run into a house on Locust Avenue.  The car was coming down a driveway when it veered and ran into the house.  Upon arrival, officers found the female driver deceased in the car.  The driver was identified as Norma Jean Nixon, 83 of San Rafael.  Officers were investigating if the driver suffered a medical issue prior to the accident.

March:

03/02/20 – San Rafael officials reported that their tax on marijuana businesses in 2019 raised about one quarter of the $1 million in annual revenue that they had projected.

03/03/20 – During the evening hours, officers responded to a fight in the Canal area.  Two victims reported being attacked by a group of gang members who were armed with edged weapons.  During the search for the suspects, Officer Adams located a 17-year-old intoxicated male juvenile who was a suspected gang member.  He was booked at Juvenile Hall.  Officers learned that one victim was cut with a saw and another had been stabbed.

03/03/20 – Sworn in as new members of SRPD were officers Alison Ager, Neomi Rossotti-Gallo, Casey DeBolt and dispatcher Elizabeth Paez.

03/08/20 – Marin County recorded its first confirmed case of Covid-19.

03/12/20 – San Rafael Police arrested four people on suspicion of stealing a catalytic converter from a truck.  While patrolling Francisco Blvd by Medway Road, Officer Adams observed a truck moving slowly on the street with a man walking next to it.  He then found a male under a parked truck.  An investigation revealed that the suspects, out of Inglewood, were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter from the parked truck.  All were booked at Marin County Jail.

03/14/20 – At 8:20 a.m. officers received a report of a male in a parked car at Belle and Alice Streets, who was bleeding.  Upon arrival, officers discovered that the male was deceased. Because the location was across from San Rafael High School, the school was shut down during the investigation.  The coroner’s office identified the male as Alvaro Enrique Rivas Canton, an 18-year-old student at Madrone High School, which is located on the San Rafael High campus. The investigation was continuing.

03/16/20 – The Marin County Office of Education announced that all public schools would be shut down for in person teaching for the next two weeks because of Covid 19.

03/16/20 – SRPD put out an information flyer reporting that they would be changing services due to Covid 19.  Officers would take reports over the phone and citizens could make online reports etc. The Public Health Department also issued a shelter in place order for Marin County. Marin Superior Court announced that cases would be curtailed to reduce the number of people attending hearings.

03/20/20 – Cpl. Rob Cleland was promoted to Sergeant.

03/20/20 – SRPD responded to the Peacock Golf Club and removed 100 golfers from the property who were violating the shelter in place order. 

03/23/20 – Officers responded to a home in the Dominican neighborhood regarding a disturbance.  Upon their arrival they learned that members of the family had complained about a dog belonging to Sean Richards, 40 of Richmond. Richards took out a paintball gun and threatened members of the family.  He was booked for assault charges.

03/24/20 – Joseph Jordan was hired as a police officer.  He was a lateral transfer.

03/27/20 – SRPD announced that they were discontinuing in person briefings because of Covid and they would be done by video conferencing.

03/27/20 – A naked man suspected of thrashing the front yard of a San Rafael home was arrested after a scuffle with police.  A resident of the Bret Harte neighborhood reported that a man was observed sitting in his car.  The suspect then destroyed a wooden gate and knocked over a ladder as well as other vandalism.  Upon arrival, officers attempted to arrest him, but he resisted and was wrestled into handcuffs.  Jeremiah Wolf, 39 of San Rafael was booked at Marin County Jail for vandalism and battery on officers.

03/30/20 – Police received a report of a woman who was bleeding and brandishing two knives in a parking lot at Francisco and Medway Road.  Upon arrival, officers made contact with the suspect who refused to give up.  At one point, the woman advanced on the officers and they repelled her with a bean bag round.  After a standoff of five hours, officers distracted her, and they were able to rush in to detain her.  She was placed on a 72-hour hold.

April:

04/04/20 – The Marin County Jail released 43 inmates to curb the potential spread of Covid.

04/04/20 – Officers responded to Golden Cream Donuts at 911 Lincoln Avenue, regarding a report of a bonfire by the store.  Officers found a box and papers on fire near the store.  The suspect, John DeCollado, 36, with no fixed address, was contacted at the scene and officers learned that he had three outstanding warrants for arson.  He was arrested on the warrants.

04/12/20 – Officer Scalercio and his K-9 “Jesko” were on patrol when Officer Scalercio observed a car with a license plate that did not match the vehicle.  A traffic stop was made and the driver, Michael Garcia, 27 of Novato was questioned about the plate.  He admitted that he put it on the car to make it look like the vehicle was currently registered.  A records check showed that Garcia was on probation in Marin County.  A search of the car produced some heroin and drug paraphernalia, as well as a stolen Colt Python .357 magnum.  He admitted taking the gun in a burglary.  He was booked on various charges.

04/13/20 --Two people were walking near Pickleweed Park in the Canal area when they reported that three subjects walked up to them and began throwing rocks at them.  A fight started and one of the victims was struck in the ribs with a padlock.  The suspects fled, however officers found one of the suspects, identified as Mynor Tacam, 21, a suspected gang member.  He was booked for ADW and participating in a street gang.

04/14/20 – A detective from SRPD went to an apartment on Merrydale Road to contact the resident, Megan Kenyon, 54 of San Rafael, regarding a missing person report.  When the door opened, Kenyon had a knife and started slashing it at the officer.  The detective was able to subdue the subject and she was booked for felony assault.

04/15/20 – Camp Chance was cancelled for the year due to the Covid 19 Pandemic.

04/20/20 – Officers responded to an apartment complex at 945 Cresta Way in the Terra Linda area.  An employee of the complex reported that he asked two males to leave the closed pool and they threatened him, with one of the suspects pulling out a knife and making slashing motions at him.  Officers located the two suspects, identified as John Musto, 22 years and Dennis Jones, 44, both of San Rafael in an apartment at the complex.  The suspects refused to come out, which resulted in a 90-minute standoff with police negotiators.  After finally coming out, both were booked with Musto being the one with the knife. 

04/20/20 – Officers responded to a report of an assault on a boat at the San Rafael Yacht Club.  The victim reported that he and another man, identified as Roger Johnson, 46 of San Rafael, got into a verbal argument and Johnson choked him and struck him until he was unconscious.  Officers arrested the suspect for felony assault.

04/23/20 – Police responded to a report of an assault at Walgreens on Third Street.  A 71-year-old man, who was in line to make a purchase, reported that a male came up to him and struck him in the head for no apparent reason, knocking the victim to the floor.  Upon officer’s arrival, the suspect had left, however they located him down the street hitting cars with a hammer.  Arrested for felony assault was Danny Smiley, 27 of San Rafael. The victim suffered a lump to his head.

04/25/20 – The Marin County Fair was cancelled due to the Covid 19 Pandemic.

04/27/20 – After a week of Marin County ordering that everyone wear a face mask in public, police agencies reported that there were few violations.

04/28/20 – Police agencies in Marin County went to Marin General Hospital during morning shift change to show their appreciation to healthcare professionals.

04/29/20 – Officers responded to a residence on Sylvia Way in Terra Linda regarding an assault.  The caller reported that a resident, Castanya Tompkins, 23 of San Rafael, threatened the victim with a knife during an argument.  Castanya fled the house but was located by officers a short distance away.  Castayna was placed in a patrol car for booking, however she removed her seatbelt and slid across the seat.  She refused orders to move back to her seat and as officers restrained her, she kicked an officer in the chest and eye.  She was booked for felony assault and battery.

04/30/20 – Officials reported that the number of arrests in the county dropped dramatically because of the pandemic. Bookings at the Marin County Jail dropped 52% during the first month of the lockdown, with only 39 inmates in custody.

04/30/20 – An 87-year-old female, shopping at the Safeway store on B Street, reported that a man came up to her and stole her purse from her shopping cart and then ran out of the store.  The incident was captured on a store surveillance camera and officers started a search. They located the suspect at Second and A Street looking through a wallet.  When contacted, the suspect ran, however he was captured after a brief chase.  Booked at Marin County Jail was Neil Colvin, 27 of San Rafael.

May:

05/01/20 – A 27-year-old man was arrested on drug allegations after a bike pursuit at Second and Irwin Street.  An officer observed a group of people not social distancing and he went to contact them and two of them fled on bikes.  The officer pursued one of the suspects and was able to stop him after a chase.  The suspect, Oscar Rivera, 27 of San Rafael, who was on probation, was found to be in possession of methamphetamine.  He was booked for evading police and drug possession.

05/01/20 – Retired San Rafael Firefighter John Diego, received a parade of fire engines and police cars past his Gerstle Park residence to celebrate his 99^th birthday.  Diego retired as a Captain after serving 32 years in the fire service.

05/07/20 – During the early morning hours, San Rafael Fire started to received calls of multiple fires at different locations in the Canal District.  One of the fires was at an apartment complex on Medway Road, and witnesses reporting seeing a man flee just as the fire was starting.  Officers searched the area and found suspect James Duffy 42 of San Rafael.  He was booked for arson after an investigation.  All of the fires were quickly put out by the fire department.

05/12/20 – The City of San Rafael received a $51,242 federal grant for use dealing with Covid.  The funds were reported to be used for such items as hiring personnel, paying overtime, purchasing protective equipment etc.

05/18/20 – Facing an estimated 11.8-million-dollar loss in revenue over the next 18 months, the City Council was considering where they could make cuts to help balance the budget.

05/18/20 – The County of Marin issued a new public health order for retailers who would be able to reopen for curbside pickup and delivery.

05/19/20 – SRPD officers cited two men during a sting targeting bicycle thieves.  Officers placed locked bikes at various locations in town and then conducted a surveillance.  Dionysios Economopoulos, 41 of San Rafael, cut a lock off a bike in the 700 block of B Street and then rode away.  He was cited for theft and possession of burglar tools.  Travis White, 50 of Marin City, took a bike on Francisco Blvd. and he was also cited.

05/20/20 – SRPD Officer Ager was congratulated for completing the intensive portion of her field training.

05/29/20 – Police Chief Diana Bishop issued a public statement about the death of George Floyd, while in police custody in Minneapolis. In her statement she described the death as appalling and unacceptable.  She went on to comment about police officer training in California and at SRPD in de-escalation procedures and use of force.

June:

06/04/20 – In response to the in-custody death of George Floyd, demonstrators marched from the Montecito Shopping Center to City Hall. Marching with protestors were several City of San Rafael officials, including Police Chief Diana Bishop.  The chief stated, “My hope is to show that we’re all in this together to support the end of racial injustice.”  Several hundred people attended, and the event was peaceful.

06/07/20 – In order to balance its budget, San Rafael city officials, approved staff furloughs and the reduction of various programs.

06/10/20 – A Black Lives Matter march was held that started at the Norhgate Shopping Center and ended at the Marin County Civic Center.  There were no incidents, it was reported that about 400 people participated.

06/11/20 – Officers were dispatched to Lincoln Avenue regarding a report that someone stole a cell phone from a person.  Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim, who reported that the suspect asked to use his phone, then fled. The suspect, Justin Ram, 29 of San Rafael, was located by officers, a short distance away.  He was booked into Marin County Jail.

06/15/20 – The San Rafael City Council, acting on an anticipated 9-million-dollar loss due to Covid 19, approved a new budget of 128 million dollars, with cuts to all departments.  Some people called for defunding the police department, which did not happen.

06/19/20 – San Quentin Prison announced that they would be releasing some inmates who had less than 180 days to serve because of the Covid crisis.  At the present time, the prison reported that 47 inmates and 16 employees had tested positive.

July:

07/03/20 – Officers responded to a report of the Smart Train striking a man on a bicycle at the North San Pedro Road crossing.  The bicyclist, a 36-year-old male, tried going through the arms that had already lowered when he was struck by the train.  He was pronounced deceased at the hospital. On 07/15/20, the coroner’s office identified the person as Martin Hoffman of San Rafael.

07/05/20 – San Quentin Prison reported that a fifth death row inmate died from Covid 19.

07/07/20 – Marin authorities arrested 17 suspected drunken drivers and responded to more than a dozen fires that were linked to fireworks over the Fourth of July weekend.

07/07/20 – Officers responded to the B Street Safeway store regarding a violent shoplifter, who struck a security guard and spit on the store manager.  Officers arrived and contacted the suspect, Christopher Engel, 47 of San Rafael.  The suspect tried to trip one officer and then stomped his foot on the foot of another officer.  He was booked for robbery and battery.

 07/08/20 – SRPD received a $287,000 grant to upgrade their 911 phone system, which would allow persons to text a message to the new system. The 911 system was last upgraded in 2013.

07/14/20 – San Quentin authorities reported that two more inmates died of suspected Covid 19 complications.  As of 07/10/20, 1,925 inmates had contracted the virus and 10 had died.

07/15/20 – Marin County Health officials set up an email address for people to report Covid 19 violations that they observed.  Several days after the email was set up, 30 violations were reported.

07/17/20 – Officers were dispatched to Dependable Tire and Brake at 25 Market Street on a report of a car that crashed into the building.  Upon their arrival, they observed a male in the area who ran when officers approached.  He was apprehended after a foot chase and was identified as Santos Coyoy-Cifuentes, 23 of San Rafael.  He was booked for DUI.

07/20/20 – Former SRPD Lt. Alan Piombo was selected as the city manager for the City of Mill Valley.  Prior to the appointment, Piombo, 51, was the Mill Valley Police Chief for 11 months.

07/21/20 – Another death row inmate was reported to have died from Covid 19 in an outside hospital.  Troy Ashmus, 58, was the seventh death row prisoner and the thirteenth prisoner overall to have died of Covid.  As of this date, over 900 inmates had tested positive for the disease.

07/23/20 – A man suspected in a string of robberies in Marin and Sonoma was sentenced to 33 years and 8 months in state prison.  William Drew Hodges, 54 was convicted in Sonoma County of 11 robberies, including one at a nail salon in Terra Linda.

07/25/20 – Marin’s Investigative unit, the Major Crimes Task Force was reported to be dissolving in the fall after 43 years, due to the coronavirus’s strain on city budgets.  Cities began pulling out when they forecast budget deficits coming up.  It was reported that a reforming of the unit sometime in the future might be possible.

07/27/20 – At 11:45 am, SRPD received a call from a person reporting a body floating in the canal at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor.  Officers responded and recovered the body of a 61-year-old man.  The man’s name was not released pending an investigation. On 08/20/20, the coroner identified the subject as Floyd Parmenter of no fixed address.

August:

08/05/20 – The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank reported that five of its delivery trucks were vandalized overnight.  The organization had to rent five trucks to do their deliveries of food.  SRPD reported that the case was under investigation. On 08/12/20, SRPD announced that they identified and arrested the suspect, identified as Shahin Farman, 38 of San Rafael.  Officers identified him through surveillance cameras in the area.  It was also discovered that Farman poured Muriatic acid, a pool cleaning compound into the gas tanks of the vehicles.

08/06/20 – Sgt. Chris Coale retired from SRPD after 20 years of dedicated service.  Sgt. Coale started his career with the Pinole Police Department prior to joining SRPD. Chris held many assignments including hostage negotiator, traffic sergeant and the Northern California Computer Crimes Task Force.

08/09/20 – All was quiet at the Burger King parking lot in San Rafael until Charmaine Malone, 55 of San Rafael, pulled into the lot in her car and attempted to hit another car with three occupants.  Malone exited her car with a hammer and started threatening people in the lot.  She fled before the arrival of officers; however, officers located her car on Bellam Blvd. and arrested her for assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving.

08/16/20 – A group of activists demonstrated in Fairfax protesting the use of School Resource Officers at schools in the county.  Activist Brandon Johnson of Forest Knolls and who attended Tamalpais High School, called for the removal of the officers, stating that SRO’s made schools less safe. San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips noted that the city recently received a grant for a second SRO to work on tobacco prevention among teens.

08/17/20 – In June of 2020, San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips pledged to review San Rafael’s use of force policies under Barack Obama’s “Mayors Pledge.”  A committee did the review, and the police chief issued a report to the City Council outlining several changes to the current policy.  One recommendation was to analyze calls for service and explore alternative means to better direct certain types of calls to assistance-providers who were not sworn officers.

08/17/20 – SRPD welcomed three new officers who graduated the police academy on 08/13/20.  They were Officers Lee Masten, Ethan Walgamott and Jessica Mitz.

08/19/20 – The San Rafael Police Department announce that they had officially moved into their new public safety building located across the street from city hall at 1375 Fifth Avenue.

08/27/20 – SRPD Chief Diana Bishop announced that she would be retiring in December of this year.  She had a nine-year run, one of the longest for a chief in recent department history.  Bishop worked for the Santa Clara Police Department for 26 years, prior to coming to San Rafael.

08/31/20 – Activists in Marin called for the creation of a countywide citizen’s review board over law enforcement to build trust between non-whites and the police.  Members of the Performing Stars Social Justice Initiative and Marin City Matters, the two groups spearheading the initiative, said citizens should be involved in police misconduct investigations, hiring and the complaint process.

September:

09/07/20 – At 1:45 pm, officers received a call of a disturbance at Fifth and Tamalpais Avenue.  Upon arrival, officers contacted two victims who said that two suspects approached them asking them to purchase alcohol for them.  When they refused, they reported that one suspect, identified as Feliciano Fuentes, 25, grabbed a beer bottle and punched one of the victims.  The other suspect, Santo Taum, 34, wielded a box cutter at the victims.  Both were located and booked on assault allegations.

09/09/20 – Two males were walking on Fairfax Street in the Canal District late at night, when they were confronted by two male suspects.  An altercation ensued and one of the victims suffered a cut to his finger from one of the suspects who used a knife.  Officers arrived and located one of the suspects, identified as Carlos Gonzalez, 20 of Strawberry.  He was booked for felony assault and participating in a criminal street gang.

09/11/20 – Fairfax Police Chief Chris Morin announced that he was retiring in December.  Morin started his police career as a cadet and then officer with SRPD. He spent 20 years at Fairfax P.D. and 40 overall in law enforcement.

09/15/20 – Police used a Taser to subdue a combative suspect after police said he attacked officers for the second time in a week.  The first incident occurred at the transit center where the suspect, Christopher Engl, 47, of San Rafael, saw a police car and was able to pull the driver car door open and punch the officer.  The second incident took place at Albert Park where officers responded to do a welfare check and Engl threw objects at the officers, striking one of them.  He was tased after he tried to grab one of the officer’s weapons.

09/17/20 – Officers responded to a report of an accident at N. San Pedro Road and Los Ranchitos Road, involving a SMART train and a vehicle.  The driver of the car was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. On 10/06/20, it was reported the driver, Rosina Szele,82, died of her injuries on 09/22/20.  She was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

09/19/20 – After months of pressure by activists to cut ties with police, the San Rafael Board of Education voted unanimously to discontinue the school resource officer program.  Two SRPD officers had been working the program prior to Covid when the schools shut down.  The San Rafael Police Department had been providing school officers to the district in one form or another since the 1930’s.

09/24/20 – SRPD received information that a man pulled a gun on bystanders at a Breonna Taylor memorial in Terra Linda at Freitas Parkway and Las Gallinas Avenue.  Taylor was fatally shot in March during a raid at her residence in Louisville, Kentucky.  The man was washing away the mural when he was confronted and videotaped by several citizens.  The man pulled what was reported to be a gun and then fled the area.  Police conducted an investigation and on 10/30/20, they reported that they identified the suspect, who was not named.  It was reported that he actually had a taser.  No charges were to be filed.

09/29/20 – Officers responded to a report of a burglary at St. Raphael’s Church on Fifth Avenue.  Upon arrival, they found a hole punched in a window to the office.  Officers located two suspects and arrested them.  One suspect who appeared intoxicated, was carrying a knife and the other had a broomstick.  Booked for vandalism and burglary were Abel Pantoja, 39 and Lorenzo Reyes, 38, both of San Rafael.

October:

10/07/20 – The department held its annual awards ceremony under Covid conditions.  A total of 28 awards were given out to various SRPD employees.

10/10/20 – SRPD received a call of someone calling for help in the area of Lea Drive and Forest Lane in Terra Linda.  Officers contacted a male victim who reported that he was smoking outside his home when a male came up to him and shined a light in his face.  An altercation began with the suspect stealing the victim’s hearing aids.  Officers checked the area and located Igor Scherba, 57, of San Rafael.  He was booked on suspicion of robbery and drunk in public.

10/12/20 – A protest was held in front of St. Raphael Church on Indigenous Peoples Day.  Protesters sprayed paint on a statue of Father Junipero Serra in front of the mission and then tied ropes around the statue and pulled it down.  Police were present for the demonstration and ended up arresting five demonstrators for vandalism.  All were issued citations and the case was referred to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

10/13/20 – Police received a report of a man with a knife chasing another man in the area of Valencia and Belle Avenue.  Officers contacted the victim who reported that he was being chased by two men.  Officers located one of the suspects, a suspected gang member, who was identified as Leonardo Flores, 25, of Fairfax and arrested him for felony assault and violation of probation.

10/18/20 – Officers responded to a report of a physical altercation at Second and B Street.  Upon arrival, a female, who was pushing her two-year-old child in a stroller, reported that a man came up to her and tried to take the stroller with the child from her. The woman fought back to try to keep possession of the stroller and she yelled for help.  The suspect then poured a beverage on the child.  A witness jumped in to help the female and the suspect pulled a knife on him.  Officers located the suspect, identified as Nicholos Duvall, 25 of no fixed address.  He was booked on various charges.

10/20/20 – A parking enforcement officer tagging cars on Fairfax Street in the Canal District, reported that a man, who thought that his car was being tagged, assaulted him.  The suspect, Jonathan Alcantara, 32, of Novato, was reported to have been spitting on and punching the window of the meter vehicle.  The suspect then got in his car and tried to ram the buggy.  Alcantara was arrested for assault and suspicion of DUI.

10/23/20 – On 08/07/20, officers responded to a report of a carjacking on Woodland Avenue.  The victim, who did not know the license plate to his Impala, reported that that three men, one with a gun, took his car and fled.  Several minutes later, officers spotted a similar car on Highway 101 and stopped it.  Karl Bracy, who was driving the car, was determined to not be involved.  Bracy made a formal complaint with the city about being stopped.  On 10/23/20, SRPD announced that after an investigation they arrested two of the three suspects in the carjacking.  Booked at Marin County Jail were Daisy Rodriguez, 23, of San Rafael and David Alvarado, 25 of Novato. The car was recovered in Vallejo.

10/26/20 – Officers responded to the Wells Fargo Bank at Fourth and B Street, concerning a robbery.  Upon arrival, bank employees reported that a White male in his 30’s entered the bank and handed the teller a demand note and took an undisclosed amount of money.  Police were investigating if the robber was the same person who hit a Wells Fargo bank in Rohnert Park the same day.

10/27/20 – For the third time this year, officers responded to a report that a SMART train had struck a vehicle at N. San Pedro Road and Los Ranchitos Road. In this incident, a pickup truck went into the intersection while the crossing arms were down and struck the side of the train. The driver was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. In the two previous accidents, both persons died of their injuries.

November:

11/06/20 – SRPD announced that they hired two new officers.  They were Officer Mazariegos who served as a cadet and Officer Mendoza who worked in the financial industry.

11/14/20 – Marin prosecutors announced that they filed felony vandalism charges against five people accused of tearing down a statue outside of St. Raphael Church in October.  It was reported that the suspects caused at least $10,000 in damage.  Officers issued citations to the five after they were observed tearing down a statue of Father Junipero Sierra.

11/15/20 – Earlier in the year the Major Crimes Task Force was disbanded due to reported financial problems.  This left the county without a specialized unit to investigate major crimes and drug dealing.  In response to this situation, Sheriff Robert Doyle announced that he would be starting a new unit to take the place of the Major Crimes Task Force.  The new unit, called SIU, for Specialized Investigative Unit, will consist of three sheriff’s deputies, one CHP officer and a detective from the Central Marin Police Authority.  The original task force was formed in 1977.

11/17/20 – SRPD announced that they had obtained a $117,500 grant from the Office of Traffic Safety.  The grant will be used for DUI enforcement and inform the public about bicyclists and pedestrian rights.

11/24/20 – One of our new hires, Officer Mitz was training on foot patrol with her FTO, Cpl. Carney, when she contacted a male on Fifth Avenue.  Officer Mitz determined that the suspect had a warrant, and he was arrested.  During a search of the suspect, a firearm was located under the suspect’s sweatshirt.  One more firearm off the streets.

11/30/20 – At 3:00 am, two suspects entered the 7-11 Store on Medway Road and robbed the clerk of cash in the register.  One of the suspects was armed with a handgun.  Both suspects fled to a waiting car that was stolen from the East Bay and a third suspect drove them away.   An investigation revealed that these subjects were suspected of doing at least 9 robberies of 7-11 stores in the Bay Area and the Central Valley.  The suspects were not located.  The investigation is continuing.

December:

12/05/20 - Despite the Covid 19 Pandemic, the Santa Cop program was going to happen this year.  There was no wrapping of presents this year, however donation points were set up throughout the county to receive presents that could be given to children.

12/07/20 – Officers responded to a report of a possible intoxicated driver in the Loch Lomond area.  While checking the area, a report was received that the vehicle they were looking for struck a parked car causing major damage to both vehicles.  Officers contacted the female driver and booked her for DUI.

12/08/20 – SRPD closed the lobby to its new public safety building to all visitors due to the spike in the Covid Pandemic.

12/15/20 – Officers received a report of suspicious activity in the Loch Lomond neighborhood.  Officers responded and located a suspicious vehicle in the area.  Observed in the car were stolen pieces of mail from nearby homes. Officers checked the area and located two suspects with stolen packages and mail in their possession.  A total of three suspects were arrested on various charges.

12/17/20 – Ross Police Chief Erik Masterson announced that he would be retiring in March of 2021 after 40 years in law enforcement.  Erik started his police career with the San Rafael Police Department in 1978, working in various units of the department.  He retired in 2009 with the rank of Lieutenant and worked for the San Anselmo Police Department for two years, and then was appointed to the Ross Police Department as chief in 2011.

12/23/20 – Investigators arrested a man who was suspected of doing two robberies on the same night.  The first robbery was at a Shell Station in Novato on 12/19/20.  The suspect displayed a gun and made off with cigarette cartons.  A short time later the suspect robbed the Circle K gas station on Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael.  He pulled a gun and took cigarettes and cash.  An investigation was started, and detectives were able to identify the suspect as Elliott Malone, 30 of Petaluma.  He was on probation for prior crimes in Sonoma County.

12/25/20 – Members of SRPD day shift with Chief Bishop, and the San Rafael Fire Department went to the Aldersly Danish Home on Mission Avenue and did some caroling to spread the holiday cheer.

12/31/20 – Chief Diana Bishop completed her final day of work at SRPD.  She was given a great send off at the end of the day.  Enjoy your retirement Chief Bishop.  Capt. David Starnes was named interim chief.

12/31/20 – Several hours before midnight, officers received a report of a traffic accident at Bellam and Francisco Blvd. involving two vehicles.  Upon arrival, officers recognized one of the involved cars as a vehicle they observed traveling at a high rate of speed in the Canal District just prior to the crash.  The driver fled, leaving his passenger in the car with major injuries. Officers searched the area and found the driver a short distance away.  He was booked for felony DUI.

Homicides:

There were no homicides reported in San Rafael for 2020.  The last homicide recorded in San Rafael was in December of 2018, when Errol Friedman, 21 years, of San Anselmo, was found shot in his car by Pickleweed Park.  A 17-year-old juvenile was arrested for his murder.  There was only one homicide recorded in all of Marin County for the year 2020.  In that case, Tiyon Ford, 42, a Marin City resident, was found shot at an apartment building at 400 Drake Avenue.  That case is still under investigation.

In Memoriam:

01/18/20 - Retired CHP officer Richard Crespo passed away.  After retirement, Dick enjoyed adopting Golden Retrievers and Bocce Ball.

01/24/20 – Carolyn Paxton, who served as an Assistant Principal at San Rafael High School in the 1980’s and 1990’s, passed away after a long battle with cancer.  During a time when some school administrators were not thrilled to have law enforcement on school grounds, Paxton was the complete opposite, welcoming officers to work with her to help students and to also hold them accountable for their actions. She taught government and constitutional law at Concord High School before being recruited to serve at San Rafael High. Paxton called the high point of her career when students would contact her many years after high school and thank her for getting them on the right track so they could be successful.  Carolyn Paxton was 70 years old

02/19/20 – Retired Marin County Sheriff’s Sergeant Gene Brannon passed away after a short illness.  Gene worked for the MCSO when they were housed in the old courthouse at Fourth and A Street.  Gene and his wife Mae moved to Petaluma last year after their home in Paradise was lost in the fire.

02/21/20 – Mill Valley P.D. Sergeant Jerry Harmon passed away.  He began his career with the Marin County Sheriff’s Department in the 1970’s and transferred to Mill Valley P.D. where he attained the rank of sergeant.

05/28/20 – Former SRPD Officer Steve LaBounty passed away.  He worked for SRPD from 1977 to 1988.  Steve served in the patrol division and then served a stint in the detective bureau.  He taught martial arts and was a softball coach at Terra Linda High School.  One of his players at Terra Linda High was Kelly O’Haire, who later became a San Rafael Police Officer. At the time of his passing, he was living in Grass Valley and was active in teaching Karate.  Steve LaBounty was 78 years old.

06/13/20 – SRPD Marin Auxiliary member Bruce Bunker passed at the young age of 64.  Bruce started with the Marine Unit in 2010 and logged countless hours on the police boat Mission City.  In 2017 he received the Meritorious Conduct award for his service on the police boat. 

06/15/20 – Howard Arneson, a longtime friend of the San Rafael Police Department has passed.  Howard was an accomplished marksman, inventor, and go-fast boat enthusiast. He invented the Arneson Pool Sweep, an automated swimming pool cleaner.  After many years, Howard sold his company which gave him the resources to build and race his go-fast boats. He often visited with the San Rafael Police boat and a few auxiliary officers had a chance to ride in his boat on San Pablo Bay, a boat that reached speeds of 180 mph. His most famous boat was his 32-foot Skater Powerboat Catamaran powered by a 1,323-hp turbine engine.  One day a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter pilot heard about Arneson’s boat and he challenged Arenson to a race from the Richmond Bridge to the Brother Islands. The challenge was accepted, and the race was on with Arneson’s 180 mph boat going against the USCG Helo that had a speed of over 200 mph.  When the race was over, the USCG helo prevailed, however the pilot later commented that he did not know what that boat had in it, but it sure was fast.  Areneson raced boats well into his 80’s and when he felt he should stop, he started racing cars at the Sonoma Raceway.  When people heard what sounded like a jet plane going over the surface of San Pablo Bay, it was Arneson in his boat.  At the time of his passing, Howard Arneson was 99 years old.

06/17/20 – Retired Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Schreier passed away.  He served in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany and after his service he attended the police academy in 1973 as a San Francisco Sheriff’s Deputy.  Several years later, he joined the Marin County Sheriff’s Department serving on the court floor for 20 years.  He was 77 years old.

06/18/20 – Retired Youth Services Supervisor Rebecca Kuga, passed away after an illness.  Rebecca retired in February of 2019.  She was a Marriage Family Therapist, who took over the bureau in 2006.  She supervised interns, facilitated parent project classes and she also ran “Camp Chance” that touched the lives of many young people. Camp Chance was renamed Camp Kuga in honor of Rebecca.

06/20/20 – Long time activist Alan Barnett died after an illness.  Barnett attended schools on the east coast and Midwest and after earning a PHD in 1955, he joined the U.S. Army.  He worked as a speechwriter and reporter while in the service for Stars and Stripes.  He organized and participated in many marches over the years against the war in Vietnam and many other issues of the day.  He was a professor at San Francisco State and San Jose State University.  He lived with his wife in Mill Valley for many years and participated in many social justice issues in Marin.  Alan Barnett was 92 years old.

06/20/20 – Retired Marin Superior Court Judge Peter Allen Smith passed peacefully on this date. Smith was raised in Sausalito and attended high school in San Francisco where he graduated in 1943.  He served in the Marine Corps during WW II and after the war ended, he attended the University of San Francisco and then earned a law degree from USF. He practiced law from 1951 to 1965 and was then appointed as a Municipal Court judge and then was elected to the Superior Court in 1979, where he served until he retired in 1991. After retirement he accepted traveling judge positions through the state.  As a judge he was described as a man with compassion. People called him a smart and humble man. The Honorable Peter Allen Smith was 95 years old.

06/22/20 – Loy Allen Cornett passed away peacefully on this date.  Loy was the Marin County Chief Park Ranger, a job he loved.

07/15/20 – Former Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy Ernest (Ernie) Nelson, passed on this date.  He served with Marin County from 1957 to 1971 and then transferred to the City of Salinas as a police officer from 1972 to 1979. He was described as a mentor to many rookies and a great patrol deputy who had a nose to where crime would be happening.  In 1963 he was on the Sheriff’s Office pistol team and during that year, they won the state championship.  They then placed ninth out of 200 teams at the National Championships held at Indiana University.  He and his wife Joan were married for 59 years.

07/28/20 – Retired Marin County Superior Court Judge Alvin Goldstein died peacefully at his home in San Rafael.  Goldstein was born in St. Louis Missouri and at the age of 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the 30^th Infantry Division from 1944 to 1946, fighting battles in Europe including the Battle of the Bulge.  After his service, he obtained a law degree in 1952 from Harvard.  He started his legal career in New York as an Assistant District Attorney.  He was then appointed by Attorney General Robert Kennedy as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General in California.  In 1965 he was appointed as a municipal court judge in Marin County and then a superior court Judge. Goldstein left the court in 1971 and re-entered private practice.  He was 93 years old.

08/01/20 – Former Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Conklin passed peacefully at his home in Petaluma.  After graduating from Petaluma High School in 1967, Conklin joined the Oak Grove Hot Shots with the U.S. Forest Service.  In 1974 Bob was sworn in as a Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy where he worked for 34 years as a deputy, Juvenile Division Detective, Hostage Negotiator and a member of the Marin County Search and Rescue Team. Bob is survived by his wife of 43 years, Darleen and two sons.  Robert Conklin was 71 years old.

08/06/20 – Martha Sorensen, a retired Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy, passed away on this date.  Sorensen started her career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1966 as an Intermediate typist.  In 1970 she was appointed as a Deputy Sheriff I assigned to the jail division.  In 1974 she was assigned to the patrol division, becoming the second female deputy to be appointed to Patrol.  She later worked in the jail and the Civil Division, retiring in 1991.  After her retirement she returned to the Civil Division as an extra hire senior clerk typist for 13 years. Martha Sorensen was 82 years old.

08/09/20 – San Quentin Prison reported that Sgt. Gilbert Polance, became the first staff person at the prison to pass from the Covid 19 virus.  Polance started working at the prison when he was 21 years old and he used to live on the prison grounds.  He planned to retire in 2021.  Ron Broomfield, the prison’s acting warden said Mr. Polance “demonstrated unwavering commitment and bravery as a peace officer working the frontline every day during this devastating pandemic.”  Sgt. Polance was 55 years old.

08/25/20 – Retired San Rafael Police Officer Warren Taylor passed away after a long illness.  He started as a reserve officer and worked as a police officer from 1992 to 1999.  One of his assignments was working bicycle patrol.  His son Charly Taylor has been employed at SRPD for many years.  Charly Taylor and Warren were one of four father-son teams who have worked for SRPD. There was no one more excited to work for SRPD than Warren Taylor.  He was 74 years old.

09/17/20 – Retired Mill Valley Police Officer Terry Zink passed away after an illness.  He started his career in the mid 1960’s with the Belvedere Police Department and then transferred to the Mill Valley Police Department where he worked for many years.

10/03/20 – Retired San Rafael Firefighter Paul Sasse passed away.  Paul graduated from San Rafael High School in 1947 and lived in San Rafael his whole life.  He became a San Rafael Firefighter in March of 1954 and retired as a Captain in December of 1983.  He enjoyed being a first responder.  In September of this year, Paul and his wife, Yvonne celebrated 70 years of marriage.  They enjoyed a drive-by of their residence by the police and fire departments to celebrate the occasion.  Paul enjoyed piloting gliders and made several 400-mile flights in California and Nevada.  Paul Sasse was 91 years old.

10/11/20 – Robert Thompson died peacefully in his home after a brief battle with cancer.  After graduating San Jose State College, Thompson entered the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI.  in 1966.  Bob completed three deployments to the South China Sea during Vietnam.  After his military service Bob was employed at the College of Marin starting in 1975, where he worked for many years.  For 20 years, Bob served as a volunteer Reserve Deputy for the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and an advisor to the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit. Robert Thompson was 82 years old.

10/25/20 – Retired Marin County Sheriff’s Sergeant Kenneth Frey passed suddenly at home.  Ken grew up in San Francisco and graduated from San Francisco State University in 1984.  In 1989 he joined the Marin County Sheriff’s Office where he served for 30 years.  Ken served in every division of the Sheriff’s Office and in 1999 he was promoted to sergeant, a rank he held until his retirement.  Sgt. Frey was 60 years old.

11/01/20 – Robert James Rossi passed away at the age of 75 years.  He was born in San Francisco and raised in the Sunset District, where he resided until 1974.  He graduated from USF with a master’s degree in history.  While there, he became interested in police work and joined the USF Campus Police Department.  For the next 48 years, Robert worked in law enforcement.  Bob next worked for SFPD in their old radio room and in 1975 he joined the College of Marin Campus Police Dept.  In 1981 he joined the Belvedere Police Department.  He worked there for 10 years and then transferred to the Tiburon Police Department until his retirement in 2006.  After his retirement he worked as a reserve officer and CSO for Tiburon.  Robert Rossi was truly a person who enjoyed serving the public through law enforcement.

11/02/20 – Steven Blair, a fearless Army veteran and Director of Juvenile Hall in Marin County for 40 years, died in Chico at the age of 72.  Steve understood that juveniles needed more than just being locked up to make them successful, but he also understood that the public needed to be protected from violent juvenile offenders.  He was very supportive of officers working the street who made juvenile arrests.

11/13/20 – Former Marin County Deputy District Attorney Pamela Bousquet passed away at her home after a fight with cancer.  Pamela was born in San Francisco and attended local schools there and then graduated from U.C. Berkeley.  Pamela obtained her law degree at Ohio State University Law School and then moved back to California. In 1984, she was hired as a Deputy District Attorney in Marin where she served for 25 years.  Pam joined the Sausalito houseboat community helping to obtain permits to preserve the way of life on the water.  She lived on her houseboat for 32 years.  Pamela Bousquet was 80 years old.

11/16/20 – Former Marin County Sheriff Al Howenstein passed peacefully in his sleep after a valiant fight with cancer.  Howenstein started his law enforcement career with the San Anselmo Police Department where he served for 25 years.  During this time, he earned a B.A. Degree in criminal justice at San Francisco State University and was also a proud graduate of the 100^th session of the FBI National Academy.  Howenstein served as Marin County Sheriff from 1978 to 1982.  After serving as sheriff, he was appointed by Governor George Deukmejian to serve as Director of the Office of Criminal Justice Planning.  Sheriff Howenstein was 82 years old.

End of Report

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