Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho presented to the River City Waterway Alliance a Beacon of Hope Award for their continuous efforts keeping the river waterways clean. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho presented the Outstanding Citizen Award to 13 victims and witnesses who have shown uncommon courage by participating in the criminal justice process under extraordinarily challenging circumstances.

The awards were given out April 25 at the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers on H Street in Sacramento.

A Beacon of Hope Award was also presented to an individual or organization showing compassion and dedication, thus enhancing victim advocacy and public safety.

From left, Harrell Fischer, Damaria (middle) and John Stubbe received Outstanding Citizen Awards by Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho for their courage demonstrated in the People versus Mandiko Kwadzo case from 2020. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office

Citizens Harrell Fischer, John Stubbe and Damaria were recognized and awarded for their assistance in the People versus Mandiko Kwadzo case (case number 20FE011791).

On July 27, 2020, West Sacramento Police officers responded to a report of shots fired inside a residence. Moments later, a witness reported seeing the victim, Carliena Clayton, and the defendant having an argument on the driveway of that residence. The victim was then seen getting into a car with her four small children and the defendant getting into the passenger seat as she pulled out of the driveway. When officers arrived on scene, they found evidence of a shooting inside the residence.

That night, Harrell Fischer was at Cliff’s Marina in Sacramento County when he heard a gunshot followed by a car crashing into the Sacramento River. He called a friend, John Stubbe, and the two went to the crash scene to help. They found the victim’s car partially submerged in the river, with the defendant standing nearby, not doing anything to help. When they looked into the car, they found the victim unresponsive in the driver’s seat and her four children in the backseat. The oldest child, Damaria, 6, had already unbuckled all their seatbelts but the youngest child, 2, was still in her car seat. Fischer and Stubbe got the children out of the car to safety. Responding California Highway Patrol officers found the victim did not have a pulse, with severe bleeding from her head. At that time, officers believed it was a car accident until Damaria told officers that the defendant shot his mother. It was later determined that the victim suffered two gunshot wounds to her head. Damaria, Harrell Fischer and John Stubbe all testified at trial and were instrumental in obtaining guilty verdicts in this case.

The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder with a firearm allegation and felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 53 years to life in prison.

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho presented Gigi Barrios with an Outstanding Citizen Award on April 15 for her assistance in the People versus Dominick Roberson case from 2022. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office

Citizen Gigi Barrios was recognized for her help in the People versus Dominick Roberson case (case number 22FE019182). On Nov. 18, 2022, Gigi Barrios was working at the Medical Safe Haven. A pregnant patient named Precious came into the clinic for an appointment. Gigi knew Precious well and immediately recognized something was wrong.

Precious avoided eye contact; she was vague and hesitant when Barrios asked her questions and seemed distressed when she received text messages. Precious said that her baby’s father was the cause for her agitation. Barrios finally got Precious to reveal that her unborn child’s father was in the clinic parking lot and was threatening to kill her. He had a gun and he had been trafficking Precious since she met him months earlier.

Barrios jumped into action, making sure that clinic staff called 911 and personally reached out to Sacramento Police Department human trafficking detectives that Barrios knew from her collaborative work throughout the county. Sacramento officers and detectives quickly arrived to the clinic, detained the defendant and found a gun in his car. Precious was terrified of her trafficker, but with Barrios by her side, was able to explain that the defendant groomed her, portraying himself as a boyfriend before taking her to the “blade” to engage in prostitution. He made Precious give him all the money she made.

He regularly beat and threatened Precious, he threatened her family and controlled her life. Precious gave detectives access to her phone, where they found messages that corroborated what Precious told them. The defendant was arrested that day and Sacramento police detectives ensured that Precious got to a safe house, where she stayed through the birth of her child and through the trial.

The defendant was convicted of a variety of human trafficking charges and sentenced to 71 years to life in prison.

North Peredina and Scott Kingston were both recognized with an Outstanding Citizen Award for their help in the People versus Tycho Roney case. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office

Residents North Peredina and Scott Kingston were recognized for their support in the People versus Tycho Roney case (case number 24FE003928). North Peredina is the general manager of Paco’s Bike Shop in Midtown Sacramento. The bike shop was burglarized with a loss of more than $28,000 in high-end bikes and $13,000 in property damage. Peredina reviewed their interior surveillance cameras and saw the defendant drop into the business from a breached roof skylight. The profile of the defendant’s face was momentarily caught on the surveillance video.

After reporting the crime, Peredina set out to find the stolen bikes. When he saw a man with one of the bikes, Peredina immediately reported it to the Sacramento Police Department. Detectives responded to the area and spotted a similar-looking bike outside a tent. After confirming it was one of the stolen bikes, they found the defendant inside the tent along with the clothes from the burglary, a loaded.9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun and methamphetamine. Peredina positively identified the defendant as the person in the surveillance video and with the stolen bike.

Scott Kingston is in commercial real estate. Kingston rallied attention to this case, including writing passionate pleas to city leadership for the need to address retail crime and public safety in the city. As a business leader, Kingston encouraged city leaders to address these issues or businesses would leave. Peredina’s proactive response to the burglary and Kingston’s challenging of the conditions that were leading to rampant crime helped lead to the arrest and conviction of the defendant. In a broader sense, their actions helped restore faith in public safety and the criminal justice system for a business community plagued with repeat thefts.

The defendant was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison.

Joseph Bayless, Brandon Gross, Devonte Rainey, Michael Armendariz, Brian Saldivar and Jose Garcia all received Outstanding Citizen Awards for their help in the People versus Kryn Spear case from 2022. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office

Citizens Joseph Bayless, Brandon Gross, Devonte Rainey, Michael Armendariz, Brian Saldivar and Jose Garcia were awarded for their help in the People versus Kryn Spear case (case number 22FE008691).

On May 26, 2022, Veronica Vargas was driving through the intersection of Power Inn Road and Elsie Avenue with her 4-year-old daughter, Samantha, in the back seat. At that same time and intersection, the defendant ran a red light at 89 miles per hour and broadsided them with his dually truck. The collision’s force flipped the victim’s car onto its roof.

Brian Casado was the first person who stopped at the scene after the crash occurred. He rushed over to the victim’s vehicle and saw and heard the little girl in the back seat. He tried to help other bystanders get the victims out of their car. Joseph Bayless and Brandon Gross also stopped at the scene and tried to help Veronica and Samantha. The three men stayed with Samantha, reassuring her she would be OK until the first responders arrived.

After the crash, the defendant got out of his truck and began walking away from the crash scene. Devonte Rainey stopped at the scene to help the victims and followed the defendant as he recorded and took pictures of him. Michael Armendariz saw the crash scene and came across Rainey, who told him that the driver who caused the crash was trying to get away. Armendariz stopped his car and went hands-on with the defendant to detain him.

Brian Saldivar and Jose Garcia also saw the crash scene and helped Armendariz detain the defendant until California Highway Patrol arrived. The defendant had a blood alcohol content of 0.251% and was on probation for a prior Driving Under the Influence conviction at the time of this crash.

The defendant was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and a number of additional felonies driving under the influence-related charges, hit-and-run causing death and or permanent injury and a great bodily injury allegation. He was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison.

Beacon of Hope Award Recipients

Victim advocate Lisa Corral works tirelessly in the Domestic Violence Unit, where she has helped thousands of domestic violence victims and supports the unit attorneys. The Domestic Violence Unit is unlike any other unit in that the victim advocate is involved immediately at the beginning of the case, at filing and sometimes when a case is not filed. The Domestic Violence Unit is also a unique assignment because not all victims want our help and can be resistant to us. Corral is patient and works through these challenges, with the mission to keep the victims of domestic violence safe.

From left, victim advocates Lisa Corral and Colette Brown are with Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho who recognized them both with a Beacon of Hope Award for their contributions in the Domestic Violence Unit. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office

The River City Waterway Alliance is made up of a volunteer team of 30 to 40 experienced waterway stewards who work tirelessly to keep the river waterways clean and safe for people and endangered salmon species. The alliance reported that in just five years, volunteers pulled 2.8 million pounds of trash or 1,400 tons of trash, to date.

It’s not just litter and trash. They recover large hazardous waste items, including propane tanks, household appliances, electronics, clothes and other personal items. Unhoused encampments all along the river levees are the primary source of the items found in the waterways. The amount and type of waste being tossed into our waters are a significant environmental and wildlife hazard. Alliance volunteers are continually cleaning these waters even as more garbage, junk and hazardous items are thrown right back into those same waters. It is a never-ending struggle for them; however, they remain devoted to keeping the waters and the environment clean and safe for people and wildlife.