by Antoinnette Borbon
Ex-Cop Gets Life In Sexual Assault Case, Family Members Weep As Judge Reads Sentencing – The courtroom filled up quickly today with not only people interested in learning the fate of one Sergio Alvarez, the West Sacramento police officer who was convicted on several counts of kidnap, rape and oral copulation, but with several more family members and a few jurors.
A few of his family members shed tears for Alvarez as Judge Timothy Fall read all of the charges and their sentences. Of several kidnapping charges, Fall ordered a stay of execution due to the other abiding life sentences for rape and oral copulation.
All of the life sentences combined with other charges added up to a grand total of 205 years in state prison.
Victim witness advocate, Laura Valdez, read a long letter from Alvarez’ wife addressed to Judge Fall about her life with Sergio. She stated, “His fire consumed me and those he hurt, he was angry and abusive.” Rachel Alvarez also stated in the letter that she had tried to get him to seek help but his response was, “I’m not ready.”
Ms. Alvarez told the Vanguard that she and her children have been financially and emotionally devastated over her husband’s actions. She said she fled when things became too scary and Sergio had begun putting his hands around her neck. She stated in the letter, “I cried on many friends’ pillows and shoulders and I tried to get law enforcement to help but it is much like a brotherhood, they all protect each other.”
She begged Judge Fall “to be swift to justice,” and that she would “pray for the victims.”
Alvarez sat with little expression during the reading of his sentences and the long letter his wife had written.
Defense counsel, J. Toney, objected to the letter being read by anyone other than the victim, but Judge Fall denied his objection and allowed it to be read in open court.
Ms. Alvarez expressed to the Vanguard that she plans on coming back to California in the summer. She stated, “My kids used to love and admire a man who is now known as a rapist, it has been devastating for them as they weep over the loss of their father to prison.” But she is glad the victims had the courage to come forward.
Media swarmed the Alvarez family outside the courtroom, but they declined to talk about the case, some walking away in tears.
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Davis Man to Go to Trial in Elder Abuse Homicide Case; Mother Takes Plea
by Antoinnette Borbon
The trial is set to begin on April 7 for a man who is being charged with homicide after letting an elderly man deteriorate in health while under his and his mother’s care.
Darlene Mattos, mother of James Mattos, the defendant, took a plea deal. Defense attorney Jeff Raven, representing Ms. Mattos, stated she pled to Penal Code section 368 b(1) Felony endangerment of dependent adult.
During the preliminary hearing it was said by the DDA that the two had been caretakers for an elderly dependent adult in Davis. But when officers came to do a welfare check, they found a very frail and severely dehydrated man with bed sores on his body.
He was taken to Sutter Davis Hospital where he would later die.
Both Darlene Mattos and her son were arrested and charged with homicide. Mr. Mattos was charged with murder, elder abuse and embezzlement, and Ms. Mattos faced manslaughter charges.
A sheriff’s deputy, Dean Nyland, testified during the preliminary hearing last summer that he was called in to Sutter Davis on October 13, 2012, about a possible case of neglect. Cecil W. was a 66-year-old mentally retarded individual who had been under the care of James Mattos for the prior several years.
By the time Mr. Mattos had gotten Cecil to the hospital, his condition was grave. Deputy Nyland testified that he was largely unresponsive. He was suffering from dehydration and severe neglect, he had severe bed sores, and a body temperature of just 86 degrees. The man weighed just 97 pounds AFTER being administered 6 liters of water – which weighs approximately 13 pounds.
He would ultimately die from a combination of conditions.
Deputy Nyland described for the court the condition of the trailer where Mr. Mattos resided with Cecil. He described it as being in disarray, with a strong smell of feces – both animal and human – along with urine.
Cecil was on a bed with no linen or pillows in his room. There were feces on the floor and the bathroom was extremely dirty, looking basically unusable with feces smeared all over the toilet.
Deputy Nyland said that the other side of the residence was cleaner, but not clean. There was actual bedding on the bed and, while the bathroom was not clean, it was better than on Cecil’s side of the residence.
Cecil had an IQ of about 70. He was cared for by his mother until her death. A trust was set up and Ms. Mattos’ husband watched over him until his death about ten years ago. Darlene Mattos was Cecil’s caregiver until about two and a half years ago, when she decided that she was too old to take care of Cecil anymore and turned over care to her son James Mattos.
From the testimony, it appears that Cecil was a relative of the Mattos’ and had been in their care for well over a decade.
As recently as six weeks before his death, Cecil was able to walk with some assistance and not long before that he had been able to get around town, where he used to ride his bike and dig in the trash cans for food – despite being provided plenty of food by the Mattos’, at least at that time.
His condition appears to have gone downhill very quickly.
Under cross-examination from Jeff Raven, defense attorney representing Darlene Mattos, she had not visited her son in six weeks. She acknowledged that James Mattos was a terrible housekeeper. However, as he was a former worker at a convalescent hospital, she believed that whatever care James Mattos was providing was better than Cecil going to the hospital.
Former Chief Deputy Coroner Robert LaBrash would testify at the preliminary hearing regarding the cause of death and the medical autopsy.
He testified that Cecil appeared significantly older than the stated age. He was poorly nourished and had numerous bedsores.
The cause of death was complex. It was septic shock – infection of multiple internal organs, aspirational pneumonia (infection of the lung), and urosepsis ulcers due to a combination of malnutrition and hypothermia, with the contributing factors of mental retardation and hypertension.
He testified that the onset of death took days, but under some further examination allowed that it could have been as long as weeks – but not likely months.
Mr. LaBrash added that the manner of death was homicide due to neglect.
Judge Fall would hold both Mr. Mattos and his mother Darlene Mattos to answer for all charges. However, he allowed Darlene Mattos to be released on her own recognizance.
