WOODLAND, Calif. – Judge Catherine Hohenwarter ordered a hold on the accused Friday in Yolo County Superior Court, despite defense objections that key witnesses were never heard. Deputy Public Defender Jailene Gutierrez also pointed to mitigating factors, including that the accused holds a full-time job to support his three children and is pursuing a certification in mechanics.
The accused faces two counts of domestic violence-related charges, including inflicting corporal injury on a cohabiting partner and battery against a cohabiting partner, with an enhancement for being a repeat offender.
The accused reportedly became involved in an initially verbal altercation with the victim that allegedly turned physical by “(the accused)’s insistence.” The two were described as being in “a dating relationship for over a year.”
According to testimony from Deputy Sheriff David Coronado of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, the altercation occurred on April 12, 2025, at the accused’s parents’ residence in Winters.
Deputy Coronado testified that the argument began over why the accused “wasn’t sleeping at (the victim)’s place” after allegedly agreeing to do so.
He recalled that the victim said they were “getting loud,” prompting the accused to pull the victim’s hair on the left side while simultaneously pulling their arm to force them into a chair. The accused then reportedly told the victim in Spanish to “shut the f**k up, b***h,” and struck the victim with a closed fist on the left side of the face “more than one time.”
Coronado said the victim’s injuries matched their account, including a bump on the head, bruising to the left elbow and bicep, and red marks with possible fresh blood behind and in front of the left ear.
The deputy testified that the altercation ended when the accused’s father came out of the house.
Deputy Sheriff Daniel Schredar of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office was the second witness, describing his interaction with the accused during detainment and arrest.
Schredar testified that the accused required a Spanish interpreter for the preliminary hearing but acknowledged his rights when read to him and agreed to speak with deputies, never indicating he did not understand.
The accused reportedly told deputies he was “unsure why (the victim) reported (them)” and did not know the cause of the bruising. According to Schredar, the accused was adamant that no physical altercation took place and that he “did not lay hands on the victim.”
DPD Gutierrez emphasized that important witnesses were not called during the hearing. “Some officers talked to the family (of the accused); we did not speak to those officers today,” she said. “It’s clear the family made statements and might have been witnesses to what occurred.”
She added, “(Deputy Coronado) did not talk to (the accused); he doesn’t know if (the accused) also had injuries, or what his side of the story was at that time.”
Gutierrez urged the court not to impose a hold, citing mitigating factors including the accused’s steady employment in construction and his efforts to earn a certification in mechanics.
Judge Hohenwarter ultimately ruled that there was sufficient evidence to issue a hold on the accused, despite the defense’s arguments about mitigating circumstances and the absence of testimony from the accused’s parents, who were reportedly present during the alleged incident.
The arraignment on information is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 9 a.m.
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