WOODLAND, Calif. — A Yolo County Superior Court judge Wednesday ordered the release of an accused man facing burglary charges, despite prosecutors arguing he posed a risk to public safety, after defense counsel emphasized the accused’s severe mental health and substance abuse issues and contended he had become stabilized.
The hearing took place Wednesday morning, July 1, at the Yolo County Courthouse in Woodland, where the accused appeared in court as the prosecution argued he remained a risk to public safety despite the defense’s emphasis on his mental health and substance abuse issues.
The accused faces a total of three charges, one felony and two misdemeanors. He is charged with first-degree burglary, an enhancement alleging another person other than an accomplice was present in the building at the time of the offense, and an enhancement alleging circumstances in aggravation.
According to Deputy Public Defender David Muller, the accused suffers from substance abuse issues as well as severe mental health issues. “I believe that we have demonstrated that [the accused] is not likely to commit any super strike,” he told the court.
Judge Catherine Rayhill heard arguments from both sides after Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Spatola argued there was no unreasonable threat to public safety.
According to DPD Muller, despite the accused’s multiple offenses, he is now fully stabilized. In turn, he asked the court to release the accused on his own recognizance and ensure Sacramento County came to collect him within five days.
DDA Spatola opposed DPD Muller’s request, informing the court that the accused “is charged with breaking into someone’s house at approximately 3:00 am, with an eighteen-year-old woman sleeping in her bed. This is a serious charge, it’s a strike offense, and this could have ended very badly.”
He disputed the defense’s argument that the accused’s mental illness was connected to the crime with which he is charged.
“I have provided the exhibits, I have provided the police reports, preliminary examination that Judge Richardson reviewed and held to answer … there is clear intent that [the accused] intended to steal from the home that the woman was sleeping at at the time of 3:30 in the morning in Woodland,” he stated.
DDA Spatola informed the court that, at the time of the break-in, the accused was dressed in all black, including a mask covering his face, and was carrying a bag, which the prosecution argued signaled his intent to steal from the home. He argued that the accused was aware of what he was doing because of how he came prepared.
DDA Spatola detailed how the accused was spotted on a neighbor’s Ring camera down the street at around 11 p.m., hours before the break-in. He explained that the woman who lived in the house entered through the back door at around 2 a.m. He asserted that the accused must have watched her, given that he had already been spotted in the neighborhood.
“[The accused] entered through the back door, which was unlocked. We don’t blame her for not locking her door, because [the accused] should not have entered her home,” DDA Spatola told the court.
According to DDA Spatola, the accused saw the camera inside the victim’s house and, to prevent himself from being caught, manipulated the camera by turning it away. There was an additional camera in the living room that he argued was also manipulated by the accused.
He explained that the accused remained quiet so as not to wake the woman who was sleeping while her bedroom door was open. He stated that the accused was aware of what he was doing.
DDA Spatola also mentioned the accused’s history of domestic violence. “He has been arrested for domestic violence three times in 2023 … and has a felony conviction on the same victim,” he stated.
He further argued that the accused poses a risk to public safety.
In response, DPD Muller claimed that DDA Spatola’s argument was based purely on “speculation” and “conjecture.” “They are trying to say that [the accused] was a thief and went in there with an intent to steal.” He disputed that a thief would be “in and out,” noting that the accused was in the house for three hours.
Judge Catherine Rayhill acknowledged DPD Muller’s argument regarding the accused’s mental health, noting that his behavior appeared abnormal.
She stated that the court recognized those concerns but ultimately issued its ruling based on the information presented during the hearing.
As a result, the accused was released on his own recognizance. The court scheduled his next appearance for Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Tags: Yolo County Superior Court, Woodland, Court Watch, Mental Health, Burglary, Public Safety
