WOODLAND, Calif. — During a Monday hearing in Yolo County Superior Court, Judge Sonia Cortés denied a defense request to release an accused man to a residential treatment program despite acknowledging his serious mental health needs.
The accused, who was charged in May 2025 with several firearm-related offenses and misdemeanor battery, also faces sentencing enhancements involving a prior serious felony conviction, habitual criminal status and circumstances in aggravation. The enhancements could substantially increase his sentence, potentially doubling the prison term if he is convicted.
Assistant Chief Deputy Public Defender Andrea Pelochino requested that the accused be released to Friendship House, a residential treatment program that had accepted him into its dual-diagnosis program, which addresses both mental health and substance use disorders.
The Friendship House Association of American Indians of San Francisco is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides substance use prevention, treatment and recovery services to Native American communities through culturally grounded and spiritually informed approaches.
Pelochino explained that the program would also help connect the accused with Indigenous services and resources.
Deputy District Attorney Zachary Gazda raised concerns about the program’s voluntary structure and the possibility that the accused could leave treatment without authorization.
“The program is voluntary, so [the accused] could just walk away,” Gazda argued.
Pelochino countered that neither she nor the accused had previously requested release because he wanted to prioritize his treatment needs.
The prosecution pointed to the accused’s prior convictions involving similar offenses as grounds for opposing his release.
Pelochino responded by emphasizing the accused’s mental health needs and arguing that the criminal legal system had previously failed to provide him with adequate treatment.
“[The accused] only received punishment,” Pelochino stated.
Pelochino also warned that the accused risked losing his placement at Friendship House if he was not released that day.
She explained that the residential treatment opportunity could be revoked because the program required his immediate admission.
Gazda continued to oppose the request, citing the accused’s history of being granted release and subsequently failing to appear for scheduled criminal proceedings.
Despite the defense’s arguments and the accused’s acceptance into residential treatment, Cortés denied the request for supervised release on his own recognizance.
The judge scheduled a further review of the release request for Nov. 9.
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