Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 4/28/04

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DEFENDANTS PLEAD TO ROBBERY AND BEATING OF ELDER IN GANG-RELATED CASE

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that two defendants entered pleas admitting to the robbery and beating of an elderly Santa Rosa resident. On September 16, 2003, 87 year old Florence Grover awoke in the early morning hours to find Michael Develder and Cesar Villa in her home. They had entered through a second story window. After confronting the defendants, one of them pushed her to the ground, injuring her arm while they demanded she turn over her "stash." After the defendants covered Ms. Grover's head with a blanket and over the course of nearly two hours, the defendants moved her from room to room in her home ransacking her apartment, taking cash, credit cards and jewelry. The defendants forced Ms. Grover upstairs, where they gagged her with a bandana, tied her arms behind her back, bound her legs and laid her on the floor. They then beat her to the head with a cane found in her home, using a force great enough to dent and crack the metal cane. Though she lost consciousness, Ms. Grover was able to untie herself after the defendants fled her home. Because the defendants had ripped out all the phone cords, Ms. Grover went to a neighbor's home to call the police.

Santa Rosa Police were able to track the defendants by their use of the victim's credit cards in attempting to purchase gang paraphernalia - red shirts - that morning at Coddingtown Shopping Center. Develder is a 15 year old Norteno gang member who was 14 years old at the time of the offense and goes by the moniker "Little Sticky." Villa is an 18 year old Norteno gang member who was 17 years old at the time of the offense and goes by the moniker "Devil." Because the crimes were gang-related and involved injury to an elder, the District Attorney exercised his discretion to charge them as adults.

Yesterday, Develder pled guilty to the crimes of residential robbery, elder abuse, commercial burglary, destroying telephone lines and a felony theft charge related to using the victim's credit cards to make unauthorized telephone calls. He also admitted that the robbery was gang-related and that he caused an elder person to suffer great bodily injury. He was to serve 22 years, 4 months in state prison. However, it was agreed that this sentence would be amended to 20 years in state prison if the codefendant subsequently pled to that term. Today, Villa pled no contest to the crimes of residential robbery, elder abuse, and commercial burglary. He also admitted that the robbery was gang-related and that he caused an elder person to suffer great bodily injury. He will serve 20 years in state prison, as will Develder. As a result of the pleas, the victim will not have to confront her attackers in court during a jury trial.

District Attorney Passalacqua stated, "When gang members resort to violence in our community, they can expect to serve lengthy prison sentences."

Deputy District Attorney Christine Cook was the assigned prosecutor in the case. She was assisted by District Attorney Investigator John Kilass and District Attorney Legal Assistant Dava Kohlman. Santa Rosa Police Officer Rainer Navarro was the lead detective on the case and Santa Rosa Police Department Victim Advocate Nadine Reyes provided assistance to the victim.