Man dies days after assault at Sonoma Plaza; 4 suspects arrested

By Carlos E. Castañeda

Four people were arrested days after an assault in downtown Sonoma that left a man dead, authorities said.

The incident happened on Sept. 7 at about 10:30 p.m. at the Sonoma Plaza. The Sonoma Police Department said in a press release that officers responded to the plaza following reports of a person injured near a fountain at the plaza adjacent to 1st Street East. They found a man unconscious on the ground and provided first aid until medics arrived to take him to a trauma center in critical condition.

The man died of his injuries on Sunday, police said. He was identified as 64-year-old Sonoma resident John Francis Avila.

Police said the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation using surveillance footage, automated license plate readers, physical evidence and witness statements. The Sonoma Police Department contracts with the Sheriff’s Office for police services.

The investigation determined that four people assaulted the victim and caused injuries that led to his death, police said. The suspects, all Sonoma residents, were identified as Cristian Vargas Collado, 20; Augustine Rossi, 20; Thomas Griego, 21; and Anthony Kirk, 28. Each was booked on Sunday at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility in Santa Rosa on charges of murder and conspiracy,

On Tuesday, police acknowledged the existence of a disturbing and graphic video posted on social media which appears to show the incident that led to the man’s fatal injuries. In the video, an older man is having a confrontation a group of younger males who are telling him to step away from them.

After an exchange that included racial slurs, one person is seen striking the man in the face, and the man falls backwards, appearing to hit his head on the pavement and becoming unconscious.

Police said the video posting includes an account of the confrontation that differs from its investigation.

“That social media page did not obtain this video from law enforcement and their expressed hearsay about this case is not based on facts collected by the Sheriff’s Office Detectives of the Violent Crimes Investigation Unit, nor the deputies of the Sonoma Police Department,” the department said on its social media page. “As this video depicts violence against another person, we have requested that the video be removed as we find the posting of the video inappropriate and in very poor taste.”

Police said the video is accompanied by a narrative that attempts to disparage the victim, adding that investigators will present all the evidence obtained to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of appropriate charges.