California suspects arrested, released for pig's blood smeared on Derek Chauvin defense witness’ former home
Santa Rosa home once owned by Barry Brodd, who testified that Chauvin was justified in force used on George Floyd
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three suspects were charged and released weeks after allegedly smearing pig's blood on a northern California home previously owned by a defense witness who testified in the trial for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, officials announced on Wednesday.
Rowan Dalbey, 20, Kristen Aumoithe, 34, and Amber Lucas, 35, all of Santa Rosa, California, were arrested Tuesday on felony vandalism and conspiracy charges. The three woman were cited and released, Santa Rosa Police spokeswoman Lt. Jeneane Kucker said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Kucker did not immediately return a voicemail left by Fox News Thursday seeking clarification.
The home allegedly targeted by the women was previously owned by retired Santa Rosa police officer Barry Brodd – who testified in a Hennepin County courtroom last month that he believed Chauvin was justified in his use of force against George Floyd during his fatal arrest on May 25, 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Several days after Brodd’s public court appearance, Santa Rosa Police responded at 3:07 a.m. on April 17 to a residence in west Santa Rosa that had just been vandalized. The current homeowner told dispatchers those inside the residence were awakened by a group of people – all dressed in black – who threw a decapitated pig’s head on their front porch and splattered the animal’s blood on the front of their house before running away.
Approximately 45 minutes later, a large hand statue in front of the Santa Rosa Plaza mall was also smeared with pig’s blood and suspects left a sign with a picture of a pig that read "Oink Oink." Police said the cleanup cost for the two acts of vandalism was estimated to be in the thousands of dollars.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police previously said it appeared the group had intended to target Brodd over his testimony – but he had not lived at the residence for several years and was no longer a resident of California. Santa Rosa police Chief Rainer "Ray" Navarro said on April 13 that Brodd had not been employed by the department since 2004 and his comments in the Chauvin trial "do not reflect the values and beliefs of the Santa Rosa Police Department."
Detectives on Tuesday served a search warrant around 9:30 a.m. in the 3900 block of Match Point Avenue in Santa Rosa and arrested Dalbey and Aumoithe. At around 1 p.m., detectives also arrested Lucas in the 200 block of Eighth Street and subsequently served a search warrant at a residence in the area, police said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Since the vandalisms on April 17, detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department Property Crimes Team have continued to follow up on investigative leads, including attempting to locate additional witnesses and evidence, according the the agency. Investigators believe there are additional suspects that were involved and are asking for the community's help in identifying them. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could assist with the investigation is asked to contact police through the online tip line: www.srcity.org/CrimeTips.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.