The lawsuit against Santa Rosa has largely been settled, leaving one defendant

Santa Rosa has reached a partial settlement in a civil lawsuit against 13 residents accused of organizing illegal street races in the city in July 2022, an effort aimed at curbing sideshows that local lawyers called “unusual.”

The city filed a motion on September 19 to dismiss the case against 12 of the defendants named in the lawsuit, including on the condition that they all pay a fine and perform volunteer work.

City Attorney Teresa Stricker explained the terms of the settlement during an Oct. 22 City Council meeting.

It requires each defendant to pay the city $500 for property damage, perform volunteer work within 12 months and participate in a 20-hour rehabilitation program run by the nonprofit Restorative Resources.

They will have to pay the city $15,000 in additional damages if the conditions are not met, Stricker told city officials last week.

The lawsuit identified the 12 defendants as:

Jorge Calderon-Caballero of Santa Rosa,
Jesus Calderon Avalos of Santa Rosa,
George Patino Flores of Santa Rosa,
Alexys Aguirre-Serrano of Santa Rosa,
Emiliano Bautista Rodriguez of Santa Rosa,
Daniel Nunez Serna of Santa Rosa,
Rodrigo Lopez-Tapia of Santa Rosa,
Richard Murillo of Rohnert Park,
Joel Vasquez Cortez of Rohnert Park,
Neri Orea-Vasquez of Rohnert Park,
Manuel Garfia from Rohnert Park,
Roberto Carrillo of Petaluma.

The sole remaining suspect is identified in the lawsuits as Santa Rosa resident Jersain Lezama Meza, who is incarcerated in the Sonoma County Jail. on an unrelated matter.

They were all accused of organizing a sideshow on the weekend of July 9 and 10, 2022.

Sideshows are described as unsanctioned vehicle demonstrations where drivers perform various tricks on streets and parking lots in close proximity to crowds. They have been reported across California, forcing local and state lawmakers to take additional and unexpected steps to curb them.

In October 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom spoke signed a bipartisan bill which defines sideshows as an event involving at least two vehicles blocking traffic for the purpose of performing stunts, speed contests or reckless driving in front of an audience.

The city’s lawsuit, filed July 7, 2023, in Sonoma County Superior Court, accused the 13 defendants of causing a public nuisance by civil conspiracy and willful misconduct and polluting waterways with tire debris – in violation of California Fish & Wildlife regulations .

They were all due to attend a court hearing on January 17, but the proceedings have now been cancelled. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for May 22.

All were represented by Nicole Jaffee, who attempted to continue the trial on Meza’s behalf on September 26. In a court filing, she stated that he is involved in a criminal case that “will likely prevent Mr. Meza from complying with the terms of the (settlement) and could result in incarceration, which would preclude the defendant from this lawsuit and/or the current trial would attend. date.”

Meza was arrested on June 30 in connection with a pursuit and collision in Santa Rosa.

The Sonoma County district attorney charged him July 1 with eluding police, driving with a suspended license and possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Meza will attend a preliminary hearing before Sonoma County Judge Mark Urioste on December 12. His attorney, Heather Wise, said Meza pleaded not guilty to the charges and she declined to comment further.

California cities have sought injunctions in the past to curb criminal behavior in cases involving other crimes, such as gang activity.

But Santa Rosa attorney Roy Miller called the city’s civil suit unusual when it was filed last year. He told The Press Democrat that he could not recall a similar approach in his 30 years as a lawyer.

“What I think they’re trying to do is they’re trying to send a message throughout Northern California to discourage, if not intimidate, people from doing (sideshows),” said Miller, who has previously represented a client who has been charged in a lawsuit. side issue.

Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan said preventing side hustles was one of his priorities when he took over the department and that he was “proud” to work with the city attorney’s office to take legal action against anyone involved in the events was.

“I will use every tool at our disposal to demonstrate that these side issues will not be tolerated in Santa Rosa,” he previously told The Press Democrat.

Press Democrat reporter Paulina Pineda contributed to this story

You can reach staff writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. On Twitter @colin_atagi