DA: 'Justice Was Not Served' In Judge's Sentence

SONOMA COUNTY, CA —Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez expressed disappointment in a sentence handed down this week.

Trevor Colombano, 38, of Santa Rosa, was sentenced Monday by the Honorable Judge Dana Simonds to a term of probation after he pleaded no contest to charges including mayhem with a further allegation that he used a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon with a further allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury upon the victim, as well as sexual battery.

"The District Attorney’s Office, the Court’s Probation Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the victim, all recommended or requested Colombano be sentenced to state prison," the DA's Office said in a statement.

The Charges

The charges against Colombano originated the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2023, when the victim took her dog for a walk in Santa Rosa.

"She stepped outside of her apartment on Sonoma Avenue near Howarth Park and was approached from behind by Colombano," the DA's Office said. "Colombano rubbed his erect penis on the victim’s buttocks, and when she rebuffed his advances, brutally attacked her. Colombano struck the victim on her head several times with a closed fist, and the attack then took a horrific turn when Colombano retrieved a landscaping rock and repeatedly bashed the victim’s face with it.

"The attack occurred while the victim’s 13-year-old daughter and 13-year-old cousin looked on helplessly. It only stopped when two bystanders wrestled Colombano to the ground and held him until Santa Rosa police arrived. The victim was left with several lacerations to her scalp and a full-thickness laceration to her lip. The injuries required 17 sutures, 5 staples, and left her permanently disfigured. Colombano also ripped off the victim’s shirt and bra during the attack."

'A Stranger Attacked Me'

The victim spoke at Colombano’s sentencing.

"When you have a stranger attack you in the way I was attacked, it felt like my ability to be strong was taken away from me. I have cried more in the last six months than I have in my entire lifetime…my daughter and my little cousin, both thirteen at the time, had to witness the whole thing…I cannot even put into words the feeling of not being able to protect yourself or your child at the same time."

According to the DA's Office, the victim has since moved out of California and asked the court to sentence Colombano to prison.

The Sentence

Colombano faced a maximum prison sentence of nine years, in addition to 18 months in the county jail for his crimes. Before the trial, Colombano pleaded guilty to all charges against him and did not enter into any sentencing agreements with the district attorney, her office said.

During the sentencing hearing this week, the district attorney’s office asked for the 9-year maximum prison sentence to be imposed. The court’s Probation Department also recommended a prison sentence, stating that "the defendant is statutorily limited from receiving probation and we cannot, even after much effort considering the complexities, favorable, and mitigating factors involved in this case, identify any factors that mark this matter an unusual case for probation consideration."

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation agreed and recommended a prison sentence as well.

"The Honorable Judge Dana Simonds disagreed, citing Colombano’s cannabis consumption and stress as contributing factors, and referenced mental health issues in sentencing him to probation, and allowing for his release from custody," the DA's Office said.

"Justice was not served in this case," District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said. "The victim was walking her dog on a public street in Sonoma County and minding her own business when Mr. Colombano viciously attacked her while her 13-year-old daughter and niece looked on. He sexually assaulted the victim and then beat her in the face with a rock to the point of hospitalization and permanent disfigurement. This woman will be permanently scarred for the rest of her life, both physically and emotionally. Her daughter and niece’s sense of safety and well-being will never be the same. Mr. Colombano is a menace to public safety, period, and should be sitting in prison. That won’t happen. As there is no further action legally allowable for our office, the community, and more importantly, the victims will have to live with the consequences of this sentence. I am incredibly disappointed in the outcome of this case."

Patch was not immediately able to reach Judge Simonds on Wednesday. This story will be updated if we hear back.