Caregiver Accused Of Violent Carjacking Released From Jail

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office is still investigating the carjacking and beating of a Sonoma County man who later died in police custody after a 7-mile pursuit in west Sonoma County in November.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office arrested Driden Adrian Estrada, 32, of Sonoma on Saturday for the Nov. 24 carjacking and beating of David Glen Ward at Ward's residence in the 10000 block of Mill Street. Estrada was a caretaker at Ward's residence for about two months, and Ward knew Estrada only by the nickname "D", according to the sheriff's office.

Estrada, 32, appeared in Sonoma County Superior Court Tuesday for arraignment, but the District Attorney's Office asked Judge Elliot Daum for eight more weeks to investigate the vehicle theft and battery.

The judge granted Estrada's release from jail, and Estrada's next court date is Feb. 4 when prosecutors will decide whether to file charges.

Estrada is suspected of punching, kicking and pistol-whipping Ward, 52, and fleeing in Ward's 2003 Honda Civic, Sonoma County sheriff's Sgt. Juan Valencia said.

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Ward reported the beating and carjacking to the sheriff's office around 10:10 p.m. on Nov. 24, Valencia said.

Ward gave a description of Estrada to the sheriff's office andidentified him in a photo lineup as the suspect. Sheriff's detectives arrested Estrada, who had outstanding warrants, at 8 p.m. Saturday during a probation search at a residence on 5th Street East in Sonoma, Valencia said.

Investigators do not know exactly how and when Ward got his Honda back, Valencia said.

The sheriff's office had received a report by an off-duty Santa Rosa police detective on Nov. 27 that the Honda, thought to still be stolen, was seen in the area of Frei and Guerneville roads around 5:40 a.m.

A sheriff's deputy and two Sebastopol police officers pursued the vehicle, which at one point stopped but drove away, for about seven minutes and ended at 6:02 a.m. Another deputy, Charlie Blount, arrived at the scene after the pursuit ended.

Ward was driving the Honda but refused to get out of the vehicle, and officers tried to remove him through the open driver's side window, according to Santa Rosa police who are investigating the in-custody death.

During a struggle, Ward bit deputies Blount and Jason Little, the officers shot Ward with a Taser stun gun and Blount used a carotid hold around Ward's neck to remove him from the Honda's passenger door, Santa Rosa police said.

Ward was handcuffed, and at 6:10 a.m. he did not appear to be breathing. CPR was started, medical personnel arrived at 6:21 a.m. and Ward was taken by ambulance to Petaluma Valley Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m., Santa Rosa police said.

The sheriff's office will conduct an administrative review to determine if the deputies followed policies, and the Marin County Sheriff's Office will investigate the cause and manner of Ward's death.

Since Ward's death, defense attorney Izaak Schwaiger, who represents plaintiffs in alleged excessive police force cases, has disclosed Blount's previous uses of the carotid restraint, which can be fatal if not performed correctly.

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