In a controversial ruling that has contradicted the recommendations of multiple parties, Trevor Colombano, a 38-year-old Santa Rosa resident, received a sentence of probation following his "no contest" plea to charges that included mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, and sexual battery. Despite calls for a sterner punishment, including a nine-year prison sentence, Judge Dana Simonds decided on probation due to Colombano's reported mental health issues and stress related to cannabis consumption, as detailed by the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.
The brutal attack that brought Colombano to court took place on October 28, 2023, when the victim, who was walking her dog near Howarth Park, was assaulted without warning. After she rejected his sexual advances, Colombano escalated the violence, striking her head with his fist and then further disfiguring her face with a landscaping rock. This ordeal left the victim needing 17 sutures, 5 staples, and a permanent scar on her lip. In a harrowing revelation, the assault was witnessed by the woman's 13-year-old daughter and a cousin of the same age, an experience that the victim said stripped her of her strength and left her and her family traumatized, as reported by the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.
Despite the severity of Colombano's actions, he will not serve time in prison. The district attorney's office, along with the court's Probation Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, had recommended prison time. They cited the case's gravity and the lack of extenuating factors that would typically make for an unusual consideration of probation. However, the presiding judge, Honorable Dana Simonds, gave precedence to the defense's argument regarding Colombano's substance use and stress, resulting in the decision for probation.
The District Attorney expressed deep disappointment with the court's decision. "Justice was not served in this case," said District Attorney Rodriguez, emphasizing the traumatic and violent nature of the attack and its lasting impact on the physical and emotional well-being of the victim and witnesses. "Mr. Colombano is a menace to public safety, period, and should be sitting in prison. That won’t happen," Rodriguez conceded, acknowledging the finality of the sentencing and its implications for the community and the survivors, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office. The victim has since moved out of California, seeking peace and safety away from the site of her harrowing ordeal.
