Nevada County District Attorney's Office

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ALTA SIERRA OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING UPDATE We want the public to know that we have been diligently conducting interviews related to this incident and are gathering background information to piece together what led up to this incident between Ms. Crawford and law enforcement. Critical evidence was collected at the scene and an autopsy has also been conducted. We are working to have the dash camera footage from the two patrol vehicles released to the public. There are some te...chnical issues in releasing this footage. There are two videos (one from each patrol vehicle present at the scene), that are then synchronized with the audio from the deputy attached to that respective patrol vehicle. A media company is working with the downloaded data to link up the audio from both deputies who were present at the scene. We expect this to be finished early next week and want to release this to the public as soon as it is complete. The dash camera footage captured the majority of the incident between Ms. Crawford and law enforcement and is very relevant towards establishing what took place. We ask for the public to be patient and wait for the evidence to be released before making any conclusions about what happened. The loss of human life is tragic. Regardless of whether the shooting is justified, or not, the emotional trauma is worsened in a situation where a young woman is shot and killed in front of her children. The District Attorney's Office is taking this investigation seriously. We are committed to a careful and transparent review of all the evidence.

ALTA SIERRA OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING UPDATE At this time the District Attorney's Office can confirm the identity of the woman who died yesterday as being Ariella Sage Eloise Crawford, DOB 3/17/87. Her birth name was Deidre Eloise Hawkins. Her next of kin has been notified. It has also been confirmed that the two young children who were present were Ms. Crawford's children. ... More details will be released as the investigation proceeds.

OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING INVESTIGATION The District Attorney's Office is taking the lead in investigating an officer involved shooting that took place this afternoon in the area of Alta Sierra Drive and Names Drive in Nevada County. The District Attorney's Office will be investigating the shooting to determine if the force used was justified and lawful. ... What we currently know is that members of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office had contact with a female adult who was armed with a knife. During the incident one deputy fired his service weapon at the female adult and she died as a result. We will provide updates promptly while also being careful to provide accurate information. This investigation will be conducted in a manner that promotes transparency and fosters public trust.

People v. Silva: Jury finds defendant Guilty of Murder On March 12, 2018, the defendant rolled the vehicle he was driving on SR-20 just west of Harmony Ridge Road in Nevada County. The defendant's two-year old son, Quincy, was ejected from the vehicle and killed. An investigation revealed that the defendant's blood alcohol content was over the legal limit. He also had marijuana in his system and was on probation for his fifth DUI conviction. Based upon the defendant's crimina...l history the District Attorney's Office charged him with murder. Despite numerous delays because of the impact of COVID-19 the case was brought to jury trial. Today that jury trial was completed and the jury found the defendant guilty of murder. No verdict will bring Quincy back but hopefully this verdict will deter others from continuing to drive under the influence. Thanks to Deputy District Attorney Cambria Lisonbee and our entire team here at the District Attorney's Office for their tireless fight for justice for Quincy in this case.

CHARGES FILED: This afternoon prosecutors filed misdemeanor battery charges against Randy Matheson and Joseph Alves for their roles during the August 9, 2020, Black Lives Matter demonstration in Nevada City. Randy Matheson is alleged to have punched a victim across the side of his face. Joseph Alves is alleged to have confronted a BLM protester and forcibly ripped their sign away. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Peaceful demonstrators should be protected and safe from bullying or harassment. The District Attorney's Office is committed to equal treatment under the law and in holding those who break it accountable.

CHARGES FILED: This afternoon detectives from the Nevada County District Attorney's Office, Nevada City Police Department, and Nevada County Sheriff's Office arrested James Smith. The Grass Valley Police Department also offered assistance. The defendant is currently being booked into the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility. James Smith is alleged to have violently confronted BLM protesters this past weekend in Nevada City. He body slammed one victim and threw him to the ground.... He forcibly took a cell phone from another victim and dropped it down a sewer. The Nevada County District Attorney's Office has charged him with Felony Assault by Means Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury, and Felony Robbery. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Every citizen has the right to peaceful protest and to be free from violence. Those that bully and harass others will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There are additional, ongoing investigations into others who were involved in these altercations.

Peaceful protest is a fundamental right guaranteed by the United States Constitution. In our community everyone should feel safe and secure to exercise their rights without being assaulted, bullied or threatened. While the vast majority of protests in our community have been peaceful there have been some instances recently where that has not been the case. The Nevada County District Attorney’s Office will zealously prosecute all those who break the law or seek to use fear, ...violence or intimidation to silence others. This will be done regardless of political viewpoints or perceived alignment towards one cause or another. As a community let’s join together and show everyone that the actions of a few bad actors do not represent our values.

MURDER CHARGES FILED: Today the District Attorney's Office filed murder charges against Aaron Sullivan for the March 2019 murder of Nathan Alwin. The defendant will be arraigned on these charges this afternoon at 1pm. Nathan Alwin was a young man who did not have strong ties to Nevada County and was not reported as a missing person locally. This murder was unknown to law enforcement until a tip was reported to the District Attorney's Office. Through excellent follow-up invest...igation done by detectives from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office, this murder was solved. We will continue the fight to seek justice for this young man. https://www.scribd.com/d/468711904/Aaron-Sullivan-Complaint