A Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave as investigations continue into a fatal October collision.
The Press Democrat reports Deputy Samuel Camarena Cruz was reportedly pursuing suspected street racers when his patrol SUV struck 78-year-old Robert Cydear, who later died from extensive injuries.
While the Sheriff’s Office has not specified the exact reason for the leave, the civilian watchdog agency IOLERO has launched its own independent probe into the veteran’s death. Questions remain regarding the deputy’s use of emergency lights, with conflicting reports surfacing about whether they were active at the moment of impact.
This follows a previous 2020 incident where the same deputy was found at fault for an on-duty crash involving another patrol vehicle.
