Full Notification

 

Petaluma Police Department NEWS RELEASE

                                                                                                                                                           
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                     Thursday, March 14^th, 2019
Issued By:
Detective Sergeant Paul Gilman, Petaluma PD, 707.778.4415, email [email protected]  
Incident:                 Arrest for Sexual Assault on SRJC, Petaluma Campus
Report Number:          19- 977
Occurred Date :           3-11-2019
Occurred Time:           10:30 am
Location:                     Paseo Del Olmo, Petaluma
Suspect:                       Brandon L. Cortes, 19-year-old, Petaluma Resident
 
   
On March 12, 2019, a female Santa Rosa Junior College student reported a sexual assault to the Santa Rosa Junior College District Police Department.  The victim reported that the assault occurred on March 11, 2019 in the library located on the campus of the Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma campus. 
 
In accordance with Kristin Smart Campus Safety Act of 1998, the Santa Rosa Junior College District Police and the Petaluma Police Department had previously established a Memorandum of Understanding in which Petaluma Police Department was identified as being the lead agency responsible for handling serious felony crimes, such as this, which occur on the Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma campus.
 
Petaluma Police Detective Walt Spiller investigated the reported sexual assault, with assistance from SRJC District Police.  Through the investigation Detective Spiller identified Santa Rosa Junior College student Brandon Cortes of Petaluma, as the involved suspect and developed probable cause to arrest him.
 
On March 14, 2019, Detectives from the Petaluma Police Department arrested Cortes without incident in Petaluma as he was enroute to Santa Rosa Junior College. He was interviewed at the Petaluma Police Department and transported to Sonoma County Jail on charges of 261(a)(2) PC- Rape, 286(a) PC Sodomy, and 243.4(a). PC- Sexual Battery. His bail is set at $126,000.00 
 
If there are any unidentified witnesses with information to assist this investigation, please contact Detective Spiller at 778-4456.
 
Any inquiries into the investigation of this incident should be referred to the Petaluma Police Department Detective Sergeant Gilman at 707-778-4415. Any inquiries regarding the Santa Rosa Junior College can be referred to the Santa Rosa Junior College District Police Department Chief Robert Brownlee at (707) 527-1000.