Sonoma County Men Arrested on Murder Charges in Butte Robbery Gone Wrong

By Bay City News Service

Two Sonoma County men have been arrested on suspicion of murder for the death of their accomplice during an attempted marijuana robbery near Oroville in Butte County last month.

Hector Gabriel, 24, of Santa Rosa, Salvador Mendoza Jr., 38, of Santa Rosa, and Yonatan Tesfazghi, 19, of Sebastopol, allegedly tried to rob marijuana from a residence at 6934 Upper Palmero Road around 2 p.m. on Nov. 26, Butte County sheriff's Sgt. Jason Hail said.

During the attempted robbery, one of the homeowners shot Gabriel, who later died at a hospital.

The robbery suspects fled the residence in a newer-model silver Mercedes SUV, Hail said.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office, Santa Rosa police and Sebastopol police determined the identities of the other suspects in the botched robbery once it was learned Gabriel was a Santa Rosa resident, Hail said.

Mendoza and Tesfazghi were arrested on Dec. 10. They are charged with murder because the alleged attempted robbery resulted in the death of their co-conspirator, Hail said. Both Sonoma County men are being held under $1 million bail.

Detectives located the silver Mercedes but are still looking for two more male suspects in their 20s, Hail said. Sheriff's officials have released photos of the men, who remain outstanding.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective Ryan Gsell at (530) 538-7671.

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