03-06-2025
A Santa Rosa woman was walking her dog on Cordelia Drive one sunlit Saturday afternoon when her neighbor emerged suddenly and clamped his hands around her neck.
That moment, on Oct. 28, 2023, marked the beginning of a violent and unprovoked assault — one that unfolded in front of neighbors, the woman’s young daughter and her cousin. Court records detail how Trevor Colombano, 38, launched a frenzied assault that left his victim permanently disfigured.
Yet, in a ruling that sparked widespread outrage, Sonoma County Judge Dana Simonds sentenced Colombano on Monday to probation — a decision met with shock and condemnation from the victim, prosecutors and the public.
“The fact that this woman, this judge, could release him out on probation for what he did, I’m still so mind blown over it,” the victim, now 41 and living in the Midwest, told The Press Democrat. “There’s no words, honestly.”
Minutes later, she called the ruling “a grave mistake by the judge.”
Simonds did not respond to a request for comment. The Press Democrat was not present for most of Colombano’s sentencing, and a transcript of the ruling was not immediately available.
Public backlash and legal debate
Public reaction was swift. Social media users flooded comment sections with demands for Simonds’ resignation or recall, accusing her of failing to protect the community and questioning her fitness for the bench.
A petition on Change.org had gathered more than 1,000 signatures as of Friday morning.
Colombano’s defense attorney, Roy Miller, emphasized his client’s remorse and insisted his sincerity was not in question.
“It's important for criminal defendants to accept responsibility for their actions — it's part of the rehabilitation process and Trevor did just that,” Miller said.
Colombano pleaded no contest June 10, 2024, to mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon and sexual battery. He made an open plea, meaning there was no sentencing agreement in place. Prosecutors sought a nine-year prison sentence, arguing the attack’s severity made probation inappropriate under California law. Probation officials agreed, recommending incarceration.
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“Simply put, this offense is far too violent, far too bizarre and far too random to be able to adequately assure public safety at this juncture should the defendant be released from custody on probation,” probation officials wrote in a presentence report, which details the crime, the defendant’s background, criminal history, mental health and sentencing recommendations.
But citing Colombano’s stress and cannabis use as factors, Simonds instead sentenced him to four years of probation. He must register as a sex offender and undergo mental health treatment at a residential facility, where he isn’t confined but must follow house rules and a curfew.
His probation terms include drug testing, mandatory medication, and a ban on alcohol or unprescribed drugs — including cannabis, even with a medical recommendation.
Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez condemned the ruling.
“Justice was not served in this case,” she said in a statement.
She added, “Mr. Colombano is a menace to public safety, period, and should be sitting in prison. That won’t happen. As there is no further action legally allowable for our office, the community, and more importantly, the victims will have to live with the consequences of this sentence. I am incredibly disappointed in the outcome of this case.”
Mental health defense under scrutiny
At the heart of the case was whether Colombano suffered from mental health issues and whether he was likely to reoffend.
According to his presentence report, a psychologist examined Colombano and wrote in February 2024 that he suffered from psychosis at the time of the attack and remained delusional. The doctor recommended antipsychotic medication, stress management and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Miller pointed to Colombano’s background, describing him as a San Jose State University graduate with a banking career and no criminal history. He said Colombano exhibited no issues while incarcerated and argued that therapy and drug abstinence would prevent future incidents.
“This was a very difficult case for any judge,” Miller said. “In the end, Judge Simonds looked at the time Trevor spent in custody, his clear evidence of rehabilitation while in-custody, the clear mental health issue and lack of a criminal record in making her decision.
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“While this was a close call, Judge Simonds indicated the steps Mr. Colombano already took plus his rehabilitation plan swayed her to give him one chance at probation.”
However, prosecutors challenged Colombano’s claims of a mental health crisis. The presentence report noted he had no history of mental illness and was not on medication at the time of the attack. Deputy District Attorney Kyle McCauley dismissed the psychosis argument as “unverified self-serving statements.”
“The court and community have every reason to believe Mr. Colombano could get into another argument with his girlfriend, get upset and then violently attack someone who refuses his sexual advances,” McCauley wrote in a prosecution sentencing brief.
A brutal attack
The events of Oct. 28 began with an argument between Colombano and his girlfriend, identified in court records as Jane Doe. Miller described their relationship as “toxic.”
Moments later, Colombano attacked his neighbor. He choked her and rubbed his genitals against her. When her dog tried to intervene, he punched it. The woman briefly escaped before Colombano tackled her, repeatedly punching her face.
He then grabbed a landscaping rock, using it to bash her face and rip off her clothes as neighbors attempted to intervene. Witnesses heard him scream, “I am Jesus,” “Help me” and “You’re going to find out,” according to court records.
Two neighbors subdued Colombano until police arrived. Officers reported that he continued to scream at his girlfriend. Once inside a police car, he slammed his head against multiple surfaces, causing bleeding, contusions and scrapes.
The victim was treated at a hospital for scalp lacerations and a deep cut to her lip, requiring 17 stitches and five staples. She was left permanently disfigured.
She struggles to recall every detail of the attack, but says the worst part is the lingering sense of vulnerability — of feeling incapable of protecting her child, who witnessed it.
“I’m a very, very strong, independent woman,” she added. “I pride myself on that and I’m a damn good mom.”
Colombano was also charged with domestic violence for grabbing Jane Doe by the waist that day.
In a five-page handwritten letter to the victim, Colombano wrote, “Everyday I try to think how I can help in repairing as much of the damage I inflicted as possible, but nothing I have thought of comes anywhere close to what you deserve.”
Friends and family submitted letters in support of Colombano, describing the attack as out of character and pledging to support him through mental health treatment.
The victim, who grew up in Santa Rosa, left Sonoma County weeks after the attack but returned for court proceedings. She rejected Colombano’s claims of remorse.
“I sat in court on every single court date and he would stare at me,” she said. “I never thought it was a look of ‘Sorry for what I did to you.’”
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