Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart announced Saturday evening that Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller was killed in the line of duty while reporting to the scene of a suspicious van.
BEN LOMOND — Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller was fatally shot Saturday in Ben Lomond as deputies were ambushed with gunfire and improvised explosives during an investigation.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the @SantaCruzSO1 as they mourn the tragic loss of Sgt. Gutzwiller. We send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and partners.
We also send our wishes for a full recovery for the other deputy injured in this ambush. pic.twitter.com/ujpk3gE5N9
— OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSheriff) June 7, 2020
A second deputy, and a California Highway Patrol officer, were injured, according to Sheriff Jim Hart.
A suspect, Steven Carrillo, was arrested and is facing murder charges and additional felony counts, according to Hart. Carillo was shot as he was apprehended, and was treated at a hospital Saturday night.
The incident began with a report to the Sheriff’s Office of a suspicious van near Jamison Creek in Boulder Creek around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The caller reported that guns and bomb making materials were visible inside the van, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies investigating the report located the van at a Ben Lomond home, according to Hart, where they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives.
Gutzwiller was shot and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second deputy was either shot or struck by shrapnel and was struck by a car as the suspect fled the property, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Soon after, authorities received calls of a carjacking nearby as officers from departments across Santa Cruz County arrived to the area. Officers located and apprehended Carillo, who was reportedly armed and was shot during the course of his arrest.
Gutzwiller, 38, was a patrol supervisor who had worked for the Sheriff’s Office since 2006. He was married with a young child, and another child on the way, according to Hart.
“Words cannot express the pain we feel for Damon and his family,” Hart said in a prepared release. “He was the kind of person we all hope to be. Today, we lost a hero. We are grateful to have known him and we mourn with his family.
The District Attorney’s Office and the FBI are investigating the case, according to Hart.
