Sonoma County Supervisor Arrested at Downtown Nightclub

It wasn’t the first time this year that someone left a rap concert downtown on a stretcher. What made the Labor Day brawl unusual was the identity of one of the players.

Not Rayan Jastaniyah, a San Diego man who was arrested for fighting; or Jovan Will, the Arizona man who was knocked cold. It was the arrest of the third man involved that stands out: Sonoma County supervisor Efren Carrillo.

Carrillo, 31, and Jastanyah, 22, were booked on suspicion of felony battery causing great bodily injury and misdemeanor disturbing the peace. The fight erupted after closing time outside Fluxx, a nightclub in the Gaslamp Quarter where Oakland rapper Too Short had performed.

Carrillo spent ten hours in jail before posting $10,000 bail and going home. The injured man, 31-year-old Will, was hospitalized briefly before returning to his home in Mesa, Arizona.

As Carrillo explained the incident in a written statement, he was in San Diego on personal business. He was socializing with friends when "rowdies approached our group and harassed the women in our group."

"I stepped in to protect them," he said. "I'm anxious to tell my side of the story during legal proceedings."

Carrillo is trained in martial arts, according to news accounts.

The day after he issued a statement, the supervisor declined further comment and headed to Russia on a weeklong group trip to explore the history of Russian settlers on the North Coast.

“His silence has left many key questions unanswered, including who was with him when the fight broke out, who bailed him out of jail, and what attorney is representing the 31-year-old supervisor,” noted the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The paper called Carrillo “one of Sonoma County's youngest and most popular politicians.”

Initially, it was unclear if the case would be charged as a felony or misdemeanor. Battery with injury can be charged either way, police Lt. Andra Brown told reporters. No decision had been made as police were continuing the investigation, with many witnesses to be interviewed.

On Monday, September 10, that much has been decided. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that Carrillo will only face misdemeanor battery charges if the victim decides to pursue a criminal complaint against him.

That decision is expected later this week.