A Northern California city councilman is blaming the state's lax crime policies after he and the city's mayor were attacked and beaten in broadday light by a homeless man.
Marysville City Councilman Dom Belza told Fox News Digital that he, Mayor Chris Branscome, Police Chief Christian Sachs and two members of Congressional staff for Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) were downtown inspecting damage to a historic building recently destroyed by fire when the incident occurred on Aug. 22.
“We were standing on the sidewalk nearby, having a casual conversation, when an individual was crossing the street, and as he reached over to the mayor, who had his back turned, he reached back, swung his arm around and struck him squarely in the back,” Belza said.
“There was no communication, no argument. There was nothing that prompted the punch. It was a completely random act of violence.”
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Marysville City Councilman Dom Belza, pictured, was with Mayor Chris Branscome and Police Chief Christian Sachs at the time the incident occurred. (Fox News Digital)
Mayor Branscome described the attack as a “sudden event.” Speaking to KCRA-TV “I thought I'd been hit by a car.”
“I was beaten badly and the next thing I knew a man was running past me and I was shouting expletives at him.”
Belza said his “instinct kicked in” immediately after the attack and he pursued the fleeing suspect.
The suspect, later identified as 36-year-old Derek Hopkins, fled after the incident.
“I saw the perpetrator run down the street so my instincts kicked in and I chased him,” Belza said. “I caught up with him and when I got about halfway down the block he turned and looked over his shoulder at me.”
The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old Derek Hopkins. (Yuba County Sheriff's Department)
Belza said Hopkins stopped and delivered a second punch, hitting him in the side of the head.
“I then confronted him, took him to the ground and held him until the police chief arrived. I held him until he was formally arrested,” Belza said.
Hopkins is charged with eight counts, including felony assault of a public servant and felony elder abuse. Bail is set at $50,000.
Belza said Democratic policies affect ordinary citizens and elected officials and that this case highlights the crime crisis in communities across California.
“If you look at this whole situation in a broader way, this is something we deal with on a daily basis,” he said. “It may not necessarily be public officials being attacked, but we're seeing a lot more of these types of crimes and attacks in communities across California.”
“This attack is the result of California's soft-on-crime policies.”
“This speaks to a much larger problem in the state. This attack is the result of the soft-on-crime policies that California has had over the last decade,” he said.
Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia on Thursday. Harris was California's attorney general in 2014 when Proposition 47 was signed into law. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
Belza focused on Proposition 47, which became law in November 2014 and reclassified six minor offenses, including shoplifting of items under $950 and possession of drugs, into misdemeanors.
“Prop. 47 is the linchpin of zero tolerance on crime,” he said.
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He pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as California's attorney general in 2014 and was a Democratic presidential candidate, as an architect of the bill.
“She was someone who really pushed this, and since then we've just seen crime in California go up,” he said. “I think we should be really concerned that if she were to run for president or become president, the whole country would face the same problems that California has had for the last decade.”
“That should be a huge concern for all of us.”
Along D Street in the politically conservative city of Marysville, California. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Belza said despite his city's small size, it has had to deal with the consequences of progressive legislation like Proposition 47.
“We are a small community in Northern California that has issues with homelessness, drug abuse, vagrancy, loitering and vandalism,” Belza said. “Last year, out of nowhere, a chair was thrown through the window of a local coffee shop.”
“We've seen a huge increase in those types of crimes, not to mention an increase in violent crimes like murder.”
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California reported a significant drop in violent crime in 2024. Belza disputed the claim, saying new classifications for crime reporting were affecting the data.
“When I reported [crime] “In other words, crime isn't necessarily going down,” Belza said. “Things that were once reported as felonies are now being reported as misdemeanors, and things that were once reported as misdemeanors are now being reported as lesser infractions.”
“So crime hasn't gone down,” he added. “The reality is crime has increased to the point where most of Marysville's residents are afraid to go to the stores. They're afraid to walk down the street.”
“Situations like this prove that California is not a safe state and these small rural communities are not safe.”
“Situations like this are evidence that California is not a safe state and these small rural communities are no longer safe,” he said.
“And that's the real problem: People don't feel safe,” he said. “I got a call from an older woman in town that I know. She went to the local (drug store) to pick up her medication, and when she left the storefront to return to her car, she was confronted by two individuals in the street who were trying to harass her. There's no one to help her or protect her.”
A view of the California State Capitol in Sacramento. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images via National Urban League)
Belza said communities across California have formed coalitions to fight crime.
“With the results we're experiencing with crime in California, people have spoken out. We've gathered enough signatures to put Prop. 36 on the ballot,” he said. “Prop. 36 really does change Prop. 47 and provides serious consequences for offenders, especially those who commit retail theft and hard drug offenders like fentanyl.”
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“I founded an organization called Free California last spring to work with state legislators and others who are trying to fight this issue at the policy level, and also to bring awareness to Californians that they can change the things they're not happy about. We have a responsibility as Californians to stand up and work together to make this a safe state.”
Harris' campaign and LaMalfa Fox News Digital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
