Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Trejo remembered 21 years after line-of-duty death

Marking the 21st anniversary of the slaying of veteran Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Trejo, about 60 people gathered Tuesday at noon at the site where he died.

The annual, solemn memorial has become a reunion of sorts for sheriff’s deputies, administrators and retirees as well as representatives from numerous other Sonoma County law enforcement agencies and several Trejo family members.

Trejo’s widow, Barbara, stood among her children and grandchildren and listened to the story of how her husband died that night doing his job. Later, she said she was grateful to see so many law enforcement officers there to remember him.

“It shows their respect and that we’re always family,” Barbara Trejo said.

Frank Trejo, 58, was the eldest member of the Sheriff’s Office and one year away from retirement when he was killed on March 29, 1995.

The deputy was out on patrol that night and had stopped off Highway 12 in front of a saddle shop to look at a suspicious pickup. Newly paroled convict Robert Scully got out of the truck and shot Trejo at close range. Scully also stole the deputy’s gun belt and then he and an accomplice took a Santa Rosa family hostage during a lengthy standoff with law enforcement officers.

Scully is on San Quentin’s death row for the slaying.

Mike Vail, president of the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, led Tuesday’s presentation in front of a backdrop of the flower-laden memorial and an American flag flying at half staff. The event included a sheriff’s honor guard and presentation of an American flag to Trejo family members.

A second, annual memorial was planned for 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, at the Highway 12 and Llano Road site, to mark the time he died.

Retired Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Lisa Banayat attended the daytime ceremony and regularly goes to the annual memorial event. She was lead investigator into Trejo’s killing and said her memories of the night remain vivid. As she does every March 29, she heard Tuesday from many officers who also responded that night when the emergency dispatch report went out countywide for all officers to respond to the deputy killed in the line of duty.

“They all remember it like it was yesterday,” Banayat said. Tuesday’s ceremony “brought it all back.”

Sheriff’s Sgt. Cecile Focha called the annual event an important one, which honors Trejo’s service to the county.

“It’s a very sad day for the Sheriff’s Office,” Focha said.