Supervisors, constituents speak out on Efren Carrillo's arrest

His supporters say the latest allegations, though serious, remain simply that until charges are actually filed.

"I'm one of these people who like to see what the outcome is before I prejudge," said Martin Webb, a former Analy High School principal and volunteer on Carrillo's campaigns. "This could be resolved and he'll be able to move on."

The new obstacles come, however, as Carrillo is bypassed for leadership posts on the county board and as some of his current assignments face potential reshuffling to other board members.

Those four supervisors began Tuesday's meeting with an extraordinary 10 minutes in which each shared reactions, some of them biting, to the 32-year-old supervisor's arrest.

Board Chairman David Rabbitt led the comments, reading from a prepared statement in front of a standing-room-only crowd.

"I do believe I share my fellow colleagues' feelings and sentiments in this matter when I say how horribly disappointed and dismayed I felt when I heard about this incident," Rabbitt said.

He had planned the remarks last week to address what he called the "elephant in the room" — Carrillo's arrest and extended absence from county business, which could last until mid-August. Carrillo is said to be in treatment for a reported drinking problem and did not attend the meeting. His district director, Susan Upchurch, said his office would have no comment Tuesday.

Rabbitt's remarks turned first to concern for the woman who called 911 twice in the early morning of July 13 to report that a man — later identified as Carrillo, according to police — had tried to break in to her west Santa Rosa home. Carrillo was detained in the area, within a block of his rented Brockhurst Drive apartment, wearing only his underwear and socks and carrying a cellphone.

Unmentioned but implicit in the board comments were details of the most serious allegations: Police said the incident, which left a torn screen on the woman's bedroom window, had the marks of an attempt at some type of sexual assault. Authorities have not identified the woman for that reason.

"I hope and trust she is receiving the support she deserves and the trauma of the evening fades as quickly as possible," Rabbitt said.

Supervisor Shirlee Zane, the only other two-term board member alongside Carrillo, said the allegations against him amounted to a violation of a woman's right to safety in her own home, a central tenet of the county's work to combat domestic violence and sexual assault, Zane said.

"The thought that Supervisor Carrillo may have taken away that security from a young woman is heartbreaking," she said. Three of the supervisors present Tuesday — Rabbitt, Gorin and Zane — are parents of a total of five daughters, Zane noted.

"Efren Carrillo has been my colleague and at times a close friend," Zane said. "I do not celebrate his fall from leadership. I mourn it."

Supervisor Mike McGuire called Carrillo's behavior "not acceptable and very disturbing."

"Supervisor Carrillo clearly has a serious problem and he needs to address the issues that created this moment," McGuire said.

In a brief written statement after his arrest, Carrillo called his behavior "embarrassing," said it was alcohol-related and that he was seeking professional help.

Gorin, who spoke last among the four supervisors and offered perhaps the most critical comments, suggested Carrillo's arrest had brought discredit to the county.

She said later in an interview her comments were meant to set the stage for a "community conversation" over "which direction we should go, that is resignation or recall." Only after being prompted did she say she would wait to see whether Carrillo is charged before making a stand on his future as an officeholder.

The two supervisors represent dueling political camps, but Gorin, her voice shaking and close to tears in her public comments, suggested her concern was more personal, calling Carrillo an "amazing colleague."

"It fills me with great sadness that we have to address this in a very personal and profound way," Gorin said.

Rabbitt, Zane and McGuire did not speculate about Carrillo's future to the same extent as Gorin.

Barring an unexcused extended absence, county supervisors can only be removed from office by a recall or a felony conviction.

Rabbitt said he discussed the censure process with county attorneys but had been told it would involve an "evidentiary process" that could get in the way of the criminal case.

Chan, the Sebastopol activist planning the potential recall, said Carrillo's legal woes show a "shameful lack of the kind of good reasoned judgment that we deserve from an elected official."

But Carrillo's supporters urged patience as justice plays out, saying the community should not overlook the difference he has made in his district and the particular voice he has given Latino residents and other immigrants.

"What the Board of Supervisors did, each one has a right to make their presentation and state their feelings on the situation," said Herman Hernandez, a Guerneville real estate broker and vocal Carrillo supporter. "There's still a lot that we don't know. I continue to say I'm stunned about the whole event."

You can reach Staff Writer Brett Wilkison at 521-5295 or brett.wilkison@pressdemocrat.com.