Convicted El Verano felon fails to appear at sentencing hearing

An El Verano man convicted of felony possession of firearms and methamphetamine while on probation failed to appear for his sentencing hearing Wednesday, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.

The defendant, 50-year-old Hiramu el Kenyatta Bey (also known as Demond Battiest), did not speak to his probation officer in the weeks leading up to the sentencing hearing, sparking concern at the DA’s office, which had previously identified Bey as a danger to the public.

“The defendant never contacted probation for his sentencing interview and failed to appear in court today,” assistant district attorney Brian Staebell wrote in an email to the Index-Tribune. “His whereabouts are unknown.”

The District Attorney’s Office asked for Bey to remain in custody after the verdict based on the seriousness of the charges, the potential threat to public safety and his criminal history. Judge Troye Shaffer denied the request and allowed the defendant to remain out on bail.

Background

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a $15,000 burglary of the renewable energy manufacturing company HomeEnergy in June 2021. Detectives identified two suspects, Henry Jamison and Carmina Salcido, who were living in Bey’s apartment in El Verano at the time.

The Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the apartment and Jamison and Salcido’s vehicle. Deputies found hundreds of electronic items from the burglary site.

During the search, sheriff’s deputies also entered Bey’s room and found multiple rounds of ammunition and an empty firearm magazine. Detectives also searched Bey’s truck where they located a loaded .380 Bersa handgun with a round in the chamber, approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine, a pipe used for smoking methamphetamine, and a digital scale.

Bey had previous convictions for felony possession of a firearm, vehicle theft and possessing a firearm while on bail, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

A jury convicted Jamison and Salcido of possession of stolen property in separate proceedings, while Bey plead “not guilty” to possessing the firearm, ammunition and methamphetamine.

On March 8, a Sonoma County jury found Bey guilty of the three felony charges and acknowledged a number of aggravating factors. These included finding Bey to be a serious “threat to society” for previous violent conduct, being armed with a firearm during a crime, his possession of a “large quantity of contraband” and the escalating seriousness of his convictions over a long period of time.

“A no-bail warrant was issued for his arrest,” Staebell said. “His whereabouts are unknown.”

Contact Chase Hunter at chase.hunter@sonomanews.com and follow @Chase_HunterB on Twitter.