Overview
- Joshua Gonzales, 40, was taken into custody after Thursday's search at a Vallejo home, where detectives found damaged memorial pieces linked to the thefts.
- The Peace Officers Memorial in Fairfield, which honors 21 fallen officers, was stripped of its bronze stars and plaques, with the Veterans Memorial and nearby county buildings also hit.
- In Vallejo, reported losses included plaques at City Hall, a Mare Island cannon, and a Port Chicago 50 marker that a local historian says was not metal, highlighting the symbolic harm.
- Investigators recovered hundreds of pounds of cut metal and several damaged stars during the probe, and the sheriff's office says charges are pending as the case remains active.
- Sheriff Brad DeWall says motive is still unclear, with investigators weighing ideological targeting versus scrap value, and authorities are preparing temporary replacements before the May 13 ceremony.