By Colin Atagi, The Press Democrat The Tribune Content Agency
Inside a Sonoma County courtroom Tuesday, a video played snapshots and clips from Sylvia Bracamonte's 33 years of life. It ended with footage of her being honored alongside fellow UC Berkeley undergraduates, drawing applause from about 40 friends and family members present.
The video opened a hearing for Anderson Quinonez-Cabeza, who had been charged with killing Bracamonte. Instead of standing trial, Quinonez-Cabeza was ordered Tuesday to be committed to the California Department of State Hospitals.
He sat silently as several of Bracamonte's friends and family members delivered statements, praising her many accomplishments and condemning Quinonez-Cabeza for taking her life.
"We shouldn't be here today. No one should feel the loss and pain we felt," said Stella Bonaventura, Bracamonte's 48-year-old sister from Ranchos Palos Verde.
Bracamonte was killed March 20, 2020, in Cotati, where she worked as a program coordinator for Community Support Network's Sanctuary House on Old Redwood Highway.
The mother of two had been lauded for rebuilding her life after dropping out of high school before she was 16 years old. She enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2010 and graduated three years later as its first Latina valedictorian with a 3.9 GPA.
After transferring to Berkeley, she earned a bachelor's degree in social welfare and ethnic studies and, in 2019, a master's in social work.
Quinonez-Cabeza was an 18-year-old resident at Sanctuary House when he was arrested on suspicion of killing Bracamonte.
For the past four years, his court proceedings frequently stalled due to scheduling conflicts or concerns over his mental competency.
Last month, he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, admitting to killing Bracamonte but claiming he was not sane at the time, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.
Bracamonte's family contend justice had not been served and urged officials to do whatever they could to prevent Quinonez-Cabeza from hurting others. Sonoma County Judge Dana Simonds, who oversaw Tuesday's proceedings, acknowledged their frustration.
"There's no good way to paint the picture we have here. We're all sorry about that," Simonds told attendees Tuesday.
Bracamonte's mother, Stormie Jimenez, fought back tears and struggled to find her words as she addressed the court, her voice breaking with emotion. Other attendees wiped away tears as she spoke.
"My mind is all over. It's a mess," Jimenez said. "I'm not OK with it."
Simonds responded, "None of us are OK with it."
The judge explained that Quinonez-Cabeza would remain committed until his sanity is deemed restored, with no set time frame for that determination.
In the aftermath of the killing, the Sylvia Bracamonte Memorial Scholarship was established at UC Berkeley in 2020. Each year, vigils are held on the anniversary of her death outside the location in Cotati where she was killed.
Bracamonte's family continues to seek accountability through legal action, determined to address what they see as systemic failures that contributed to her death. Jimenez is part of a lawsuit filed in June 2020 against Sonoma County and Bracamonte's employer, Community Support Network, alleging negligence and lack of transparency regarding policy changes. A year later, Bracamonte's daughter, through her father, filed a separate lawsuit targeting the same parties.
Both cases center on the decision to admit Quinonez-Cabeza, a resident with a documented history of severe psychiatric issues and violent tendencies, to Sanctuary House. The lawsuits claim these policy changes were implemented without adequately informing staff, placing Bracamonte and others in harm's way.
You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. On Twitter @colin_atagi