Yolo County—The sixth and final suspect in the stabbing death of a student in September in Davis appeared in court on Wednesday, December 2 before Yolo Superior Court Commissioner J. Kent O’Mara.
Joseph Gregory Sandeno, 20, faces a murder charge in the death of Peter Alexander Gonzales, 23, who was in Davis for his sister’s wedding. Gonzales and members of the bridal party were at the KetMoRee Restaurant and Bar on G Street in Davis when a fight broke out between them and six gang members from Vacaville.
Sandeno, who is the sixth suspect to be arrested, is being held without bail at Yolo County Jail. He joins his brother Zackary Sandeno, 21; Carlos Biviescas, 24; Martyn Contreras, 25; Anthony Rivera, 25; and Victor Vergara, 22, in county custody. They are charged with the September slaying and with committing the crime in service to a criminal street gang.
Vacaville police arrested Sandeno, 20, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on November 28 during a traffic stop. His arraignment will continue Friday to determine who will represent Sandeno in future proceedings. A preliminary hearing that had been scheduled on December 2 for the other five suspects has been postponed until January 28.
The victim worked with children with special needs in Hacienda Heights and was a student at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in Carson.
This attack and community concerns about crime prompted Davis leaders to impose a ban on new restaurants and bars in the city. The Davis City Council originally instituted a 45-day moratorium following Gonzales’ killing, but council members extended the ban into September 2016.
