Park memorial to honor deputy
APTOS >> The memory of a fallen officer will live on in a memorial planned for his neighborhood park.
The collaborative effort will reimagine much of small Willowbrook County Park, turning it into a place for both family and community members to remember Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, killed in the line of duty on June 6, 2020.
“Today is just a beautiful transition from a lot of the negativity that we’ve had in our community and the tragic event that happened here into something remarkably positive,” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend during a press conference last week announcing the memorial. “He’s here today with us, unquestionably, and we’re going to not just have the memory of the past, but have for his family a place in the future, here, at Willowbrook park.”
Gutzwiller was shot and killed in Ben Lomond during a violent showdown between a suspect and local Santa Cruz County police agencies. A second deputy and a California Highway Patrol officer also were injured in the attack. Steven Carrillo, of Ben Lomond, has been charged with murder in the case and awaits trial.
Carrillo is also a defendant in a murder case for the May 29, 2020, fatal shooting of a federal protective security officer in Oakland.
With tears in her eyes and holding her two young children close, Gutzwiller’s partner, Faviola Del Real, said that Willowbrook park held many special memories for her.
“Shortly after Damon and I met, he moved to a place around the corner, here. He used to walk our dog here and come play tennis. He used to talk about bringing our children here to play,” Del Real said. “Making this dedication in Damon’s honor will give our children, Carter and Lucia, along with future generations, a place to honor his sacrifice and remember his legacy.”
To realize the memorial project, Santa Cruz County Parks Department is working with the County Park Friends and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Association, which will lead the fundraising effort. Organizers are planning to place a bricked circular memorial “reflection space” at one end of a quiet space at the back of the park, off Baseline Drive. The seating area will be within viewing distance of a flagpole, a memorial plaque and landscaping around it at the other end of the park. Additional park improvements to the play area and sport courts also are expected.
Design plan details and donation opportunities for the project are available online at countyparkfriends. org/willowbrook.
Sheriff Jim Hart, speaking at the press conference, said Gutzwiller, who was a 14-year veteran with the agency, was a great sergeant. The sheriff thanked those involved for getting behind the memorial park project.
“He’s sorely missed at the Sheriff’s Office. We still have a lot of grief and a lot of sadness,” Hart said. “But, you try to find some silver linings or something positive to come out of such a terrible incident that happened on June 6, 2020.”
Hart called the park announcement the second “piece of silver lining” last week. Separately, on Tuesday, Sen. John Laird introduced Senate Bill 850 in honor of Gutzwiller. The proposed legislation aims to ensure that guardians of children and stepchildren of fallen officers receive a survival benefit on the childrens’ behalf, regardless of their partners’ marital status. Laird’s bill is a nod to the fact that Gutzwiller was not married to his partner of more than a decade, Del Real.