Domingo Tamayo escaped from Lompoc Federal Prison and returned to his hometown of Santa Rosa, and an investigation by Santa Rosa Police resulted in his arrest on the federal warrant, and a whole new set of felony charges.
Tamayo had been arrested in 2007 along with seven other Santa Rosa residents in a federal investigation into Methamphetamine and other drug trafficking. Those arrests were the result of a multi-agency task force investigation begun in 2004. US Attorney Kevin Ryan had stated that the effort was part of a commitment to bring federal resources to the issue of the “growing problem of methamphetamine trafficking in Santa Rosa and the northern Bay Area Counties.” They targeted organized crime stretching across 3 area counties.
Agents seized of 35 pounds of meth, 4 pounds of pseudoephedrine (a prescription decongestant that can be used to make meth), 3 pounds of cocaine, 5,000 pounds of marijuana, 20,000 marijuana plants, 50 firearms including assault rifles, and $600,000 cash. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be $5 million. The 27-year-old Tamayo was arrested with seven others, including Javier Tamayo, 31, and Cristobal Tamayo, 18. They were indicted on February 6, 2007. The federal charges against them had potential sentences from 10 years to life.
According to the Santa Rosa police, they became aware of his escape and fugitive status, and began an investigation to try to locate him, including getting several search warrants for known locations he was associated with. As a result, Tamayo was arrested last Friday morning at 8:00. He was initially charged on the open federal warrant, but the SRPD Gang Crimes Team, Violent Crimes Investigations Team, and Narcotics Investigation Team detectives continued their investigation by serving the warrants at several locations.
Santa Rosa Police believed Tamayo was back in town and launched an investigation.
They found evidence that Tamayo was back in his old business in a big way. He was apparently running a marijuana cultivation and sales operation. 50 pounds of marijuana, a loaded handgun, and $10,000 in cash were seized in the investigation. A child was also present in the location, and power was being taken illegally from the grid.
In addition to his outstanding federal warrant, Tamayo was charged new with possession and cultivation of marijuana, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being armed in the commission of a felony, theft of utility services, and child endangerment. It was not clear how long he had been missing from prison, but his next assignment may be to a maximum security facility, since he found a way out of the medium security Lompoc penitentiary.
