San Juan Bautista City Councilmember Dan DeVries was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in May, but the district attorney has not charged him with a crime, according to authorities.
The evening of May 24, San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on the 400 block of Fifth Street in San Juan Bautista. The deputies responded to a 911 call from a victim who accused DeVries of spousal abuse, according to Sheriff’s Capt. Eric Taylor.
Deputies arrested DeVries, 54, on suspicion of domestic violence, Taylor said.
According to San Benito County Jail staff, DeVries was booked at the jail just before 10pm May 24, and released on $50,000 bail just before midnight the same evening.
San Benito County District Attorney Candice Hooper said in a May 31 email to the Free Lance that her office has not received a report of the sheriff’s allegations against DeVries, and thus has not charged him with a crime.
DeVries could not be reached for comment.
Taylor declined to release details of DeVries’ relationship with the alleged victim, or state if the victim suffered injuries as a result of the May 24 disturbance.
Taylor did say that “the elements included in” the penal code DeVries is suspected of violating “were present and confirmed through evidence.” He gave no further details.
California Penal Code 273.5 states that the victim of such a crime is the offender’s spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, fiancée, in a dating relationship with the offender or is a parent of the offender’s child. The law also states that an offender of PC273.5 has “willfully (inflicted) corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a victim…”
