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A California man was arrested for allegedly committing a brutal murder just three days after he was granted immunity from prosecution for separate misdemeanor charges under California’s mental health diversion laws, prompting serious concerns about a system intended to protect public safety.
On July 11, Napa County prosecutors filed murder charges against Ramiro Ochoa Mendoza, 36, for the killing of Noel Batres, 47, whose body was found under a bridge on July 3. Mendoza allegedly killed Batres on June 27.
Mendoza, who had a history of criminal offenses and poor compliance on probation, was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial earlier this year on misdemeanor charges including violating a restraining order and resisting arrest.
Despite numerous attempts by defense counsel to dismiss the cases outright, the Court, following legislative guidelines, ordered Mendoza into a mental health diversion program with supervised release for the two remaining misdemeanors.
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A Napa man was charged with murder just days after he was released, and misdemeanor charges were dismissed due to California’s mental health laws. (Napa Police Department)
Mendoza, however, failed to appear for his scheduled mental health diversion review and was deemed non-compliant with the terms of the program.
“Mendoza promptly failed to appear in court for his mental health diversion review and was found to be out of compliance with the diversion program,” the Napa County District Attorney’s Office said.
Even with repeated violations and non-compliance, the court was legally required to dismiss charges due to Mendoza’s mental health status and the misdemeanor-only nature of his offenses.
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“Because the law prohibits prosecution from continuing in cases where a defendant is deemed incompetent on only misdemeanor charges, the court had no choice but to dismiss both remaining cases and did so on July 8, 2025,” the DA’s office said.
The dismissal followed recent legislative reforms, specifically Senate Bill 317, that bar courts from restoring competency in misdemeanor-only cases, even if the defendant shows signs of escalating behavior.
Mendoza was re-arrested on July 11 and now faces murder charges with enhancements related to his prior offenses and the alleged brutality of Batres’ killing. The case is already fueling debate over the limits of mental health protections and their implications for public safety.
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A Napa man was charged with murder days after being granted mental health immunity. (Credit: iStock)
“This case highlights the real-world impact of the recent legal reforms, where courts are required to prioritize mental health treatment over traditional prosecution, even when defendants exhibit an unwillingness or inability to comply with court-ordered programs,” Napa County Deputy District Attorney Katie Susemihl said in a statement.
California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones criticized California’s “mental health diversion” law, arguing it allowed a violent repeat offender to be released without proper oversight, leading to the murder of an innocent man.
“This is yet another devastating example of California’s soft-on-crime policies creating more victims instead of preventing crime. Under the so-called ‘mental health diversion’ law, a violent repeat offender was released and just days later, he brutally murdered an innocent man,” Jones shared in a statement with Fox News Digital.
“The system failed at every turn. This law prioritizes the rights of offenders over public safety, even when individuals show no willingness to comply with court-ordered treatment. If someone is truly mentally unwell, they should receive help within the justice system — not be dumped back onto our streets without accountability or oversight,” he continued.
Jones called the current system broken and urged legal reform to prevent further tragedies and better protect the public.
“Californians deserve better than laws that protect dangerous individuals while endangering the public. It’s time to fix this broken system before more innocent lives are lost,” Jones said.
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A GoFundMe campaign was launched to assist with returning Batres’ remains to his home country of Guatemala. According to the page, Batres was a resident of Napa for 26 years.
“Noel was not perfect by any means. However, he was a wonderful, caring, gentle soul,” the page read. “We ask that you please help us send Noel back home to be seen by his immediate family one last time before they lay him to rest.”
Mendoza was being held without bail at the Napa County Department of Corrections.
Fox News Digital reached out to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com