District Attorney Drops Charges Against Fort Bragg Butcher
Zander Kain Garay was arrested after refusing to hand over his cell phone
Note: An early version of the photo accompanying the story showed a different location on Redwood Avenue. We apologize for the error. November 5, 2025 7:35 p.m.
The Mendocino County District Attorney has declined to prosecute Zander Kain Garay, a 24-year-old Fort Bragg meat clerk who was arrested after refusing to hand over his cellphone to police without a warrant. Garay was taken into custody early on August 23, 2025, after stepping outside a downtown bar amid a late-night commotion.
The Call
At 1:24 a.m., a woman called 911 from the Welcome Inn.
“Hey, this is [blank] from Welcome Inn. I have a fight, uh, outside my bar, can you come pick it up?” she said.
Dispatcher Tiffany asked, “Is it physical or verbal?”
Caller: “Uh, physical.”
Tiffany: “How many people are involved?”
Caller: “Uh, just a few. Honestly, my security is outside and they told me to call the police.”
Tiffany: “I need to know how many people are involved. Is it two people? Ten people?”
Caller: “I don’t know. I’m in the back because I had to call you guys. I’m not outside.”
Tiffany: “I’ll have an officer respond. Thank you.”
At the Scene
Sergeant Jarod Frank and Officer Antoinette Moore arrived within three minutes. Surveillance video shows them talking with a small group of people. Garay is not visible in the footage. He later told Mendo Local he had briefly gone outside and then returned inside; video evidence confirms this. By his own account, he and his friends were intoxicated. Frank will later testify that he offered members of the group a ride home.
The next video from the Welcome Inn starts at 1:33 p.m. By this point there have been two scuffles. Sergeant Frank has fallen to the ground with Arion Donn Eagle Kelsey, 29. Frank has hit his head and has tased Kelsey. Separately, Officer Moore has fallen to the ground with Shanna Ray Bayless, 28. These interactions were not captured on camera, and the level of intoxication will make it hard for anyone to remember exactly what happened, leaving the police body-camera footage as the most reliable record.
Arrests and Charges
Kelsey and Bayless were arrested and booked on multiple felonies, including resisting or deterring an officer and conspiracy. Kelsey faced two additional misdemeanors; Bayless faced an added felony count of being an accessory after the fact and another misdemeanor.
The District Attorney’s Office later rejected most of the charges. Kelsey was arraigned on a single felony count of resisting an officer. Bayless faced one misdemeanor count of obstructing a peace officer. A third friend, Jason Lee Fullbright, was charged with two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer.
Garay’s Arrest
Hearing the commotion, Garay stepped outside and began recording the scene on his phone. Video reviewed by Mendo Local shows him weaving slightly but otherwise calm. When Officer Moore asked for his phone, he refused to hand it over. Moore instructed him to step aside and sit on the curb, which he did. Moments later, Frank and Moore arrested him for disorderly conduct.
Garay was booked into the Mendocino County Jail in Ukiah, and his phone was confiscated.
Aftermath
Garay later accused police of violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights and filed a complaint with the City of Fort Bragg.
At his first court appearance, on October 21, he learned the charges had been dismissed.
“I was told I was getting credit for time served,” Garay said, referring to the night he spent being held in county jail.
A preliminary hearing, where a judge will decide if there is sufficient evidence to continue the case against Kelsey will be held on December 3.
Garay was separately arrested on October 5 in a domestic dispute and charged with two felonies: corporal injury to a spouse and vandalism.
Read Mendo Local’s previous coverage: