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California man arrested for brutal murder after being granted mental health diversion, having charges dropped
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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.
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
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Alaska school district admits ‘mistake’ after adding ‘does not endorse’ disclaimer to Constitution pamphlet
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The Anchorage School District in Alaska admitted it made a “mistake” by adding a disclaimer saying that the school district “does not endorse these materials or the viewpoints expressed” on a flyer which solely contained the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
A parent in Anchorage was shocked to find the sticker after her daughter brought the pamphlet home, which was handed out to students in class.
“Today my daughter brought home a pamphlet with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution,” Karen Waldron posted to Facebook. “On the back was a sticker saying that the Anchorage School District ‘does not endorse the materials or viewpoints expressed in them.’”
“I was honestly stunned,” Waldron continued. “These aren’t controversial documents, they are the foundation of our country and what our students are supposed to be learning about. Why would a school need to distance itself from the very principles we are built on?”
The Anchorage School District in Alaska admitted it mistakenly added a disclaimer distancing itself from “the viewpoints expressed” on a flyer that only contained the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. (Karen Waldron)
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“I’ll be asking the district for an explanation,” Waldron concluded in the post.
Fox News Digital spoke with Waldron on the phone, who expressed frustration about the situation and said the wording on the sticker was highly inappropriate.
Waldron explained that she fully supports transparency in education and just wants to understand the thinking behind the sticker being placed on every packet.
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Waldron also told Fox News Digital that parents deserve clarity and that if outside materials are being sent home, especially involving American founding documents, the messaging should be thoughtful and not confusing to families.
The packet, which included the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, was marked with a disclaimer. (iStock)
Anchorage Daily News reported that M.J. Thim, a spokesperson for the school district, said that the disclaimers were a “mistake” and that the flyers “shouldn’t have been processed” through a system that adds the stickers to materials that come from outside the school district.
“This was our mistake,” Thim wrote to the Anchorage Daily News. “The request that came in wasn’t for a flyer or poster and shouldn’t have been processed through that system. We will be following up directly with the requestor to make things right.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the school district but did not receive a response.
The flyer was produced by Hillsdale College, as illustrated on the back of the pamphlet, which also displayed the disclaimer from the Anchorage School District.
Alaska Attorney General Stephen J. Cox also weighed in on the disclaimer on the pamphlet, calling the school district’s actions “deeply concerning.”
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“The Declaration of Independence and Constitution are foundational American documents, and it is essential to teach students about the birth of our nation, their rights, and the government’s duty to protect those rights,” Cox told Fox News Digital. “The stickers only invite confusion about these founding documents.”
The packet was handed out to students across Anchorage Public Schools. (iStock)
“Shortly after the news broke, the School District took ownership, apologized, and promised corrective action,” Cox added. “The Law Department and the Department of Education and Early Development have followed up with the District with specific questions, but in a spirit of cooperation, we have offered to help review ASD’s policies and procedures to ensure it never happens again.”
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Following the backlash and public spotlight on the flyer, the spokesperson from the Anchorage School District told Anchorage Daily News that the district is reviewing the process to ensure it doesn’t happen again and that the “founding documents are taught in every school and reflect the values we want every student to understand.”
Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn told Fox News Digital that “in recent decades, the way our government operates has departed from the Constitution.”
“It has become less limited, and our liberties less secure,” Arnn added. “At the same time, true civic education in America—education in the Constitution—has largely died out. We at Hillsdale College see it as one of our highest duties to reverse this.”
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston.
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The San Francisco 49ers are at the bye week which is a good time to look back and assess where the roster. What are going to be the biggest needs on the roster as they head into the offseason in a month or two?
Wide Receiver
The 49ers need to figure out what they are going to do at wide receiver. Brandon Aiyuk has reportedly played his last down with the team. Jauan Jennings is a free agent. A few weeks ago, it was clear that the team would wish him the best, but he has played better football in recent weeks. Still, that may just price him out of the 49ers’ range.
Ricky Pearsall has been a disappointment since returning, and his injuries and lack of production through two years are now adding up. All of this is to say that wide receiver is a priority. Clearing the money from Aiyuk is huge, but that is a big hole to fill, and they do not have a player within the organization to do it.
Left Guard
The 49ers fumbled around at left guard this past offseason, and it ended up costing them. They bet on Ben Bartch, a seventh-round rookie, Connor Colby, and Spencer Burford, who spent the summer at left tackle. Of course, it is the guy who played left tackle that they are leaning on.
We have seen Burford before, and he is going to be a free agent after this year as well. Even if he plays well, the team should not be tied to him. They should not just lean on re-signing him, and they cannot assume anything from either Bartch or Colby. They have to actually do something here.
Defensive Line
Alfred Collins is starting to blossom, but he is hardly putting up anything in the stat column. Meanwhile, the rest of the group is extremely lackluster. Kalia Davis, CJ West, and Jordan Elliott are the type of players who compete for the fourth spot in a rotation, not make up the rotation. Elliott and Davis will be free agents, and the only reason they would bring either back is that they are going to return for so cheap because no one else wants them.
San Francisco was at their best with the likes of Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, and DeForest Buckner. They need to get back to those days with a real investment at the interior defensive line position.
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Elf on the Shelf VIPs surprise sisters amid Christmas flight delay
Two sisters got a surprise when Nashville flight crew brought their delayed Elf on the Shelf aboard for takeoff cheers.
USA TODAY
More than 300 flights at Denver International Airport were delayed, and three were canceled as of 10:45 a.m. on Dec. 3, according to flight tracking website Flight Aware.
The first significant blast of wintry weather in Denver for the season could lead to ground stops through the day, with the need to de-ice aircraft already contributing to the delays, according to the FAA. Denver only saw its first measurable snowfall last week, one of the latest recorded first snows in the city’s history.
Delays were expected across the country on Dec. 3, as post-Thanksgiving travel was hampered by a series of storms.
How busy is Denver International Airport?
Denver International Airport was the third busiest in the U.S. in 2024, setting a record for passenger traffic with more than 82.3 million passengers using it. About 45% of those passengers were making connections there, with the rest using it as an origin or destination.
What to do if your flight gets delayed or canceled
Travelers passing through DEN can track their flight status in several places, including the airport website.
If your flight is canceled, Scott Keyes, founder of Going, recommended using the airlines’ mobile app to rebook as soon as possible. If passengers need to speak with someone by phone, Keyes suggested calling one of the carrier’s international lines.
“The best thing travelers can do is to be as proactive as possible switching to a new flight,” Keyes previously told USA TODAY. “When a flight gets canceled, all of a sudden hundreds of passengers need new itineraries. There may only be a handful of seats left on the best flights, and it’s a first-come, first-(served) endeavor.”
If your flight is delayed, you should also contact the airline quickly and see if it offers any compensation or can rebook you for significant delays. The Trump administration eliminated a rule proposed under the Biden administration that would have required cash compensation for delays under certain circumstances, but airlines may still provide some kind of assistance if you’re going to be stuck for a while.
USA TODAY Staff writer Nathan Diller contributed to this report.
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
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