Santa Rosa man sentenced to 12 years 4 months state prison for Comstock Park homicide-robbery

Defendant Manuel Anthony Rivera, 24 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Troy Shaffer to a prison term of 12 years and 4 months in state prison following his convictions for voluntary manslaughter and two counts of attempted robbery.

District Attorney Rodriguez stated, “The murder of Connor Bundock was a senseless tragedy that has deeply affected our community. After the arrest of Manuel Rivera, our office conducted an exhaustive review of all available evidence. Following this consideration of the quantity and strength of the evidence, and applicable law, we made the difficult decision to reach a resolution short of trial in this matter. We recognize this resolution may not meet the expectations of some of Mr. Bundock’s family or members of our community who have closely followed the case. However, this resolution ensures Mr. Rivera takes responsibility for his actions while providing a measure of certainty in the outcome. The criminal justice system often requires difficult decisions based on complex factors that aren’t always apparent to those outside the process. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Bundock family, who have conducted themselves with remarkable dignity throughout this difficult process.”

The charges resulted from a shooting death that occurred after the defendant and a second male approached the victim and his group of friends at Comstock Park in the evening hours of April 2, 2022. The group the defendant was with directed a gang challenge toward the victim’s group and attempted to rob them when a fight ensued between the victim and the shooter. During the fight, the shooter fired one shot at the victim, striking him in his chest and killing him. The defendant and second male fled the area following the shooting. Witnesses were unable to positively identify the defendant or second male at the time of the shooting.

The sentence is a result of a negotiated disposition that followed a two-day preliminary hearing on October 4^th and 7^th of 2024.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Christopher Brown, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Robyn Fuentes, Santa Rosa Police Department Violent Crime Detectives Anthony Turner and Chris Oneill headed the investigation.

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