CHP: Woman arrested for hitting, killing Vacaville Police motorcycle officer
(Photo by Matthew Keys for Solano NewsNet)
A woman has been arrested in connection with the death of a Vacaville Police Department motorcycle officer on Thursday.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive, where Officer Matthew Bowen, 32, was conducting a traffic stop.
At some point during the stop, the CHP says 24-year-old Serena Rodriguez of Auburn struck Bowen with her sedan, then attempted to flee the scene. She was apprehended by eyewitnesses, who directed responding officers to her location.
Rodriguez was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular homicide and driving while under the influence of drugs.
(Photo courtesy Vacaville Police Department)
A Vacaville Fire Department engine was the first on scene, and relayed information about the incident to dispatchers, according to audio recordings reviewed by Solano NewsNet. Once paramedics arrived, Bowen was rushed to a nearby Kaiser Permanente hospital, which serves as the designated trauma center for Solano County. He later died from his injuries.
Around 5:30 p.m., a procession of medical personnel and law enforcement officers escorted Bowen’s body from the hospital to Fairfield. In a press release, city officials said Bowen had been with the agency for a little more than a year after transferring from the Concord Police Department. He leaves behind a wife, two sons and both parents.
At a press conference Thursday evening, Vacaville Police Chief Ian Schmutzler said Bowen was a “tremendous police officer, [and] an even better human being.”
“Today is the day that every chief hopes never comes,” Schmutzler said, standing in front of police headquarters, where the flag was lowered to half-staff.
“Matt was a magnetic personality, someone who always had a smile on his face, a positive attitude, loved his family and loved his community,” Schmutzler continued. “Because of that, we are all broken-hearted.”
(Photo by Matthew Keys for Solano NewsNet)
Schmutzler said Bowen’s family has asked members of the public to respect their privacy. Some family members were part of the procession from the hospital to Fairfield, according to a source.
Memorial plans will be arranged at a future date. It was not clear if the Vacaville Police Department intends to hold a public or private memorial, or a combination of both.
Following Schmutzler’s comments, Vacaville Mayor John Carli — who served as the city’s police chief for more than three decades before retiring in 2021 — spoke with reporters outside police headquarters. He condemned the news that someone was arrested for driving while on drugs, and expressed his own condolences to the police department.
In a one-on-one interview with Solano NewsNet a short time later, Carli said he appreciated the response from nearby law enforcement agencies, who were ready to provide assistance to the Vacaville Police Department.
“The days ahead are going to be hard,” Carli said. “I’ve spent different parts of my day with Chief Schmutzler and line staff, both sworn and civilian, and it resonates across the agency. This is a very difficult moment. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
The CHP says the investigation into what happened is still ongoing.