Healdsburg Man Denied Parole From San Quentin

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Healdsburg man convicted of second-degree murder in the 1981 death of 23-year-old Ricoberto Arroyo outside a Windsor bar was denied parole in a recent hearing at San Quinten State Prison, Sonoma District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced.

The California Board of Prison Terms denied parole Sept. 13 to Manuel Avalos Flores, now 72 years old, on the grounds that Flores had not taken sufficient advantage of rehabilitative programs offered by the state prison system.

According to the DA's Office, Flores and Arroyo knew each other from their native country of Mexico and were both living in Sonoma County. Prosecutors said Flores held a grudge against Arroyo because he believed him to be responsible for ending a romantic relationship Flores had in Mexico.

On the evening of Jan. 16, 1981, Flores went out drinking with three companions and ended up at a bar in Windsor where he came upon Arroyo. As Arroyo left to rest in his car, Flores confronted him and challenged him to fight. When Arroyo declined, Flores produced a .38-caliber handgun and shot him six times at close range, killing him, prosecutors said.

Flores was subsequently convicted of the second-degree murder of Arroyo.

The Sept. 13 hearing was held to determine whether Flores currently remains an unreasonable risk of harm to the public, or whether he should be released back into the community on a grant of parole.

After taking testimony from Flores, reviewing prison files and psychiatric evaluations, and hearing arguments from both Flores' attorney and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, the California Board of Prison Terms issued a three-year denial of parole.

In addition to saying Flores had not taken sufficient advantage of rehabilitative programs, the Board of Parole Hearings said Flores had no insight into why he murdered Mr. Arroyo, and that Flores currently has the same criminal mindset he had at the time of the offense, according to the DA's Office.

The Board concluded by commenting that if Flores were to be released into the community and "was faced with a similar situation in the future, he would respond in the same manner" and kill another person.

Deputy District Attorney Jamie Kandel appeared at the hearing in opposition of Flores' release on parole on behalf of the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.

Flores will not be eligible for parole again until 2022, at which time another hearing on the issue will occur.