To muted applause inside Stockton’s council chamber last month, Motecuzoma Sanchez smiled as he accepted a City Council proclamation from Mayor Christina Fugazi.
The hall was quiet as Sanchez, Fugazi and Stockton police Deputy Chief Anabel Morris paused for a photo. Then it was interrupted by a lone voice in protest.
“Disinformation is domestic terrorism,” called out local activist Alyssa Leiva.
But Leiva wasn’t the only one who had some comment on the proclamation.
Shortly before the March 3 meeting, two members of the council — Michael Blower and Brando Villapudua — requested their names and signatures be excluded from the public tribute. Before the proclamation was read, Blower stood from his seat and silently left the dais. And a third member, Vice Mayor Jason Lee, said in his public remarks that the mayor alone decided on the proclamation and that the other councilmembers had no say.
According to a news release from Fugazi one day earlier, the proclamation was for a contribution to public safety. Early last year, when a person with a “large knife” behaved in a threatening manner toward people near the Regal Stockton City Center, Sanchez intervened and contacted police, the news release said.
“That’s exactly the type of See Something, Say Something, civic responsibility we’ve been encouraging,” said Fugazi in a statement before the meeting, referring to a police initiative that asks residents to report suspicious activity.
“Sanchez acted with composure and sound judgement,” read City Clerk Katherine Roland from the proclamation at the meeting. “Actions of Motecuzoma Sanchez reflect outstanding civic responsibility, personal courage and a deep commitment to the safety of others in the community.”
The council honor resurfaced a long-running controversy around Sanchez and the social media site he runs. A civil grand jury concluded that people using the social media site “have consistently attempted to undermine the local democratic process by misleading the Stockton electorate and attempting to affect election results through unethical influence.” Sanchez has repeatedly denied the report’s conclusions.
Police information about the knife incident made public so far reveals little about what happened in March of last year.
California requires police departments to provide certain information concerning investigations. It requires disclosure of “factual circumstances” surrounding an arrest, unless disclosure would endanger a person or the completion of the investigation.
When Stocktonia requested the police report, the Stockton Police Department released a version so heavily redacted, it revealed not a word of the statements police took from the arrested man, from Sanchez or from the other person at the scene.
The different versions of the knife incident
The scene started outside a state government building on Channel Street.
Sanchez and “members of his family” were confronted by a person “acting aggressively” on March 22 about 7 p.m., according to the proclamation penned by Fugazi’s office.
That person, according to Fugazi, displayed a “large knife” and advanced in a “threatening manner.”
Sanchez, according to Fugazi’s account, created distance between “members of the public,” contacted police and stayed at the scene as the person was taken into custody.
In a brief interview following the proclamation, Sanchez said a “transient camped” across the street from the theater had yelled at a female family member and later brandished a knife when confronted. After persuading the man to drop the weapon, Sanchez said, he moved his family to safety and returned to warn others while calling police.
“I went back on the scene because, number one, I knew what was transpiring,” Sanchez said. “I did not want to have another family experience what I experienced.”
In response to Stocktonia’s requests for details before the proclamation was issued, Stockton Police spokesperson David Scott said the brandishing actually occurred March 21.
Scott deferred to Fugazi’s office as to why the date in the proclamation differed from the police report. The mayor’s spokesman did not respond to an inquiry about the date.
After the proclamation was issued, the police department fulfilled Stocktonia’s request under state public records law for the police report in the incident.
But that report was almost entirely redacted. An unredacted portion describes how Sgt. Patrick High stood next to Sanchez when Officers Ruben Rillon and Gregory Lee arrived. Lee authored the report.
“Upon arrival, Officers on scene had a subject detained,” the report reads. “The person detained was identified by officers as Deante Taylor. Sgt. High was standing next to a Hispanic male adult, who I identified as Montecuzoma (sic) Sanchez from his California Driver’s License.”
The report codes Taylor as the arrestee, “ARR,” and Sanchez as the first victim, “VIC 1.” But the document blacks out more than a full page of material labeled “Statement of (VIC 1)” and “Statement of (ARR).”
In response to continued questions, Scott told Stocktonia the brandishing incident took place at 7:11 p.m. on the 100 block of North El Dorado Street and involved two victims, a 49-year-old male and a 42-year-old female.
The suspect Deante Taylor, 29, was arrested “for brandishing and having a warrant,” Scott said. Court records show a warrant for Taylor, stemming from failing to report to a probation officer in a previous case.
Though the police report released by the department identified Sanchez as “VIC 1,” in response to follow-up questions, Scott declined to release the victims’ names.
Court filings show that on March 25, 2025, the District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint against Taylor alleging that he committed “the crime of drawing, exhibiting or using deadly weapon,” a misdemeanor.
The complaint against Taylor, which Stocktonia obtained both from the Superior Court and from the district attorney’s office, identifies both Sanchez and the second victim by name.
A court record from the same date shows Taylor entered a no-contest plea, and a judge sentenced him to one year of probation.
A Stockton police records clerk declined to release an unredacted incident report, videos and other materials in response to Stocktonia’s request, explaining that they are “criminal investigative file material.”
California’s Public Records Act does not require the release of police investigatory material — even in a case such as this one, in which a defendant has already been sentenced — though it allows police to release a variety of information.
The police report “should not have been released, even though it was redacted,” Gaurav Bhatmagar, property and records manager with Stockton police, told Stocktonia.
Stocktonia asked the department whether it was withholding further records because it believed any state law required those records be kept private; the department replied only that the requested records are investigatory records exempt from mandatory disclosure and therefore “will not be provided for review.”
Who is Motecuzoma “Motec” Sanchez?
Sanchez rose to prominence as the force behind the 209 Times, a social media account and web site he says was made to “represent the 209,” Stockton’s area code.
The former school district employee has also run for city, county and school board offices unsuccessfully, but is most recognizable for his online presence.
As his social media reach grew through Instagram posts about missing persons and Facebook shares of the latest traffic jam, so too did his political influence. Since 2015, Sanchez has served on four commissions in Stockton City Hall.
In 2021, Sanchez started a political consulting firm called Tecuani. Campaign filings show that he is paid by political candidates to provide campaign services. Among those currently in office, Councilmember Michele Padilla and Villapudua paid Tecuani $8,000 and $3,500 respectively during their runs for council in 2022.
In 2023, political pressure began to boil over, when Villapudua accused Sanchez of attempting to improperly influence him in office. In documents filed seeking a restraining order, Villapudua claimed Sanchez harassed him and had inappropriate access to information from a closed-session council meeting.
Sanchez denied those claims in his own court filing, calling them malicious and defamatory. Ultimately, a judge denied the request for a restraining order and dismissed the case.
The following year, a civil grand jury report stated that witnesses described the atmosphere for people working in City Hall with words like “harassed, threatened, coerced, bullied, afraid.” The report said witnesses described “constant emails, letters, phone calls and comments made in public demanding action from associates of” 209 Times.
When those associates were not satisfied, the report said, “the result is insulting and misleading reports posted on social media.”
The June 2024 report urged the City Council to “stop enabling” 209 Times “from interfering with effective city government through their continued association and/or support of individuals associated with” the site.
Since the report’s release, Sanchez has repeatedly dismissed it as “not legitimate.”
“How can I say this without cussing?” Sanchez told Stocktonia after a February commission meeting while still inside the council’s chambers. “The grand jury report was not a legitimate grand jury report. That was a political hit piece … a waste of everybody’s time.”
While the council has enacted some of the grand jury’s directives — such as banning electronic devices from closed meetings — Sanchez and his social media platform have continued to loom large at City Hall.
When new council members were sworn in, some, like Padilla and Mariela Ponce, personally thanked Sanchez for his assistance with their campaigns.
Lee, like Fugazi, had promoted his campaign on 209 Times, the latter kicking off her campaign on the social media platform.
Today, Sanchez chairs the city’s salary-setting commission, a volunteer body that recommends and sets salaries for council members. He continues to operate 209 Times.
And the controversy surrounding his influence resurged as the latest public-safety proclamation began making its own rounds on social media.
When Fugazi posted about her proclamation on Facebook, hundreds sounded off in comments.
“Regardless of ‘who’ is being recognized,” wrote one, “This feels like a highly unusual use of proclamations to acknowledge individual behavior.”
Several other commenters raised concerns about the proclamation in light of the civil grand jury report and its findings regarding the 209 Times.
Sanchez, in his brief interview with Stocktonia before leaving City Hall, said his actions in March were deserving of the proclamation.
“I’m not here for somebody’s opinion,” he said. “Whose opinion matters more today — the mayor’s? Or some troll on Facebook?”
Fugazi and her spokesperson Jason Teramoto did not respond to multiple requests for comment following the council meeting.
The day before, when Stocktonia asked why others who had intervened during a public safety threat weren’t selected, Teramoto replied, “If you know one, let me know.”
‘In the last year, have no other citizens done equally or more heroic acts?’
When the council meeting reached the time for the proclamation, Deputy Chief Anabel Morris spoke to the council. Morris said “everyone” should understand the importance of reporting a crime, citing a 10% reduction in Stockton’s total crime in 2025 compared to 2024.
“Gone are the days that people did not report any crime or anything suspicious in the area,” said Morris before gesturing to Sanchez as he stood behind her. “And this is an example of it.”
Police spokesperson Scott later said in response to questions from Stocktonia that although Morris had introduced the proclamation, she had not been briefed on the incident specifically.
Just before Sanchez entered the council chambers, Councilmember Michael Blower, with a glance to his colleagues, slipped out through the chamber’s private side door. Blower and Councilmember Brando Villapudua had previously asked to have their signatures excluded from Sanchez’s proclamation.
Both told Stocktonia that they withdrew their support in line with the grand jury’s recommendation that council members stop supporting people associated with 209 Times.
The mayor’s proclamation “was a decision that made many on the council uncomfortable,” said Villapudua in a statement. “I made the decision to do what I felt was in alignment (with) the Grand Jury decision.”
Blower, who along with Villapadua and other city staff, has been criticized by 209 Times, said he found the mayor’s proclamation “odd” and “highly inappropriate.”
“In the last year, have no other citizens done equally or more heroic acts?” Blower asked.
In the roughly 16 months Fugazi has been mayor, the city has issued proclamations mostly related to events or history — arbor week, Black history month, national forensic science week. Only one other proclamation has honored an individual resident, and that accolade for a disability rights champion was issued posthumously.
At the meeting, Fugazi said she had “received a number of messages” about the proclamation honoring Sanchez.
In written public comments incorporated into the minutes of the meeting, some people raised concerns.
“This person has long been a harmful influence in our city,” wrote Kristen McKinstry. “If he’s now made any effort that is actually favorable to the community, that’s good but hardly a basis for ‘recognition.’”
Others, like resident D’Adrea Davie, asked for the proclamation to be reconsidered.
“Proclamations issued by the Mayor and City Council carry significant meaning,” wrote Davie. “Individuals recognized by the City should represent values that uplift Stockton and reinforce public trust in our local institutions.”
Fugazi, defending her proclamation, said it was about “an action that took place.”
“I absolutely respect the way people feel,” Fugazi said. “This proclamation isn’t about personalities or platform.”
Vice Mayor Jason Lee, in his council comments at the end of Tuesday’s meeting to address the “elephant that’s been in the room,” said the mayor alone decides proclamations, claiming that it left councilmembers with no choice but to sign on.
“At the end of the day, we have real, serious issues in this community, and that is not defending the mayor — that is putting all the responsibility of this proclamation on her,” Lee said. “Whether or not Mr. Sanchez deserves it or not … that’s for the public and the mayor to make that determination.”