The following is a press released issued by the Santa Rosa Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On January 27, 2021, the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Team began conducting a sexual assault investigation that involved a “Small Group Leader” at New Vintage Church and a juvenile victim. As a result of the investigation, probable cause was established that the suspect sexually abused a juvenile victim for approximately four to five years. The abuse began when the victim was 12 years old. The victim and the suspect were not related but both attend the church.
Since the beginning of the investigation, leadership at New Vintage Church has been working with SRPD to assist with the investigation and to help determine if there were additional victims. Lead Pastor Darren Youngstrom told SRPD, “As soon as we found out [about the allegations], we proactively began calling families to make sure children were safe.” The suspect was one of six volunteers who worked with high school students. There is no evidence that any of the sexual abuse occurred at the church.
The suspect, Drue Mordecai, a 55-year-old Santa Rosa resident, was arrested on Thursday, January 28, 2021, for 12 felony charges related to the investigation. Mordecai was booked into the Sonoma County Jail with a $3,000,000 bail.
The name of the victim will not be released because they are a juvenile and a sexual assault victim.
Based on Mordecai’s access to juveniles, we are releasing his recent booking photograph and reaching out to the public for assistance. If you were or know someone who may have been a victim, please reach out to SRPD. This investigation is still on-going, and detectives are seeking anyone who may have information related to this sexual assault. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Santa Rosa Police through our tip line: www.srcity.org/CrimeTips The information can be anonymous but providing your contact information is helpful for detectives to conduct follow up on.
