From Lookout Santa Cruz
The memorial to fallen Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy Damon Gutzwiller is now finished. Gutzwiller, you’ll remember, was shot and killed while responding to reports of a suspicious van near Ben Lomond — in other words, doing his job — in the summer of 2020.
The memorial is a beautifully designed spot in Willowbrook Park, a tiny county park in Aptos that Gutzwiller and his dog frequently visited. As created by Santa Cruz’s accomplished concrete artist Tom Ralston, the new memorial features shoeprints of the fallen deputy and his family, and a trio of bronze plaques placed in stone, honoring Sgt. Gutzwiller. Pay a visit sometime and reflect on the sacrifice of this fine public servant.