MCSO Says Suspect in Child’s Homicide and Sibling’s Abandonment Was Victim of Domestic Violence by Their Mother

Picture of the child who died adorns a handcrafted cross at the location where one child was found ill and another deceased nearby. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

This is a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

On 08-02-2022 at 2:05 AM Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to a possible domestic violence incident occurring in the 1700 block of North State Street in Ukiah, California.

Upon arrival, Deputies located Sally Arellano and Edward “Two Feathers” Steele standing in the parking lot of a closed business.

During a subsequent contact, Deputies developed information which led to the arrest of Arellano for a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence battery.

At the time of her arrest, Arellano stated her children were at a motel approximately .5 miles away while being cared for by a babysitter.  The children were not present during the domestic violence incident and were not with her at the time of her arrest.

Deputies learned Arellano and Steele had been engaged in a romantic dating relationship for the past several months.

Sally was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail and was later released on bail on 08-03-2022 at approximately 5:00 AM.

Sally was able to make a telephone call prior to and after being booked into the Mendocino County Jail.

Ongoing investigations into this incident developed information that Steele had assumed care of the children from the babysitter after Arellano’s arrest.

During the morning of 08-03-2022 Steele left the children unattended near the railroad tracks near the 300 block of Brush Street in Ukiah.  Thereafter, the one-year-old child was found deceased and the two-year-old child was found with a life-threatening medical emergency.

On 08-04-2022 at 12:25 PM Hopland Tribal members contacted the Sheriff’s Office and reported a sighting of Steele on the Hopland Rancheria.
Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Hopland Rancheria and located Steele shortly thereafter. Steele was detained and investigators were notified.

Subsequent investigations lead to Steele being booked into the Mendocino County Jail on charges of murder and violation of PRCS (Post Release Community Supervision).  Steele is currently being held on a No Bail status.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the public, specifically Hopland Tribal members, for their assistance in helping locate Steele.

Closeup of the tiny child’s photo atop the cross. [Photo by Matt LaFever]

Earlier: 

• MCSO Searching for Man After Child Last in His Care is Found Deceased
• Man Wanted in Connection With Death of One-Year-Old and Abandonment of Two-Year-Old Arrested, Says MCSO
• Ukiah Man Identified as the Person of Interest in Infant’s Death Booked for Murder