By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Additional information has become available regarding the stabbing that took place Sunday morning at the Cedar Hills apartments in Willows.
As reported previously in The Observer, just before 7 a.m., first responders were dispatched to a reported stabbing at the apartment complex at 600 North Humboldt Avenue. The victim was transported to Glenn Medical Center by ground ambulance and the Enloe FlightCare helicopter landed in order to fly the victim to another hospital.
According to a March 18 press release from Sgt. Brandon Draper of the sheriff’s office, the woman ultimately succumbed to her injuries at Glenn Medical Center.
The Glenn County Jail’s news release for Sunday, March 17, indicates that at 9:48 a.m., Joseph Ryan Corona, 29, of Willows, was arrested at 838 College City Road, College City.
He was booked into the Glenn County Jail without bail on a charge alleging murder.
Over the years, Corona has had numerous encounters with law enforcement, both inside and outside of Glenn County. Some of the encounters in Glenn County from January, 2023, through January, 2024, include:
Jan. 11, 2023: “Glenn County Sheriff’s dispatch received a call from Adrian Murphy of Arbuckle requesting a welfare check on her daughter and boyfriend at 600 North Humboldt Avenue, apt. #207, Willows.
“Murphy was on the phone with her daughter during a domestic violence incident when the daughter said she was pushed. The involved parties were Caitlyn and Joseph Corona.
“During the time of the call, GCSO dispatch received a 911 hang-up from Caitlyn. Deputy Gonzalez was detailed to the address and contacted Caitlyn and Joseph.
“Per Joseph and Caitlyn, it was only an argument over a set of car keys, which were returned to Caitlyn and nothing physical occurred. Caitlyn said she initially dialed 911 while on the phone with Murphy but hung up after Murphy told her GCSO had been notified.
“Deputy Gonzalez called Murphy back and she had no details about Caitlyn being pushed. Negative domestic violence, the parties were counselled, and information was provided.”
Feb. 3, 2023: “Deputy Tuma contacted 28-year-old Joseph Corona in the area of North Tehama and Vine Streets in Willows. Deputy Tuma observed objective signs and symptoms that Corona was under the influence of a controlled substance.
“Deputy Tuma conducted a Drug Abuse Recognition evaluation and determined Corona was under the influence. Corona was placed under arrest and transported to the Glenn County Jail, where he was released to jail staff for booking.”
Feb. 17, 2023: “Deputy Thompson was dispatched to 8071 County Road 61 for a report of a suspicious person at the Four Corners Market. The deputy contacted Kelly Pierce (an employee of the market) and Joseph Corona.
“Pierce requested that Corona leave the market. Corona left without incident. Deputy Thompson provided him with a courtesy ride to Willows.”
April 4, 2023: “Deputies responded to a report of an argument at the Cedar Hills apartments, apt. #207, in Willows, after receiving secondhand information that Joseph and Caitlyn Corona were fighting. The deputies did not receive an answer at the door and the apartment was quiet. The Glenn County Sheriff’s dispatcher attempted to make contact with Caitlyn Corona via telephone but was unsuccessful.
“Caitlyn’s mother, Adrian Murphy of Arbuckle, later called the GCSOand said Joseph and Caitlyn Corona were in the Cedar Hills parking lot, where, she told Deputy Goodwin, she was in an argument over car keys.
“During the argument, Joseph Corona had grabbed Caitlyn’s cell phone and smashed it. Joseph left and there was no further issue.
“Caitlyn did not want to pursue vandalism charges and said the phone was Joseph’s as well. The deputy provided her with restraining order information.”
April 23, 2023: “Deputy Vargas was dispatched to Mar-Val, 517 South Tehama Street, Willows, for a report of a broken glass door on the east side of the grocery store. Deputy Vargas was told by employee Donna Burley that when she arrived for work, she noticed the glass had been broken.
“The deputy conducted an investigation and made a report regarding the vandalism.” The sheriff’s log item lists Joseph Ryan Corona, 600 North Humboldt Avenue, apt. #7, as a “Suspect Known”.
May 17, 2023: “Deputies to the south side of the Cedar Hills apartment complex for a report that Joseph Corona was acting suspicious and was possibly under the influence. Another caller reported that a man matching Corona’s description was knocking on their door.
“Deputies contacted Corona in front of the second caller’s apartment. Corona showed signs and symptoms of being under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant.
“He was also allegedly found to be in possession of what was presumed to be methamphetamine and cocaine. Corona was booked into the Glenn County Jail.”
July 4, 2023: “Deputy Cordova saw Joseph Corona enter Starbuck’s, 505 North Humboldt Avenue, and knew he had an outstanding Colusa County warrant for his arrest. Deputy Cordova arrested Corona without incident.
“Corona told deputies he was in possession of ‘crystal’ and deputies allegedly found methamphetamine on his person. He was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging possession of methamphetamine, and violation of felony probation, and the warrant.”
Oct. 30, 2023: “Deputies responded to the Cedar Hills apartments for a report of Joseph Corona allegedly being under the influence of narcotics. Deputies found Corona near apt. #272.
“He was arrested for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance, and two counts of violation of probation. He was booked into the Glenn County Jail.”
Jan. 14, 2024: “Caitlyn Corona called the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office to get it documented that her youngest child’s father, Joseph Corona, left the child unattended in their apartment for an unknown period of time. Caitlyn left the child with the father when she went to work at 3 p.m. and found the child sitting on the bedroom floor, crying, when she came home for lunch at 6:15 p.m.
“Caitlyn said Joseph Corona was not in the apartment, nor did he have a cell phone, so she had no way to contact him.
“Caitlyn contacted her mother to come pick up the child so she could return to work. Joseph Corona never returned home during the 45 minutes it took for Caitlyn’s mother to arrive.
“Caitlyn got off work at midnight and went to her mother’s residence after collecting some clothes for herself and her child.”
Jan. 23, 2024: “Caitlyn Corona contacted the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office to report that her husband, Joseph Corona, was allegedly under the influence and acting aggressively toward people on the north side of the Cedar Hills apartment complex. Deputy Chavez contacted Corona, but he refused to comply and attempted to flee.
“Deputy Chavez found him and he was arrested and booked into the jail on charges alleging resisting arrest and violation of probation.”
As for the Glenn County violations that actually made it to court, there are 10 or so. Of these, it appears that only two of them were for felonies.
Of these two still-active cases, one dates from May of last year and involves a vehicle theft. The other is from April of last year and involves first degree burglary and felony vandalism. (Most likely, this was the burglary of Mar-Val mentioned above.)
One other case listed on the Glenn County Superior Court website is relevant: the case of Corona v. Corona. In this case, which was initiated in late October of 2023, Caitlyn Corona filed for legal separation (with minor children) from Joseph Corona.
The January 14, 2024, sheriff’s log above indicates that both Coronas were still living together more than two months after Caitlyn filed for separation. And the January 23, 2024, log item calls Joseph Corona Caitlyn’s “husband”.
Members from both Joseph Corona’s and Caitlyn Corona’s families have called for an end to public discourse on Facebook regarding the murder. Ironically, one of the most potentially damaging social media comments came from Nikki Corona, who replied to Rebecca Jarman Warnock on The Observer’s Facebook page, “How about you worry about you and not about our family or tell us what we should be doing. We’re grieving the loss of family together. We are trying to stop posts and hateful things being said.”
Then she adds a statement that Joseph Corona’s defense attorney may not be too thrilled with: “Yes, we know what he did and we are not defending what he did at all, but when it comes to people dragging our family through the mud not knowing anything is uncalled for!” [emphasis added].
Lesson: It really is a good idea for the loved ones of both Joseph and Caitlyn Corona to stay off Facebook and other social media platforms for a while.
The Glenn County Observer 