A homeless man allegedly sucker punched the mayor of a small town in California near congressional staffers and the police chief.

A Northern California city council member is citing his state's lenient crime policies after being allegedly attacked and punched by a homeless person in a daytime assault.

On August 22, while assessing damage to a historic building in Marysville, Dom Belza, the City Councilman, Mayor Chris Branscum, Chief of Police Christian Sachs, and two congressional staffers for Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-CA, were involved in an incident.

Belza recounted how they were standing on the sidewalk near the site and having a casual conversation. Suddenly, an individual crossed the street at the crosswalk. As the individual got close to the mayor, who had his back turned, the individual swung and hit him right in the back.

"No communication or altercation occurred, and there was no reason for the punch. It was a completely random act of violence."

KCRA-TV reported that Mayor Branscum described the attack as "unexpected," stating, "I believed I was struck by a vehicle."

"Suddenly, a man ran past me and I yelled an expletive."

After the alleged attack, Belza's "instincts took over" and he ran after the suspect who had fled.

Derek Hopkins, who was later identified as the suspect, took off running after the incident.

"Belza chased the attacker down the street, but the attacker turned around and saw Belza over his shoulder halfway down the block."

Hopkins was hit on the side of his head by Belza after stopping for a second punch.

Belza stated that he restrained the suspect until the chief of police arrived, and then held him in custody until he was officially arrested.

Eight charges, including felony assault of a public official and felony elder abuse, have been filed against Hopkins. His bail is set at $50,000.

The crime crisis in communities across California can be traced back to the impact of Democratic policies on both ordinary citizens and elected officials, as Belza pointed out.

""This is a common issue we face, not just with elected officials being attacked, but with a higher frequency of crimes and attacks in communities across California," he stated."

"This attack is really a result of the soft-on-crime policy that California has implemented." — Marysville City Councilman Dom Belza

The attack is a direct result of California's soft-on-crime policy implemented over the past decade, which speaks to a larger issue in the state, according to him.

Proposition 47, signed into law in November 2014, reclassified six minor felony offenses as misdemeanors, including shoplifting of merchandise valued at less than $950 and drug possession.

He stated that Prop 47 serves as the foundation for the soft-on-crime approach.

In 2014, the attorney general of California was highlighted by him as the driving force behind the legislation, who later became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris.

"If she becomes president, the entire nation will face the same issues that California has been dealing with for the past decade," he said.

"All of us should have a massive concern about that."

Despite its small size, Belza's city has had to confront the consequences of progressive legislation, including Prop 47.

Belza stated that our small community in Northern California has been grappling with issues such as homelessness, substance abuse, vagrancy, loitering, and vandalism. Last year, one of our local coffee shops had a chair thrown through its window without any warning.

"The number of those specific crimes has surged, as well as the occurrence of more serious offenses, such as murders."

In 2024, California reported a decline in violent crime, but Belza questioned the accuracy of the data due to changes in crime reporting classification.

Belza stated that simply reporting a crime differently does not necessarily mean that the crime rate will decrease. Instead, what was previously classified as a felony may now be reported as a misdemeanor, and what was previously reported as a misdemeanor may now be classified as a lesser infraction crime.

"In fact, crime has increased to the point where most Marysville residents are afraid to leave their homes," he stated.

"Situations like this are proof that California is not a safe state and that these small, rural communities aren't safe." — Marysville City Councilman Dom Belza

He stated that situations like this demonstrate that California is no longer a safe state and that these small, rural communities are no longer secure.

"The true problem lies in the fact that people do not feel safe, as evidenced by an elderly lady who was confronted by two individuals while trying to get back to her car from a drug store. Despite not having anyone to help or protect her, the lady was attempting to pick up her medications."

Belza said communities in California have created coalitions to combat crime.

The people spoke up and gathered enough signatures to put Prop 36 on the ballot due to the crime situation in California. Prop 36 changes the effects of Prop 47 and brings serious consequences for repeat offenders, particularly in retail theft and heavy drug use, such as fentanyl.

"In spring 2021, I founded Free California, an organization aimed at assisting state legislators and others in combating an issue on a policy level while raising awareness among California residents about their ability to effect change. As California citizens, we must take responsibility and work together to make our state safer."

Neither the Harris campaign nor LaMalfa responded to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.