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"Sandlot" Actor's Mom Found Murdered at Home and Her Boyfriend Is Arrested
"This is the hardest post I'll ever have to write but I found out from the sheriff department last night that my mother was murdered by a man she was seeing," actor Marty York wrote on Instagram.
The mom of actor Marty York, who co-starred in 1993's The Sandlot, was found killed in her northwest California home last week and her boyfriend has been arrested in the case.
The body of Deanna Esmaeel, a Del Norte County Sheriff Deputy, was discovered in her home on North Bank Road Thursday morning, the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office stated in Friday Facebook post. The office included photos of Edward Patrick Davies, who legally changed his name from Daniel James Walter in July, describing him as "the suspect and boyfriend of Deputy Esmaeel."
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The sheriff's office noted he was wanted for homicide and that it was working alongside the Del Norte County District Attorney's Office in investigating Esmaeel's death.
In an update Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office noted that the black 2010 Mazda four-door sedan that was described in a flier as the car Davies drives had been found but that the suspect was still missing. A later update Friday night stated that the suspect was in custody in Curry County, Oregon, and that he was tracked down and detained by the Brookings Police Department in that state.
Del Norte County sits along the Pacific Ocean and borders Oregon. Authorities noted in their flier asking people to be on the lookout for Davies that he "has connections to Curry County."
Bill Steven, deputy sheriff and public information officer for the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office, told Oxygen.com Monday that Davies had been extradited back to California and that he expected the suspect to be arraigned on murder charges on Tuesday.
Steven added that Davies is being held at Del Norte County Jail in Crescent City, which is just 25 minutes away from the Brookings location where he was arrested. An autopsy has been scheduled for Esmaeel.
Who did Marty York play in The Sandlot?
York played third baseman Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan in The Sandlot, a sports comedy film set in 1962 San Fernando Valley, about a group of neighborhood boys who get together to play baseball.
The actor discussed the loss of his mother in a Friday social media post.
"This is the hardest post I'll ever have to write but I found out from the sheriff department last night that my mother was murdered by a man she was seeing," York wrote on Instagram. "The emotions I have are horrible right now between rage, [vengeance], crying."
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Since the actor's post came before a suspect had been captured, York added that there was a "nationwide manhunt underway," and begged the public to contact authorities if they saw the man whose photos police released.
York added in a heartbreaking follow-up post, "I just want my mom back," including three crying emojis.
In addition to attaching the sheriff's flier about his mom's alleged killer to his Instagram post, the actor also included a photo of himself in a holiday sweater alongside his mom that featured the two of them smiling.
Deanna Esmaeel Was a Del Norte County Sheriff Deputy for Two Years Before She Was Killed
Esmaeel was sworn in as a Del Norte County Sheriff Deputy on March 19, 2021, according to a Facebook post from the department at the time.
She was described as growing up in Sacramento Valley, and moving to Del Norte from Los Angeles County.
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"Deputy Esmaeel has always had a strong desire to be a law enforcement officer but pursued a career as a film industry professional," the sheriff's office noted at the time. "In 2016 she saw a recruitment flyer featuring a female law enforcement officer and decided it was time for her to make her lifelong goal a reality. She believes that the culmination of her life experiences has prepared her to serve well as a deputy."
Esmaeel said, "It's time for me to take everything I have learned in my life and help other people," the sheriff's office's 2021 Facebook post stated.
After she was killed, sheriff Garrett Scott of the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Friday, "We are all deeply heartbroken with the loss of Deputy Esmaeel. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and co-workers."
