Kelly Ann Bazer, a 28-year-old deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, tragically lost her life on January 13, 1986. On that fateful day, Deputy Bazer was off-duty and on her way home from work, having just completed her sixth day at the Sheriff's Academy. She was still in her uniform when she parked her car on the street outside her residence. Unbeknownst to her, two men who had just committed an armed robbery at a nearby Safeway store approached her and demanded her car keys.
In an attempt to escape, Deputy Bazer was shot in the back at close range by one of the suspects. The assailants then took her car keys and fled the scene in her vehicle.
The suspects abandoned Deputy Bazer's car shortly after and were picked up by an accomplice in another vehicle. A local Border Patrol Agent, who noticed suspicious activity among the suspects, attempted to stop them. This led to a short pursuit, after which the suspects abandoned their vehicle and fled into a rural area. A massive, multi-agency search ensued, resulting in the apprehension of the suspects hours later.
The three men involved in the crime were subsequently arrested and charged with murder and armed robbery. The shooter was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery, receiving a sentence of 35 years to life. Another suspect, who had been released from prison just three days earlier for his involvement in the stabbing death of a rival gang member, was also convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery, receiving the same sentence. The third suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Deputy Bazer's death was a profound loss to her family, colleagues, and the community. She is survived by her husband Michael and their two children, Jess and Andrea, as well as her father and stepmother, Thomas and Nancy Hotchkiss, and her mother, Gail Reed Patterson. Her memory continues to be honored by those who knew her and by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
