Del Norte sheriff’s deputy honored in funeral procession

The Del Norte Sheriff’s Office came together to pay respects to one of their own killed last week.

Deanna Esmaeel was a sheriff’s deputy for the office for two years at the time of her death.

On Tuesday, an “end of the watch” procession went through the city, passing by Pebble Beach.

Crescent City Fire raised a flag near the Regional Airport before the procession headed to the Cornerstone Church.

Colleagues from the Del Norte Sheriff’s Office were present along with law enforcement from neighboring counties.

“The one thing that really stands out about Deanna is that, she always had a smile for everybody, a kind of reassuring smile,” Sheriff Garett Scott said. “So I think people really gravitated toward her because she had a positive outlook on life, so a special person in a lot of different ways.”

Esmael joined the police academy determined to get drugs off the street after losing her daughter to drug addiction.

Prior to her career as a deputy, she was a horse trainer and wrangler for film such as Sam Raimi’s ‘Army of Darkness.’

Esmaeel was also the mother of child actor Marty York, known as “Yeah-Yeah” in ‘The Sandlot.’

York along with his sister, gave a eulogy at the funeral, reflecting on their mom and their memories with her. 

“After I got the film role in ‘The Sandlot,’ her singing – me and her driving down the street singing Blind Melon’s “No Rain” was probably the memory that touches me the most,” York said.

She will be laid to rest next to her daughter in Southern California. Deanne Esmaeel was found murdered in her home earlier this month. 

A suspect is in custody, Daniel James Walter aka Edward Patrick Davies. He was transferred to the Humboldt County Jail.