Santa Rosa Mourns Police Detective Who Died From Coronavirus

SANTA ROSA, CA — The city of Santa Rosa is mourning Marylou Armer, a police detective who died Tuesday of complications resulting from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Flags were lowered to half-staff Tuesday at City Hall and the Public Safety Building to honor Armer, described as a "bright light in the organization" by the Santa Rosa Police Department.

"She was a thoughtful and committed public servant who loved helping people and loved the people she worked with," the department wrote on Facebook Wednesdsay.

Armer was a Napa County resident and Napa County's first coronavirus-related death.

A memorial fund set up by the Peace Officers Research Association of California is seeking to raise is seeking to raise $50,000 for Armer's family, and had raised more than $21,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Armer was a 20-year member of the Santa Rosa Police Department, having started as a Field Evidence Technician in September 1999, the department said. She became a police officer in 2008, and was most recently assigned as a detective for the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Team

Armer was one of eight SRPD employees who had tested positive for the virus, Police Chief Ray Navarro said.

Patch staffer Maggie Fusek and Bay City News contributed to this report.

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