The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office concluded on Friday that the three Redwood City Police Department officers who fatally shot Jose Reynaldo Lombera in November were legally justified in using deadly force and will not face criminal charges.
District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe found that Officers Jake Granado and Carlos Ordaz, and Sgt. Ruben Orozco acted in lawful self-defense and defense of others under California law, according to a letter sent Friday to Redwood City Police Chief Kristina Bell.
In the letter, Wagstaffe wrote that Orozco, Granado and Ordaz acted in a “professional, reasonable and appropriate manner” and that they “did everything in their power to avoid the lethal confrontation provoked by decedent Jose Lombera.”
“The danger posed by the conduct of the armed decedent to other officers, to nearby citizens and to the officers themselves was extremely high,” Wagstaffe wrote.
Lombera, 48, who allegedly pointed a firearm at officers after shooting into the sidewalk two feet from a Redwood City resident, was struck by four bullets by officers and died shortly after, according to Wagstaffe. A county medical and toxicology report found methamphetamine and alcohol in his system at the time of his death.
According to Wagstaffe, at around 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, 2025, Lombera approached his neighbor, Santiago Sanchez-Vasquez, on the sidewalk near 201 Hazel Ave. in Redwood City and falsely accused him of stealing his dog. When Sanchez-Vasquez denied it, Lombera fired a shot into the ground near where he was standing.
Lombera put his gun in his waistband, then took it back out and cocked it, telling Sanchez-Vasquez that he “felt like killing him” and that he “did not care if the police showed up,” Wagstaffe stated in the letter. Lombera then walked away without firing again.
Police received a report of a gunshot into the sidewalk by a subject wearing a red shirt and a red hat.
Officers used a drone to locate Lombera at 133 Hemlock Ave., where he was entering and exiting an apartment above the garage, according to Wagstaffe. A five-person contact team was posted at a church parking lot across the street, equipped with two rifles, a handgun, and less-lethal weapons.
Sgt. Peter Cang, a crisis negotiator, was first deployed to obtain a phone number to contact Lombera, but was unsuccessful, the report stated.
Just before 3:20 p.m., the drone operator told officers that Lombera was walking away from his apartment toward the street. The team approached Lombera 10 to 15 feet away and commanded him to show his hands, Wagstaffe wrote.
Lombera raised his arms, then, seconds later, dropped his hands, moving his front hand toward his right front pants pocket, according to the district attorney. Officers deployed less-lethal weapons, which had minimal effect, and one launcher apparently malfunctioned.
Lombera then pulled his firearm from his front pocket, gripped it with both hands, and took a shooting stance, prompting Sgt. Ruben Orozco and Officer Ordaz to discharge their rifles, and Officer Granado to fire his handgun, Wagstaffe wrote. Nine shots were fired, four of which struck Lombera.
Lombera was transported to Stanford Hospital, where he died just after 4 p.m. according to the district attorney.
The officers were placed on administrative leave while the District Attorney’s Office investigated, with help from the Redwood City Police Department and the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office, the letter stated. The investigation included interviews with the involved officers, other responding officers and civilian witnesses, along with a review of audio and video recordings, dispatch calls and medical reports.
