Bean bag shotgun blast takes down Redding felon who beat his mother

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a convicted felon who is on parole and has spent most of the last ten years in and out of prison was arrested again after he allegedly beat his mother, dragging her through her home by the neck, Sunday, Sept. 26.

The alleged suspect, Joshua Michael Rocha, 37, of Redding, refused to be taken into custody without a fight and officers were forced to deploy a bean bag shotgun to gain the man’s compliance so he could be arrested, according to officials.

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City of Redding police officers were dispatched to a home in the 6600 Block of Southgate Drive around 9:15 a.m. after receiving reports of a family disturbance, Redding Police Corporal Wes Townsley has since said of the incident and arrest.

While officers were headed to the scene, the victim told SHASCOM emergency dispatchers that her son had just assaulted and injured her, and she described being dragged through the house by her neck, Townsley explained.

Joshua Rocha, a convicted felon who is on parole and has spent most of the last ten years in and out of prison, was arrested again on Sunday after he allegedly beat his mother, dragging her through her home by the neck. Redding PD photo

When officers arrived they contacted the alleged suspect, who immediately became confrontational and combative, according to the Corporal. 

“Officers gave him commands, but he would not comply,” Townsley explained; saying, “Officers attempted to de-escalate by speaking with Rocha; however, he only became more aggressive.”

When Rocha took his shirt off and challenged officers, an officer deployed a less-lethal bean bag shotgun “to safely take the violent felon into custody,” Townsley continued.

After being medically cleared at Shasta Regional Hospital, Rocha was booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of assault likely to cause great bodily injury, kidnapping – for forcefully moving the victim, resisting arrest and violation of parole.  

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody, where he is being held without bail.  

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Anyone with further information regarding this investigation and arrest is encouraged to contact Redding PD at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R063050 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.