VALLEJO, Calif. — A longtime Mare Island conservationist says she was doing a routine task she had carried out for years when a Wednesday night encounter with Vallejo police ended with her arrest and hours in custody.
Myrna Hayes, 69, was arrested around 9 p.m. Sept. 23 while at the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, where she says she was locking the gates along the San Pablo Bay Trail as part of her regular evening routine.
Hayes said she had been making the roughly three-quarter-mile trip along the gravel road to secure the gate for nearly 17 years.
The incident began after a Vallejo Public Works employee conducting evening checks at the preserve reported what police described as suspicious activity. According to police, the employee was responsible for checking the grounds, looking for possible vandalism or theft and securing perimeter gates after closing hours.
Police said the employee reported seeing a vehicle with two people who were not authorized to be at the preserve after hours. Officers were given descriptions of the people and vehicle before responding to the area.
According to the police account, officers located a vehicle matching that description. Police said the vehicle pulled over abruptly before officers attempted a traffic stop and that the driver got out and approached the police vehicle.
Hayes has described the encounter differently. She said she initially did not realize the people involved were police officers and believed she was simply dealing with people who needed to leave the preserve before she completed her nightly lockup.
Police said officers attempted to detain the driver after she allegedly refused commands and did not comply with repeated instructions to control her movements. The department said the situation resulted in her arrest.
Hayes said she was physically grabbed and handcuffed during the encounter. She also alleges that an officer pushed or slammed her against a patrol vehicle.
She later reported a bruised eye, swollen legs and widespread body pain. Multiple patrol vehicles and officers responded to the scene, according to the account provided about the incident. Hayes was taken into custody and spent about 12 hours in jail before being released the following morning.
The arrest has drawn attention because of Hayes’ long history with the Mare Island preserve.
For years, Hayes has been closely involved with the preserve as a volunteer, caretaker and guide. Earlier coverage of the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve has described her as a longtime steward of the site, which includes former naval property overlooking San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait.
Her involvement with Mare Island also extends beyond the recent incident. The Mare Island Heritage Trust identifies Hayes as a former founding preserve manager, and she has continued to participate in tours and educational activities connected with the area.
Hayes said the arrest was particularly upsetting because she had never previously been arrested or physically confronted by police.
“I’ve never been in jail. I’ve never been touched by a police officer,” she said, describing the experience as confusing and distressing.
Civil rights attorney Melissa Nold has also questioned the level of force used during the encounter. Nold characterized Hayes as an unarmed older woman who had spent years volunteering in the community and said the situation should have been handled with less escalation.
The Vallejo Police Department, however, said its follow-up investigation determined that neither Hayes nor the other person involved was a city employee and that they did not have legal authority or operational responsibility at the preserve after hours.
The preserve itself has a long history of volunteer involvement. Public information about the site describes Hayes and other volunteers as having helped manage the preserve, organize tours and educate visitors about its natural and historical resources.
The conflicting accounts leave key questions about Wednesday night’s encounter, including what happened during the physical confrontation and how the misunderstanding over access to the preserve developed into an arrest.
Hayes said the experience has left her shaken and questioning how an ordinary evening spent caring for a place she has served for years could end with her being taken to jail.
