Lt. David Stevenson, South Lake Tahoe Police Department
On Wednesday the South Lake Tahoe Police Department received word from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department that Derek Penaranda, 30, from Ripon, Calif., passed away while in a long term care facility in their jurisdiction.
Penaranda was involved in a fight that occurred inside Mo’s Place on May 20, 2012. Penaranda sustained serious brain damage as a result of the altercation. The exact cause of death is pending an autopsy that is being scheduled to occur in the next few days.
The circumstances surrounding Penaranda’s death are still under investigation by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. There is no information being released at this time concerning the possibility of criminal charges being filed, what those charges would be, or when they would be filed.