SRPD Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Detective receives national recognition for investigation

On December 11, 2024, Detective Kelsea Nelson with the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) Domestic Violence Sexual Assault (DVSA) Team traveled to Savannah, Georgia to be recognized for her use of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database to locate a missing juvenile believed to be several states away with an adult male. Detective Nelson’s case was selected as the 2024 NCIC Success Story of the Year.

NCIC is an electronic clearinghouse of criminal justice information that is maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. NCIC stores information from law enforcement agencies nationwide, creating an information sharing platform for more than 90,000 law enforcement agencies. NCIC provides law enforcement with information about missing and wanted individuals, stolen property, and criminal history. Each year, the FBI recognizes investigators whose use of NCIC information resolves major cases and aids in public safety measures. 

In May of 2024, SRPD received a report of a missing juvenile. The juvenile's parents located a social media account, which showed sexually explicit messages between an adult male and the juvenile. The SRPD DVSA team took over the case with Detective Nelson as the lead detective. Using information contained in the messages, detectives identified the suspect, determined his address, and obtained the license plate number for a vehicle registered to him. Detective Nelson utilized emergency NCIC resources and learned his license plate had been searched in NCIC by an officer in a jurisdiction that was approximately a 12-hour drive from Santa Rosa, 12 hours before the juvenile went missing. Following that lead, Detective Nelson and the DVSA developed probable cause to believe the missing juvenile was with the suspect several states away. With the assistance of the FBI and a local law enforcement agency, the juvenile was safely located and the suspect was arrested for multiple state and federal charges. The information provided from NCIC and Detective Nelson’s investigative tenacity was critical in quickly locating the juvenile and apprehending the suspect.

One of the Santa Rosa Police Department’s core values is excellence and quality in all that we do. We are incredibly proud of the work Detective Nelson has done on this case and the empathy and effort she applies to all her investigations.

Due to the sensitive nature of this investigation and because charges against the suspect are still pending, no additional details about the investigation will be released at this time.

Media inquiries can be made to Sgt. Patricia Seffens at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.