Citizen of Month Recipient Named

A man injured while coming to the aid of an apparent domestic-violence victim has been given the Citizen of the Month award by law enforcement officials.

The incident began shortly after midnight Nov. 28 when James Tassano, driving home with a friend, noticed something in a grassy area on the side of the road.

“I saw this guy who appeared to be either beating or raping a woman,” said Tassano, 41.

Tassano said he stopped his car and yelled at the man. The man, identified later by police as Christopher De Woody, charged Tassano’s vehicle.

“I tried to detain him and there was a little scuffle, and then he stabbed me in the back,” Tassano said.

Tassano said he was taken to the hospital by his friend. He said they then called police.

Police later arrested De Woody on suspicion of aggravated assault and domestic violence. The woman was identified as De Woody’s girlfriend.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Senior Deputy Jim Aguirre, who presented Tassano with the award during a brief ceremony at the Camarillo substation, said while several people were nominated for the honor, Tassano’s bravery could not be ignored.

“We had several good candidates, but because of what he did that night we couldn’t overlook him,” Aguirre said.

“There have been too many cases of domestic violence in Camarillo, and we don’t need any more cases of it,” Aguirre said. “It was very brave what he did.”