Alleged altercation with a baseball bat leads to son being suspect in death of his father

Synopsis: On 3-28-2016 around 03:30 AM the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to a reported altercation between a father and son that resulted in the death of Sanford Sternick.  Sternick was 58 years of age.

MCSO Deputies responded to the location where they located and confirmed the death of Sternick from what appeared to be blunt force trauma.  The decedent's son, Jewel Dyer, 25 years of age, was detained at the scene.

The Sheriff's Detective Unit was called to the scene to conduct an investigation into Sternick's death.  A witness indicated Dyer claimed there was an argument in the early morning hours between he and his father.  That argument lead to a physical altercation, which resulted in the father suffering blunt force trauma about the head.  A baseball bat, located at the crime scene, was believed to have been used during the altercation.

Dyer was transported and booked into the County Jail where his bail will be set at $500,000. An autopsy is being scheduled and the case will be presented to the District Attorney's Office for review.