Sylvester Castillo Villa

Yuma County Sheriff's Office — Yuma, AZ

Felonious

End of Watch January 25, 1948

Age 62

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

The Vigil Panel 84 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Sylvester Villa was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect. He and two other deputies had tracked the suspect to a river, where they lost the track. The other two deputies returned to the patrol car while Deputy Villa began to backtrack the route. He located a man sleeping in the brush and nudged him with his foot. The man suddenly turned over and shot Deputy Villa in the groin. Deputy VIlla was transported to Yuma Hospital where he died a short time later. The man, 27, fled the scene but was later apprehended. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison. An annual shooting competition, the Sylvester Villa Match, is held in Yuma in Deputy Villa's honor. Deputy Villa had served with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office for 13 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and six children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AZ-A5702FA1
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Villa gave the Yuma County Sheriff's Office 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Yuma community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Villa.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Yuma County Sheriff's Office

Location Yuma, AZ

Platform Identity ycso.yuma.az.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 25, 1948

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Age 62

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Sentenced to 70 years

Deputy Sheriff Sylvester Castillo Villa is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In AZ, 204 of 330 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Yuma County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Yuma County Sheriff's Office

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

AZ — Statewide

204

of 330 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious