Sheriff’s Department discourages gofundme donations in deputy’s name

The creation of a gofundme.com account Tuesday in the name of Deputy Tony Hinostroza has the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department repeating its request that people give only to the approved memorial fund set up by the Sworn Deputies Association.

The new account is called Sheriff Deputy Hinostroza Memorial and has a $600 goal, purportedly to purchase 20 aluminum memorial bracelets for SWAT team deputies Hinostroza served with.

The Sheriff’s Department has not said the account is a scam. But Deputy Royjindar Singh, a department spokesman, said there are systems in place for members of the community who want to do things in the fallen deputy’s honor. Fundraising as through gofundme is being actively discouraged, he said.

A 19-year Sheriff’s Department veteran, Deputy Antonio “Tony” Hinostroza, 45, was driving with lights and sirens activated to assist fellow deputies in a pursuit when he crashed into a traffic signal pole in the southeast corner of Claribel Road and Terminal Avenue on Sunday night. He died upon impact. He is survived by an adult son.

Donations to the Deputies Association fund can be made at any Westamerica Bank branch to the Tony Hinostroza Memorial Fund, or mailed to: Stanislaus Sworn Deputies Association, Tony Hinostroza Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 2314, Ceres, CA 95307. To give online, visit https://www.stanislaussworn.com/donation.html.

The memorial service for Hinostroza has been scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m. at The House Modesto, 1601 Coffee Road.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 11:20 AM.