MENDOCINO CO., 2/21/26 – Senior Investigator James Schnitzius has been selected to lead the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations following the planned retirement of Chief Investigator Andrew Alvarado, the DA’s Office announced Saturday.
Schnitzius will assume the position March 1 after an internal selection process, the office said.
Schnitzius has worked in law enforcement for more than 28 years, including 18 years with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the DA’s Fort Bragg office. He has served as a corrections deputy and patrol deputy, and in investigative roles involving cannabis enforcement, child abduction and narcotics cases, according to the announcement.
He was promoted to sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office and later hired by District Attorney David Eyster in 2020 as the DA’s lead coastal investigator.
According to the DA’s Office website, the Bureau of Investigations supports prosecutors by providing investigative assistance in cases ranging from homicide to white-collar crime. The bureau also oversees investigations into officer-involved shootings. Schnitzius will be supported by Assistant Chief Investigator Bryan Arrington, four investigators — with one current vacancy — and an investigative technician.
In a statement, the DA’s Office said Schnitzius has “remained committed to public safety, concern and care of victims and witnesses, professional excellence, and organizational integrity.”