Calley Jean Trout
10/23/1987-7/14/2020
Calley's Law
The law prevents a restrained party from accessing records and information regarding minor children's health care, education, daycare, recreational activities, or employment information. This law was created in honor of Calley Jean Garay, or as those who loved her call her by her maiden name, Trout. Before her law was enacted, restraining orders didn't protect children's information.
Calley Jean Trout was born on October 23, 1987, in Turlock, a city just southeast of Modesto. Her parents say she was a good child, a really good child. Although quiet, her laugh could enliven the room. She had a light about her that made everyone smile, and she cherished those around her. Calley Jean Trout was a beautiful spirit who wanted to make a difference in the world.
Calley's abusive husband hunted her down after she fled with the children from his violent grips just months before and violently murdered her as she shielded her children from her partner's attack. She died in the parking lot of a medical building as she was jumping into the victim's service van in broad daylight.
Unfortunately, I'm unclear about how they met or when. In fact, I don't know much about their relationship other than the turmoil and torture Calley experienced, not much more.
I do know that in December 2012, shortly into their relationship, Calley and her future husband were sitting in the drive-through at taco bell. He was having a heated argument with his ex-wife over the phone, and when they hung up, he punched Calley straight in the face and knocked her glasses off.
After the murder, it was brought to light that he was also abusive to his ex-wife. One evening they had an argument, and he drove his ex-wife to a nearby orchard and threatened to shoot her in the head.
It appears that the abuse never really stopped. In 2014, Calley and her 6ft, 260lb boyfriend had their first child.
By the following year, they were expecting a second child, and the couple got married. But by this time, the abuse was taking a toll on Calley, and just months after their marriage, she left the relationship, went into hiding, filed a domestic violence charge, and wanted to know how to start the process of obtaining a restraining order.
However, her husband was able to track her down and force her to come back. He didn't receive any jail time for his assaults on Calley.
Obviously, things didn't get better. Nearly anything set him off; coffee was too hot; if Calley did not pack chips in his lunch, a misplaced receipt, forgotten keys, or his truck didn't start. They all sparked violence in him, and he would viciously attack Calley, blaming her.
During the relationship, some men conned Calley's husband out of a car deal. When he returned home, he brutally beat Calley, saying she didn't have his back.
He controlled Calley's life. He forced her to stay home and didn't allow Calley to wear makeup, jewelry, or nail polish. Her husband was a truck driver, and when he went to work, he would call her shortly after to ensure she was still at the house. And this violence wasn't just aimed at Calley; her boys were physically and mentally abused too. He would often beat her and threaten to shoot her with one of his guns.
In November 2018, Calley's husband went to the grocery store, but the card was declined, and he got mad that he drove home, beat Calley, and forced her and the three boys into the car. He drove them to an orchard, parked the car, took out his gun, and walked around to Calley's door. He pulled her out of the vehicle, hitting and kicking her; he (pulled) her to the back of the car and screamed at her, and I quote, "I'm going to splatter your brains all over the kids, so say goodbye."
The next June, he beat her with a belt. Later that year, in august, he used a steel boot. In November, he stabbed her with a screwdriver 5 times. Calley fell pregnant during this time, and the couple had their third child.
2020 was no better; if you can imagine, things got even worse. He had started choking her, and in February, he grabbed a fire poker and beat her with it. He would tell Calley's children that he would beat her so badly they wouldn't be able to recognize her.
Things were escalating. The beatings and threats became even more frequent, and she realized she and her children were in a life-or-death situation; she wasn't sure what he was capable of. He would tell her that if she left, he would find her no matter where she went and even if she got a restraining order because it was just a piece of paper and couldn't protect her.
Her attorney would later say her case was, and I quote, an extreme case of abuse. She was treated like an animal; it was like she was like a slave. She was basically living in captivity.
An attack with a metal rod in May was the last straw for Calley. She knew she had to leave, or he was going to kill her or the children.
Sometime in May, Calley drove by her aunt's house and saw her cousin playing outside. She flipped a u-turn and told him she needed to talk to his mom and ask her to come by. That moment was a catalyst for movement in Calley's family.
They weren't foolish and knew she was in trouble, but they couldn't get her out unless she made the first move. Something they wished would happen; they desperately wanted "their Calley" back.
Her family arranged to rent an SUV and put Calley and the kids in a motel just outside the city. They planned for her aunt to come by in the early morning hours to get Calley and the children out of the house. There were a few hours at the beginning of his shift that he wouldn't be calling to check in on her.
May 15 was the day. With $19 in quarters, Calley gathered her children and (ran) to her aunt parked outside in the SUV. They drove straight to the police station. Calley was a shell of herself and absolutely terror-struck.
In the police station, Calley kept looking out the windows at the passing cars, sure that her husband would show up. She filed a domestic violence order and reported him. In her report, Calley wrote 11 pages of single-spaced accounts of domestic violence she endured, the threats he had made to kill her, the child abuse, the assaults, and that he had a gun. An emergency protective order was issued. After staying in a hotel, Calley and the boys moved into a domestic violence shelter.
After he was arrested and charged with criminal spousal and child abuse, he made bail. At his court date, when the judge asked him if he had surrendered his guns, something that is legally required when an offender has an active restraining order, Calley's husband replied, "no." There was no follow-up about the weapon or its whereabouts.
Things started to look up, her case was moving through the court, even though an investigation into the claims was still ongoing. Those who knew her said she seemed to be getting back to her old self while she was there. She lost weight, (got) earrings, painted her nails, and wore makeup. Just hours before her murder, she sent her cousin a selfie where she's all dolled up. She was taking care of herself and the boys, and she made a doctor's apt at some point, and the shelter arranged a ride for her and the boys. Im unclear if this was for her or the children.
Either way, a deadly mistake was made. A receptionist in the doctor's office called to confirm Calley's apt, but the number she called was Calley's husband. He answered and was more or less informed of the time and date shed be at the health center.
Her husband was quick to react. He drove straight to a friend's house and borrowed their white chevy.
The following day he was the fifth person to arrive and sign in at the county clerk's office, where he transferred his house to his daughter's name. This was one of his children from his first marriage.
Then he drove to an auto parts store and got window covers.
At around 10:45, the hunt began as he went to the parking lot of Calley's doctor's office. He got to Starbucks and parked. He set up the window covers so people couldn't see him but made sure he could see the office's front door. It was around 90 degrees that day, and he sat in the car for hours, waiting for Calley.
Around 1pm, a white Toyota Siena pulled up to the front of the doctor's office, and Calley and the two youngest boys got out. The boys were wearing matching red and black jersey-style shirts. Calley's husband watched the van park just a few spots away from the front door.
His oldest son, the 6-year-old, was sitting in the front seat talking with the victim services worker.
At 2:28pm, with her one-year-old in her arms and her four-year-old walking by her side, Calley exited the building and walked to the van just a few steps away. As she slid the van door open to let her 4-year-old in and buckle the baby in his seat, she heard something behind her.
She turned around to see her husband running at her with his arm outstretched, shooting at her. She was shot at least 1 time before she could scramble in the van, laying over the children and shielding them from gunfire/gunshots.
Calley was shot 6 times in the head and chest. She died between the front seat and the middle row.
All of the kids survived the attack.
Police quickly put the pieces together; there was CCTV footage from surrounding businesses, DNA, and fingerprints left behind because, at some point, Calley's husband put his hand on the door as he leaned in and shot at them. He was arrested shortly after the attack.
Initially, the children were placed in the care of their father's eldest son from his first marriage. He had recently been charged with domestic violence, but after completing a dv program and having the charges dropped, the court apparently thought placing the kids with him was appropriate.
Calley's family immediately fought this; after a battle, they got custody of the children. The family said the children will be told stories of their selfless mother and see her pictures on their walls, but their father's name will never be spoken again. His memory will fade, and Calley's will live on.
It took the jury just 1 day to find Calley's husband guilty of 1st-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
In the end, Calley's husband will be remembered as an evil, selfish, self-absorbed, short-tempered, violent murderer.
He will disappear into the shadows of the prison system while Calley will go on accomplishing her dream of changing the world for the better, not just through her story but through the new Senate Bill in her name and the awareness of the lack of enforcement of restrained parties surrendering their deadly weapons. Her family has shown tremendous strength throughout this ordeal and wants to do everything possible to help end the abusive cycle. She will be remembered for her selflessness, courage, bravery, and fierce love for her children.
Her case also brings up a critical, deadly crack in the legal system in California. Despite having some of the country's strictest gun laws, California seems unable to disarm perpetrators of domestic violence abuse. If (YOU HAVE A TEMP RESTRAINING ORDER OUT ON YOU, YOU MUST SURRENDER GUNS (MAYBE WEAPONS) AND PROVIDE A RECORD OF THAT FOR THE COURT.) Apparently, they are not enforcing this, and in Calley's case, when she informed the courts her husband not only had a gun but had threatened her multiple times with it, the judge only asked him if he thought he might have the records (of surrendering them/might have the weapons) which he did not. And this is a common theme in the California (judicial) system; perpetrators of domestic violence are legally required to turn in their firearms, but when they don't, there's no follow-up from the court. The judge didn't ask any further questions about it and moved on. It seems they are relying on the honor system.
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