Meet the Command Staff

Chief Alfredo B. Fernandez assumed the position of Chief in August, 2021, following a near two-year appointment as Deputy Chief. Chief Fernandez’ major accomplishments since joining the department in 1998 include assisting with the development of the CSUN’s first police canine unit and the acquisition and outfitting of the department’s 30’ mobile EOC trailer.  The Chief was also the architect of the Department’s Multi-Agency Active Shooter Drill which brings police agencies from throughout the region and local Fire to the campus to practice cooperative responses to such emergencies.  As a Captain and later as the Deputy Chief, he ran every operational division in the Department including Patrol, Investigations and Parking & Transportation.

In his thirty-five years in law enforcement, he has held all police ranks including Police Officer, Detective Corporal, Lieutenant, Captain and Deputy Chief with Cal State Northridge and was previously a Patrol Sergeant with the Channel Islands campus. His previous experience includes working as a police corporal and field training officers with the Los Angeles Community College District and working as a mounted police officer with the County of Los Angeles. Fernandez earned his Associate of Science degree in Administration of Justice and holds a Peace Officer Standard and Training (POST) advanced certificate as well as certifications in Police Management, and Police Canine Management. He is a graduate of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) Executive Development Institute.

Chief Fernandez’ major goal for the Department is to implement responsible police reform to the Department that includes the application of a Mental Health Response Team in partnership with University Counseling Services and implementation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion component within the Department of Police Services.

Chief Alfredo Fernandez

(818) 677-2201

Deputy Chief Mark Benavidez has proudly served the California State University, Northridge campus community since 2002. Mark has held many positions throughout the department during his twenty-year career at CSUN to include parking enforcement officer, police officer, detective corporal, detective sergeant, patrol operations lieutenant, and patrol operations captain. Mark began his law enforcement career at 16 years old as a police explorer for his hometown police department in Sheridan, Colorado.

Mark has excelled in the field of threat assessment investigation and mental health response. He has shared his expertise and experience in these fields with other investigators and school campus administrators as a guest presenter at the FBI Threat Management Conference at Loyola Marymount University. Mark was the keynote speaker at the Joint Regional Intelligence Center School Threat Symposium where he talked about his experience responding to his daughter’s active shooter incident at Saugus High School.

Deputy Chief Benavidez earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver, and his master’s degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from the Arizona State University. Mark holds Advanced, Supervisory, and Management POST certifications, and is a graduate of IACLEA’s Executive Development Institute.

Deputy Chief Mark Benavidez

(818) 677-3906

Commander Yolanda C. Abundiz is a homegrown CSUN alumnus who currently serves the campus community as the Patrol Operations Lieutenant.

In 1996, Yolanda was hired as a student assistant for the CSUN Foundation as an analyst, processing donations reports. In March 1997, she moved to a permanent full-time position as the administrative assistant to the Chief of Police for the Police Department. In 2001, she attended and successfully completed the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy. She served as a Police Officer until April 2006, when she promoted to Sergeant. In September 2021, Yolanda was appointed Patrol Operation Lieutenant, after successfully completing a process.

Yolanda is a proud CSUN graduate she received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and her Master of Arts in Educational Administration. Yolanda has advanced officer training in sexual assault investigations, crime scene investigations, and threat assessments. Yolanda is also an NRA firearms Instructor (handgun, shotgun, and patrol rifle), first aid & CPR Instructor and is a certified Title IX Investigator.

Yolanda was one of the first Rape Aggression Defense (RAD for women) instructors and she is the first department lead instructor for Active Shooter Survival Escape Response Training (ASSERT). She has conducted numerous trainings for students, faculty, and staff to assist them in personal protection and what to do in an active assailant situation.

Yolanda enjoys being part of the campus CSUN community and has been able to foster life-long friendships with faculty, students, and staff.

Commander Yolanda Abundiz

(818) 677-3901

Commander Gabriel (Gabe) Kearney comes to CSUN Police after a distinguished 25-year career with Los Angeles Police Department. Commander Kearney retired at the rank of Sergeant II, and worked in various roles which included bicycle patrol, Detectives, Gang Unit, Vice Unit , and Internal Affairs and Training Divisions. He is a POST certified academy instructor, firearms instructor and was the officer in charge of the LAPD Leadership Program taught in conjunction with the United States Military Academy at WestPoint. Commander Kearney has a B.S. in Biomechanics from Occidental College.

Commander Gabriel Kearney

(818) 677-5758

Emanuel Campos accepted the position of Director of Parking & Transportation February 2022 after serving as the interim Parking & Transportation Manager at CSUN for almost two years. Emanuel has over fifteen years of parking management experience which includes restaurant parking, airport parking, hotel parking, and University Parking and Transportation. A native Californian, Emanuel holds a B.A. from California State University Northridge. Emanuel is a strong advocate for student success. Having a positive impact, respect for all people, and delivering a quality customer service experience.

 Emanuel is instrumental in the day-to-day operations for the Cal State Northridge. Working the day-to-day operations of the Cal State Northridge COVID-19 Vaccination site also known as Mega POD 3 was an emotional fulfillment getting to serve the campus community. Emanuel has implemented automated License Plate Recognition Technology for CSUN campus parking permits. This change involved a combination of high-performance software, accurate data processing, and adherence to relevant regulation and best practices. The campus went from a “physical parking permit system” to a “virtual parking permit system” using the license plate number of the vehicle. The implementation of pay-by-phone as an option for daily parking permits has facilitated the student's daily experience.

Nelson Cox, CBCP is the Director of Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity at the CSUN Department of Police Services. A proud CSUN alumnus, Nelson earned his B.A. in Chicana and Chicano Studies and later completed the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Professional Certificate Program at UCLA Extension. He is also a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) through the Disaster Recovery Institute International—the gold standard in continuity planning and disaster recovery.

With over a decade of experience in emergency management, Nelson has held leadership roles in local, state and federal emergency management and response, the American Red Cross, and was a subject matter expert as a consultant for university systems including the University of California, the California State University, and the University of North Carolina System. He has provided subject matter expertise during critical incidents such as Hurricane Harvey, the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Woolsey Fire, and the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival mass casualty incident, supporting major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.

Nelson prides himself as a community-minded emergency manager, dedicated to empowering underserved communities such as East L.A., Boyle Heights, and South LA by building inclusive preparedness coalitions and advocating for accessible disaster mass care sheltering for those displaced by disasters.

At CSUN, he leads the university’s continuity of operations program, ensuring that essential services and operations can resume effectively after a crisis. As someone who experienced CSUN’s recovery from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake firsthand, Nelson is deeply committed to fostering a culture of resilience, preparedness, and community support for CSUN’s students, faculty, and staff.

Catarino (Tony) Arias is the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Outreach for Police Services. Before joining California State University Northridge, he spent twenty years as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he worked in the largest school construction program in the United States as a Community Outreach Organizer and Senior Community Outreach Organizer. Most recently, as Director of Translations, Catarino successfully led and implemented one of the most comprehensive language access programs in a public school district in the United States. The program serves as a model of bringing “language justice” to Limited English Proficient parents, Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities, and differently-abled students.

Mr. Arias holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Anthropology, and Spanish from the University of Redlands. Also, two Master’s degrees, one in Management from the University of Redlands and a second in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge. As well as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University.

Catarino’s relentless passion and commitment for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Outreach come from his personal life experiences, professional journey, and strong belief in higher education. He has dealt with food insecurity, the struggles of being an English learner, a first-generation college graduate, being raised by a single mother, and all the challenges encountered as an immigrant. Catarino has dedicated his career to serving and meeting the needs of low-income students, socioeconomically disadvantaged stakeholders, and culturally diverse communities. At the same time, he maintains his strong advocacy for higher education as a right and to make it equally accessible to all.

Christina Villalobos is a law enforcement HR professional with over 22 years of experience supporting police operations at CSUN Department of Police Services. With a specialized background in personnel management and law enforcement compliance, Christina plays a critical role in strengthening the operational effectiveness of the department’s sworn and civilian teams.

In her current role as Manager of Administrative Services, she serves as the primary liaison between the department and CSUN’s HR division, advising the Chief of Police and department leadership on personnel matters, organizational planning, and compliance with POST, state, and federal regulations. Additionally, she ensures the department’s full compliance with California POST requirements for background investigations, SB2 misconduct reporting, and DOJ regulations.

In addition to managing recruitment and background investigations, she oversees onboarding, salary analysis, leave administration, state audit protocols, and the maintenance of sensitive personnel records.

Prior to CSUN, she worked at the San Diego State University Police Department and the Fullerton College Police Academy, giving her a strong foundation in law enforcement operations, agency support, and personnel systems in higher education settings.

Christina holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San Diego State University and maintains ongoing training in public safety HR regulations and background investigations, ensuring the department remains aligned with evolving legal standards and best practices in law enforcement administration.