Roommate Moved Out of State Without 30 Day Notice and Did Not Pay Utilities

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California

I had my former roommate move out of his room without any notice. He said he would pay his rent of $400 on the 3rd and instead, he left in the early hours of the morning & locked his door to his room. He left behind several pieces of personal property (nothing worth much).

He left behind an extremely messy room (Piles of fast food bags & drink cups still full of liquid that has stained carpet, left puddles of urine on the bathroom floor and toilet) and he did not pay his utility/cable/internet bill for the last month. I did not have enough money to pay my rent at the time and I was hit with a $75 late rent fee.

I spent 9 hours cleaning his room from the overwhelming smell of BO and disinfecting/cleaning his bathroom plus the cost of cleaning supplies to tackle the job. THe carpet in his room is also going to need a serious steam cleaning.

I have tried reaching him several time by phone (which he blocked my number & any other people who knew him locally) and by email several times and I have gotten no response. I have emailed his mother and I have gotten several responses from her (one offering to pay me $140 which does not even cover his utility/cable bill for sept or oct). His mother also said she was the one who told him to move early due to a "family emergency" - I also a voice mail message from his mother stating that she did talk to her son and he admitted he left early, left his room a mess and had not paid the utilites/rent.

I am in need of advice on what I can sue him for and can I sue his mother for any of the money owed to me. The tenant DID leave a $300 deposit, and that has help absorb some of the costs he left me with.

Also - the former roommate also moved out of state to Ohio (but I have a confirmed address where I can have him served)

thank you in advance to those who respond.

This roommate is your subtenant?

yes- he was a subtenant- I have a signed rental agreement from him that states he is a subtenant.

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he was a subtenant- I have a signed rental agreement from him

The tenant's mother is not your tenant. She owes you nothing.

You can sue your tenant for the money he woes. If he can't be served in California you cannot sue him in small claims court. I cannot promise that you'll be able to collect any money from him - you seem to be painting him as a deadbeat.

Make sure you follow California's security deposit law to the letter.

so, even if I have an address that is out of state, and a signed rental agreement, i can't take him to small claims court?

is there any way I can recover the money he owes above the deposit he left?