Fatal DUIs Spike Amid COVID-19

DUI Driver Sentenced to Prison for Fatal Crash

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that defendant Maricela Diaz, 24, was sentenced to six years in prison for gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with a 2022 crash that killed El Cajon resident Roberto Mendez Sanchez, 49.

Diaz, who was 23 at the time of the crash, had a measurable blood-alcohol content of about 0.24% after the crash, which is three times the legal limit for driving. Although Diaz was sentenced to six years, prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence under the law, which is 10 years in prison.

“It is heartbreaking that yet another precious life is lost to a completely preventable crime,” DA Summer Stephan said. “The power to end these senseless losses of life is in every driver’s hands. If you plan on drinking, have a designated driver, take a cab, or use a rideshare service. Simply do not get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and know that if you do, you will be held accountable.”

On June 6, Diaz pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI with injury.

Deputy District Attorney Laura Evans prosecuted this case.

DA Announces $925K Consumer Settlement

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that the diet supplement company, American Behavioral Research Institute, LLC, (“ABRI”), maker of Relaxium, agreed to a Court ordered judgment that includes injunctive relief and civil penalties and costs of $925,000.  The judgment was entered today in the Santa Cruz Superior Court and arose from alleged violations the California Automatic Renewal Law (ARL) and False Advertising Law (FAL). The Automatic Renewal Law is designed to prevent companies from automatically renewing subscriptions without the consumer’s knowledge. The False Advertising Law is designed to prevent companies from making unsupported claims about their products.

“We are committed to protecting customers by ensuring they aren’t deceived by automatically renewing charges that are not properly disclosed,” DA Stephan said. “Consumers are bilked out of millions of dollars when companies violate our automatic renewal laws, but working with our law enforcement partners across California, we are holding such companies accountable.”

The District Attorney Offices of San Diego County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County, Los Angels County, Santa Barbara County and the City Attorney of Santa Monica filed the civil action as part of the California Automatic Renewal Task Force (CART). An investigation by CART found that the company did not properly disclose to its customers that their subscriptions would be automatically renewed after a trial period. Under California law, online businesses must clearly and conspicuously disclose all automatic renewal charges, terms of sale and obtain affirmative consent to those recurring charges from the consumer.

The lawsuit filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court by the joint taskforce of prosecutors, reached a stipulated resolution against the out of state company that imposes an injunction and assesses civil penalties and costs. It also orders restitution specifically to California consumers through a class action case already arranged.

ABRI cooperated in this resolution and, without admitting liability, agreed to change its misleading advertising disclosures in its advertisements, product packaging and website.

The California Auto Renewal Task Force (CART) primarily investigates businesses for violations of the California Automatic Renewal Law and federal statutes regulating automatic renewal contracts. However, when appropriate, it investigates other law violations in conjunction with ARL violations. Deputy District Attorney Stephen Spinella with the DA’s Consumer Protection Unit assisted in the case for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

DA Strongly Opposes Senate Bill 94

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan today strongly criticized Senate Bill 94, proposed legislation that would allow a person convicted of murder or multiple murders with a special circumstance to petition a court for resentencing, if the killer has served at least 25 years of their life sentence and the offense was committed before June 5, 1990. The bill would permit some of the most violent and dangerous California murderers to elude the punishment of life without the possibility of parole for which they were originally sentenced. These violent killers would be eligible to be resentenced for their murders simply due to the passage of time.

“SB 94 would be an unwarranted gift of lenity to some of the ‘worst of the worst’ of California’s murderers currently incarcerated in prisons across the state, including San Diego defendants convicted of murder and attempted rape,” said DA Stephan, who sent a formal letter of opposition to the Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee. “For some of these killers, this law would reduce their sentence and move them from California’s prison system into our communities, unfairly re-traumatizing victims and their families. How is justice served when people who mercilessly torture and murder human beings and are duly convicted and sentenced in a court of law, and then get their sentence undone without any consideration of the irreplaceable loss and pain to their victims?”

In her letter, DA Stephan outlined several aspects to the bill that led to her opposition:

  • SB 94 includes no requirement that the killer show any remorse or rehabilitation.
  • SB 94 will re-traumatize victims and their families.
  • SB 94 fails to fully consider the appeals and other post-conviction relief available to convicted killers.
  • SB 94 tips the scale by forcing judges to lean towards resentencing in each case by requiring “great weight” be given to certain factors rather than allowing an objective decision.
  • SB 94 will unduly burden the court system by requiring judges to reconsider sentencing of decades-old cases.

The bill is making its way through the legislature and will be heard next in the Appropriations Committee tomorrow, September 1.

“The bill severely limits a sentencing judge’s discretion to deny the petition for resentencing,” DA Stephan said. “SB 94 stacks the deck in favor of violent murderers over victims and community safety by mandating that judges afford great weight to mitigating evidence offered by the convicted murderer. SB 94 is written so that the scales of justice are tipped in favor of the defendant.”

Mitigating evidence that benefits the defendant would be given greater weight than the aggravating evidence that negatively impacts the defendant’s petition for release. Specifically, SB 94 mandates that the resentencing court afford great weight to evidence that the convicted murderer suffered intimate partner violence, sexual violence or human trafficking; experienced childhood trauma, suffered military-related trauma connected to the offense, suffered cognitive impairment, intellectual disability or mental illness, or was a youth at the time of the offense.

The law does not allow great weight to be given to aggravating factors such as the calculated and cruel nature of the murder, the fact that two or more people were killed, that the victim left behind orphaned children, or that the murders were sadistic in their nature.

Killers convicted in San Diego County who would be eligible to petition for resentencing under SB 94 include:

David Alan Weeding – On May 20, 1988, Weeding knocked on the door of Vickie P.’s apartment, claiming to be sent by management to check for leaks. Weeding grabbed the victim’s arm and began to attack her. She was wrestled to the ground and the defendant held a knife to her throat, cutting off her clothes. As this was occurring, Vickie’s husband entered the apartment.  Weeding grabbed the knife from the floor and charged at him. Vickie ran outside for help while her husband struggled with Weeding. Weeding stabbed the victim in the back and chest several times, killing him. Weeding was convicted by a jury of murder with special circumstances, attempted rape and first-degree burglary. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Weeding committed this heinous murder after being released from prison early while serving a sentence for prior sexual assaults.

Arthur Chris Burbridge – On September 21, 1978, Claire L.’s body was found in a hotel room.  Her ankles were tied together with nylon stockings and there was blue bandana around her neck along with another nylon stocking. She had been choked to death. Claire’s checkbook was on the bed and in the signature line, the killer wrote, “God gives, God taketh away.” Six days later, Shirley B.’s body was found on the side of the road. A piece of plastic clothesline was tied around her neck. The cause of death was also asphyxiation. Shirley’s body had drag marks on her back indicating that she had been dragged headfirst to the side of the road where her body was covered with a blanket.

Read the DA’s letter sent in opposition to SB94 here.

‘Cafecito con la Comunidad’ Offers Resources in Spanish

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said today that monthly “Cafecito con la Comunidad” (Coffee with the Community) events are providing the Spanish-speaking community in North County easier access to vital resources, such as services for domestic violence survivors, education on preventing human trafficking, elder abuse, financial scams, and much more.

The Spanish only events are held every second Friday of the month at One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center in San Marcos. The topics at the gatherings are focused on public safety and are organized by District Attorney Community Partnership Prosecutor Monique Myers, Dra. Beatriz Villarreal from Mano a Mano Foundation, and One Safe Place Executive Director Claudia Grasso.

WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT CAFECITO CON LA COMUNIDAD, HERE.

The latest Cafecito con la Comunidad had over 50 attendees, including women, men and children, who feel more comfortable obtaining information in Spanish. Some attendees are trying to get out of an abusive relationship. In fact, one domestic violence survivor with her young child left her abuser after attending one of the Cafecitos and is currently receiving services at One Safe Place.

During another Cafecitos where a domestic violence survivor shared her story about seeing her little boy mimic the violent behavior of her abusive husband, another of the attendees was inspired to seek help and resources from One Safe Place.

“I’m so honored to connect with our Hispanic community in this unique and comfortable manner to better serve victims, survivors and community members at One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center,” said DA Stephan. “The interest in the Cafecito con la Comunidad events is a great example of empowering the community by providing information, education, and services. Seeing the larger crowds every meeting means there’s a feeling of trust and comfort which helps build safer families and safer neighborhoods.”

A recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the DA’s Office and the Mexican Consulate now includes the Consulate’s participation in these free informative events every month. The Cafecitos con la Comunidad are completely in Spanish and they take place the second Friday of every month at 10 a.m., at One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center, which is located at 1050 Los Vallecitos Blvd., San Marcos, CA 92069. The next Cafecito con la Comunidad will be on September 8, at 10 a.m. and the topic is on “Drugs and Mental Health: What is their relationship? Myths and Resources.” There is no need to register in advance. You can see a flyer with the list of the upcoming meetings and topics, here: CAFECITO CON LA COMUNIDAD – FLYER.

DA Provides New Resource to Help Prevent School Violence

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced a new resource to help teachers spot red flags that could potentially lead to school violence, including school shootings. In partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, the FBI and the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center, the District Attorney’s Office produced a web and print-ready brochure that offers tips on what school employees should look for and what to do if they are concerned a student may be a danger to themselves or others.

“Preventing school shootings and keeping our kids and schools safe, often depends on teachers, staff, students and the community reporting concerning behavior to law enforcement,” DA Stephan said. “In San Diego County, we have a protocol that allows us to promptly respond to threats and neutralize them. This new brochure will provide school staff a quick guide on what to look for and how to report it.”

Tips in the brochure, called School Threats: A Resource for Teachers and Staff include how to observe, document and notify when a student may be emulating the behavior of previous school shooters. The resource offers information about what type of written material and social media posts are common among individuals who engage in mass violence.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff members while on a school campus is integral to student success,” said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. “We are thankful to DA Stephan and the FBI for their continued collaboration on supports and interventions that reduce the threat of violence at our schools.”

Since 2018, the District Attorney’s Office has been working to stop those who might carry out threats before they can act, through the School Threats Protocol, which encompasses all 42 school districts in the County. The protocol guides how schools, law enforcement and prosecutors respond to school threats, using evidenced-based guidelines for investigation and resolution of the threat.

The most important revelation from our work in this area is the importance the public plays in warning law enforcement of threats that are made to do harm, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office reviewed 48 reports of school threats and filed criminal charges in 10 of those cases. So far this year, there have been 33 cases submitted for review with eight cases being charged. Even when the evidence does not support filing criminal charges, a variety of mental health and other supportive systems are engaged to enhance safety.

“FBI San Diego is committed to supporting our communities in the effort to prevent targeted violence in schools,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent-in-Charge. “This reporting tool is an important part of our community effort to foster an educational environment wherein school faculty and staff recognize behaviors that are objectively concerning, understand how and where to report them, and feel confident that their reports will be taken seriously and followed up on. FBI is pleased to participate in this effort.”

When the District Attorney’s Office receives a school threats case for review, multiple factors are evaluated to confirm the credibility of a threat once the suspect has been identified, including:

  • Investigate their background, including whether the person made prior threats
  • Look at open-source intelligence such as social media posts
  • Check to see if they have registered guns, have made recent ammunition purchases, or have access to guns
  • Check on whether there has been contact with terrorist organizations
  • Determine whether they have had psychiatric holds or other mental health red flags
  • Research whether the person has had a recent traumatic event or grievance with a particular school or person associated with a school

“The San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center supports and prioritizes the whole community approach with our local enforcement, District Attorney investigators, the FBI and the Educational sector to prevent any school threat,” said Leslie Gardner, Director of the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center. “We are committed to this ongoing effort and the School Safety Brochure is a valuable resource and guide for teachers and staff members to identify suspicious behavior and know how to report such information.”

Students can also interrupt school violence by reporting anonymously at StudentsSpeakingOut.org.

 

Photo of a judge's gavel and handcuffs on top of books.

Burglary Ring Defendants Sentenced for Targeting San Diego Homes

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced that a 41-year-old serial burglar was sentenced on Tuesday to 45 years and eight months in prison for a residential burglary series involving four Los Angeles gang members, who stole more than $500,000 in cash and jewelry.

Gregory Shively, 41, was convicted in July after a one-month jury trial on 57 criminal counts, including residential burglary, residential burglary in association with a criminal street gang, and conspiracy to commit residential burglary in association with a criminal street gang. Shively was the ringleader of a group of three other defendants, who burglarized 38 homes from January 2017 to February 2018. The defendants repeatedly traveled to San Diego County, committed burglaries, and immediately returned to Los Angeles County with the stolen property.

The prosecution was the result of a two-year investigation by Torrance Police Department Detective Sean O’Rourke, an experienced gang investigator. This case involved the diligent review of thousands of pieces of evidence, including surveillance video, social media accounts, cellphone records, text messages, and jail calls.

“This residential burglary syndicate stole the peace and safety that people are entitled to in their own homes,” DA Stephan said. “Deputy District Attorney James Koerber of the DA’s Major Violators Unit along with Torrance Police Detective O’Rourke brough justice for the many victims and neighborhoods targeted by these thieves. The prosecution, convictions and lengthy sentences in this case should make it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to San Diego County to commit residential burglary will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

The co-defendants were each convicted of residential burglaries in association with a criminal street gang. In October 2021 after a jury trial, Kenneth Ford, 22, was convicted of 13 criminal counts and later sentenced to 11 years in state prison. Aerick Splane, 29, was sentenced in 2022 to 14 years in state prison after pleading guilty to 25 criminal counts. Jalen Johnson, 24, was also sentenced last year to 16 years in state prison after pleading guilty to 33 criminal counts.

Defendant Shively was the organizer and ringleader of the burglary crew. Several dogs were pepper sprayed by the defendants during the burglary series in order to minimize interference with the crimes. The defendants used an open phone line during the crimes so the lookout could warn of the impending return of victims, witnesses, or the police. On 10 occasions, victims were inside the home at the time of the burglary. One victim was threatened at gunpoint when he returned and interrupted the burglary in progress.

DA Reminds Students to Report Suspected Abuse in Schools

As a new school year begins across the county, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is reminding parents, teachers and students of a DA website where they can report suspected sexual or physical abuse directly to the District Attorney’s Office. The online reporting system is an additional tool for the public. Once a report is made, members of the DA Student Safety in Schools Systems Task Force will evaluate and investigate the claim. If appropriate, law enforcement will be notified so they can investigate the allegations and families will be connected with trauma-informed resources and support.

“Every student in San Diego County deserves to have a safe and healthy educational environment, free of sexual and physical abuse,” said DA Stephan. “But when that kind of abuse does happen, it’s critical that students, parents and teachers have a trusted way to report it and that those reports don’t fall through the cracks.”

The DA’s Student Safety in School Systems Task Force:

  • Welcomes and receives submissions from any member of the public who is concerned about the safety of students in a school system.
  • Referrals can be reported here on the DA’s public website.
  • Assists any member of the public who is navigating multiple agencies and departments when an incident involving a child has occurred in a school setting
  • Reduces the public’s confusion by giving them direct access to the District Attorney’s Office so allegations and complaints can be tracked.
  • Cross references allegations and complaints with law enforcement, Child Welfare Services, and educational institutions and programs where appropriate.
  • Refers members of the public to services that may be available to those experiencing trauma as a result of an incident that has taken place within a school system.
  • Offers and provides outreach and training to the public on issues and concerns surrounding possible physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by an adult or minor on a student in an educational setting.
  • Criminally prosecutes those who fail to comply with mandated reporting laws where the evidence of such failure is sufficient. Criminally prosecute those who commit physical or sexual abuse if the facts and the law supports it.

Note: This task force does not serve as a substitute for a mandated reporter’s duty to report abuse.  Mandated reporters still must follow their duties under the law to report to the proper authorities under the Penal Code.

Rather, recognizing that gaps existed between the multiple agencies and systems that address abuse, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office created the reporting system in 2019.

The District Attorney’s Office also works closely with school districts across the county to remind mandated reporters of their responsibilities.

“Mandated reporters must make a report when there is any reasonable suspicion of abuse, based on facts,” DA Stephan said. “Mandated reporters typically won’t see the actual sexual abuse, but they often notice “grooming behaviors” that accompany or precede the sexual abuse.”

WATCH: Video Public Service Announcements to report suspected abuse in schools: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3.

DA Partners with Mexican Consulate to Provide Services at One Safe Place

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today the partnership between the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for the Mexican Consulate to locate at the DA’s One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center and provide services. The partnership was solidified during the first anniversary celebration of the opening of One Safe Place in San Marcos, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

“This collaboration with the Mexican Consulate helps strengthen the bridge with the Latino community and will help enhance their trust in reporting and seeking help when victimized. We know from experience, that domestic violence and human trafficking victims are often threatened by their abusers with deportation which keeps them trapped in the cycle of violence,” said DA Stephan. “Together we can work to ensure that victims who seek services at One Safe Place, where the Mexican Consulate will now be an onsite partner, receive culturally sensitive help in their native language, that will focus on safety, justice and healing.”

[See video of signing ceremony here]

Since opening last summer, One Safe Place has served 2,845 individuals, provided legal services to 781 people, and received more than 6,800 calls to their helpline. One Safe Place provides support services all under one roof to anyone who has experienced child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, hate crime, elder abuse, human trafficking, violent loss, family violence, or other abuse or victimization. This is all in collaboration with over 90 community organizations and agencies like the Mexican Consulate.

Together, the Mexican Consulate and One Safe Place have hosted events on wellness, have promoted first generation students with college connections and provided Consulate services at One Safe Place to meet the needs of our North County community and alleviate those with transportation barriers who are unable to travel to the Consulate main office in downtown San Diego. The MOU further creates opportunities for collaboration between the Mexican Consulate and One Safe Place in outreach and prevention work, including the Consulate’s participation in the free informative community events “Cafecito Con La Comunidad” that take place the second Friday of every month at One Safe Place.

“I am here today to send a clear message to our community: Victims should not remain silent when abused just because they fear deportation,” Consul General Carlos González Gutiérrez said. “The Mexican Consulate in San Diego has an extensive reach into the immigrant community in the county and will continue to invite immigrants to raise their voice, as there is no reason why they must live with abuse.  We truly value our partnership with One Safe Place and hope, with their help via this MOU, to expand our reach of services and empower those victimized in our community.”

The signing ceremony of the MOU coincided with the one-year anniversary celebration of the opening of One Safe Place that featured a breakfast and program with community partners, including San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, Carlsbad Police Chief Mickey Williams, Escondido Police Chief Ed Varso, CEO of Palomar Health Diane Hansen, among others.

One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center is located at 1050 Los Vallecitos Blvd., San Marcos, CA 92069. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m.

Photo of a judge's gavel and handcuffs on top of books.

Rapist Eligible for Elder Parole is Denied Release

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that convicted rapist Randal Gers, 60, has been denied parole by the Board of Parole Hearings. In 1995, Gers kidnapped two different women on two separate occasions. He held them both for hours, bound them, and repeatedly raped, sodomized, and sexually assaulted them. The inmate used a knife to gain control of the women, tied a rope or belt around their neck to control them, and even left one victim tied to a tree in a remote area overnight before returning to sexually assault her again. This defendant had a prior conviction for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old and bashing her over the head.

The defendant received a 567 years-to-life sentence for his crimes, which was the longest sentence ever handed down in San Diego County at the time. His eligible parole date was originally November 2378, however the California Legislature changed the law in 2021 to lower the age of qualification for the Elderly Parole Program to inmates 50 years old or older who have served at least 20 years of continuous incarceration. But for the change in the law, Gers would have never received a parole hearing.

The District Attorney’s Office Lifer Unit, led by Deputy District Attorney John Cross, worked diligently to oppose the release of this dangerous inmate, and located the two kidnap and rape victims to alert them to the parole hearing, as well as the change in the law that made parole a possibility for their rapist. The two courageous victims appeared in front of the Parole Board on Tuesday, giving powerful impact statements and the District Attorney’s Office vigorously argued against the inmate’s release. Ultimately, the Board denied Gers parole for five years.

“These were extremely brutal and horrific crimes deserving of the life in prison sentence the defendant received,” said DA Stephan. “It is hard to believe that a sexual predator with multiple victims is eligible for release under this new law, causing additional trauma to victims who had to overcome the damage of the violent crimes they endured and thought their tormenter had received a final justice and sentence. Instead, these and many more victims are being pulled back into the criminal justice system time and time again. Our prosecutors will never abandon our victims and we will stand with them at these parole hearings. We won this battle, but in five years, we will have to fight alongside them again. And we will.”

“The denial of parole is an excellent example of the work the DA’s Lifer Hearing Unit does to represent the voice of the crime victims. We’re increasingly seeing inmates being released under the Elderly Parole Program and when the facts and the law support us as in this case, we fight against these unsafe and unjust releases,” Stephan said.

In arguing against parole, Deputy District Attorney John Cross detailed Gers’ disturbing and violent crimes. He also told the Board that Gers had no understanding why he committed the brutal rapes and showed no remorse. The inmate has not completed any self-help programming while in prison and offered excuses as to why he had not.

The DA’s Lifer Hearing Unit was formed in 1995 to ensure that victims of violent crime are given a chance to be heard at these proceedings, and to help prevent inappropriate grants of parole. Since the passage of the elder parole law and many other laws that allow early release of violent offenders, the Unit’s workload has dramatically increased. The Unit prepares for about 50 parole hearings each month, approximately 600 a year, and handles about 300 full hearings.

 

Sentencing in 1987 Cold Case Murder

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that a Poway man has been sentenced to 25 years-to-life for murdering a young woman in Carlsbad more than 35 years ago. Julia Hernandez-Santiago’s body was found on an ivy-covered embankment on Alga Road on Oct. 10, 1987. She was killed while walking home from a doctor’s appointment and was 26 years old at the time.

James Charles Kingery, 57, was found guilty by a jury last month of first-degree murder and rape charges. At the time of the murder, the San Diego County Medical Examiner determined the victim had been strangled. No suspect was identified at the time of the killing, but DNA collected from the crime scene led to Kingery’s arrest more than three decades later.

“The victim’s loved ones had their lives shattered by this horrific murder and have waited more than three decades for justice and some closure. Today they have it,” said DA Stephan. “This case highlights the important work done by our Cold Case Homicide Unit and the commitment of law enforcement in our region to solve murder cases no matter how much time has passed. I want to thank the prosecution team led by DDA Lisa Fox, the Carlsbad Police and Sheriff’s Department and their Crime Laboratory which working together solved this case.”

Kingery became a suspect after sheriff’s deputies arrested him in March of 2020 on drug and weapons violations. The felony arrest meant Kingery had to supply a DNA sample. Two months later, the sheriff’s crime lab notified Carlsbad police that Kingery’s DNA matched samples collected in 1987 during the homicide investigation. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox.

“It is important to recognize the tenaciousness of the Carlsbad Police Investigators over the years that never let this murder be forgotten,” said Carlsbad Police Chief Mickey Williams. “I also want to recognize and thank our partners at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department which made the successful resolution of this tragic investigation come to fruition.  Lastly, I would like to share my condolences with the family of Ms. Julia Hernandez-Santiago who was taken from them way too soon.”

The DA’s Cold Case Homicide Division, , promotes public safety by working with local law enforcement to resolve unsolved homicides within San Diego County. The division works diligently and collaboratively with law enforcement agencies, including police laboratory criminalists. These partnerships are key to solving and successfully prosecuting cases where the trail has gone cold for years. The Cold Case Division mantra is “not forgotten.” 

Since it was established in 2003, the Cold Case Homicide Division has played a role in solving and prosecuting numerous murders. The victims have come from all walks of life and from all areas of the county. The victims have included children and the elderly.