For four years, a team of 10 crooks would purchase ratty vehicles at auto actions then file inflated claims and staged thefts, collecting more than $500,000 in fraudulent insurance claims along the way. The organized ring was toppled after the San Diego County District Attorney’s office received a tip and opened an investigation. [TWEET THIS]

The investigation – dubbed Operation Dealer’s Choice – found that the defendants were buying vehicles that were already damaged and had high mileage for a significantly low dollar amount. Once the auto was purchased, registered and insured, the suspects filed a total damage or total theft claim and the ring shared the profits.

Investigators from the California Department of Insurance, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol arrested 4 of the 10 defendants yesterday across San Diego County.

“Stealing from insurance companies hits all of us in the wallet because the loss is passed on to the consumer,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “These defendants carried on their criminal enterprise for years until the joint task force’s outstanding work stopped them in their tracks.”

Investigators discovered 35 possible fraudulent auto insurance claims were filed over a four-year period. The ring used 56 vehicles to carry out their fraud.

“The alleged scam we uncovered in Operation Dealer’s Choice was a bad deal for drivers who have to pay more through higher premiums as a result of insurance fraud,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “The hard work of our multi-agency task force stopped this alleged organized insurance crime ring that stole more than $500,000 in fraudulent auto claims.”

A number of the vehicles the defendants bought had their odometer mileage rolled back to increase the value of the car before it was damaged or reported stolen. The remaining vehicles had significant damage prior to being insured unbeknownst to the carrier. In some cases the autos were damaged by the defendants after being insured.

The ring bilked 12 insurance carriers including Nationwide, Stonewood, USAA, CA Casualty, Allstate, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Esurance, GEICO, Kemper, Wawanesa, and AAA. [TWEET THIS]

Suspects in this case used various schemes including incepting policies on a vehicle that had pre-existing damage, filing claims shortly after the policy’s date of inception, letting the policy lapse shortly after collecting a check for loss due to non-payment. The defendants also filed suspected staged collisions in which they would damage vehicles to the point of a total loss to collect an insurance payout. Suspects also staged phony thefts and collected payments.

The defendants include:

Luis Cardona Jr., 26, of National City

Michael Cusi, 32, of San Diego

Francisco Javier Rodriguez, 33, of Chula Vista

Jesus Herrera, 34, of Spring Valley

Jessica Herrera, 36, of Imperial Beach

Betsy Guadalupe Matteoti, 35, of San Diego

Mylipsa Santos, 23, of San Diego

Ramon De Jesus Hernandez, 56, of San Diego

Daniel Santos, 24, San Diego

Felipe Cardona Villareal, 25, of Tampa, Florida

In early 2019, authorities say it had become increasingly easy to buy illegal drugs in a roughly one-square-mile area of the East Village bordering Petco Park. Dozens of drug dealers had set up shop, peddling everything from methamphetamine to cocaine. Along with the drugs came concerns about a potential increase in associated crimes. [TWEET THIS]

Enter “Operation Red Beard.”

[WATCH VIDEO OF NEWS CONFERENCE]

In response to complaints from the community, authorities set up an undercover sting operation designed to identify dozens of dealers who were selling significant amounts of drugs, get them off the street and reduce overall crime in the neighborhood. The San Diego Police Department joined forces with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office in April 2019 to launch the operation in a targeted, three-by-four block area just east of Petco Park. Over the next four months, undercover officers made dozens of buys and built cases against a small army of dealers. During the operation, officers bought a variety of drugs including meth, heroin, and cocaine in amounts ranging from.01 gram to three grams.

“This is an excellent example of a coordinated, proactive response by law enforcement to address an uptick in crime and take action to improve safety in an area of downtown that continues to provide public safety challenges,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. “By far, the most common illegal drug being sold in the area was meth—something that is consistent with drugs found in people who are arrested in the county.”

On October 17, a grand jury was impaneled to hear evidence from the operation and on October 30, it handed down 30 indictments against 41 defendants. Bench warrants were issued and the San Diego Police Department started making arrests. As of today, 32 defendants have been arrested and 30 have been arraigned in court. Most of the defendants have been charged with various felony crimes including transporting and selling a controlled substance, which carry potential sentences of between six months and 10 years in jail if convicted.  About 70 percent of the defendants are prior felons with previous convictions for crimes that include kidnapping, gang-related assaults, and attempted murder.

“This operation is a great example of how our department responds to the needs and concerns of community members,” said SDPD Chief David Nisleit. “The San Diego Police Department worked closely with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to combat this criminal activity and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

Increasingly, authorities are seeing various kinds of street drugs, including heroin, cocaine and opioids laced with deadly fentanyl. “Even a tiny amount of fentanyl can kill in moments, which is another reason we wanted to stop the sell/buy cycle in the East Village,” DA Stephan said. [TWEET THIS]

Every student in San Diego County deserves to have a safe and nurturing educational environment, free of sexual and physical abuse. But when that kind of abuse does happen, it’s critical that students, parents and teachers have a trusted way to report it.  And, prosecutors say, it’s even more important that those reports don’t fall through the cracks.

Recognizing that gaps exist between the multiple agencies and systems currently addressing abuse, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office today announced a new, online reporting system of suspected sexual or physical abuse of students, along with a newly-established DA Student Safety in School Systems Task Force. [TWEET THIS]

[WATCH THE ENTIRE NEWS CONFERENCE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT]

“The idea with both the online reporting and the task force is to eliminate inefficiencies and close gaps so our students can feel safe and thrive at school,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “This initiative complements reporting to other agencies and acts as a safety net to make sure information is shared and followed up on. We wanted a way for the public to directly contact our experienced prosecutors and trained investigators if there is a concern of abuse within our school systems, or a concern that those who should be reporting abuse and protecting children are failing to do so.”

The Student Safety in School Systems Task Force will:

Welcome and receive submissions from any member of the public who is concerned about the safety of students in a school system

• Facilitate any member of the public who is navigating multiple agencies and departments when an incident involving a child has occurred in a school setting
• Reduce the public’s confusion by giving them direct access to the District Attorney’s Office so allegations and complaints can be tracked
• Cross-reference allegations and complaints with law enforcement, Child Welfare Services, and educational institutions and programs where appropriate
• Refer 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
• Offer and provide 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 prosecute those who fail to comply with mandated reporting laws where the evidence of such failure is sufficient

This task force will 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

Referrals can be reported here on the DA’s public website.

Once a referral is made, the task force members will evaluate and investigate the claim, law enforcement will be notified to investigate allegations when appropriate, and families will be connected with trauma-informed resources and support. An investigation into whether a mandatory report was made may be initiated.

Over the past several months, the District Attorney’s Office has sought feedback from the community and various stakeholders, who expressed concern that students are too often victims of harassment and that victimization is not properly reported.  Many parents feel they’re not being heard when they do report. Meetings with Black Men and Women United were key in sparking the idea of the new task force and online reporting.

The District Attorney’s Office has also been working 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.” [TWEET THIS]

When a victim of domestic violence shows up in an emergency room or doctor’s office, the outward signs of abuse may not be visible. But their internal injuries could be life threatening, especially if they have been strangled.

A new outreach campaign, that includes resource kits and posters, is being distributed countywide to help health professionals better-recognize and report suspected domestic violence—especially strangulation. The campaign comes as prosecutors released new data showing the number of defendants charged with strangulation-related felony crimes has increased four-fold in the last six years. [TWEET THIS]

In line with the County of San Diego’s Live Well initiative, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office (DA) and County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) rolled out the new San Diego County Health CARES campaign today. The initiative is providing training and resources to hospitals, colleges and university health centers, community clinics, medical and nursing schools, paramedics/EMT’s, professional health organizations and primary care settings throughout the county. The outreach includes posters that encourage victims of domestic violence to talk about it with their healthcare provider.

[WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT, LIVE STREAMED]

“Surveys of healthcare providers in our county show that screening rates for intimate-partner violence are low, often due to healthcare providers feeling uncomfortable or uncertain with the topic and how to best respond to these patients’ needs,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. “Our goal is to provide tools, training and information that can be incorporated into routine practices within the healthcare system—protecting victims and saving lives. The bottom line is: if you have experienced domestic violence or strangulation by a partner, talk with your healthcare provider right away.”

There were more than 17,000 domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement in San Diego County last year. Data shows that providing patients with an opportunity to speak to a healthcare provider about domestic violence results in patients being four times more likely to access to domestic violence resources. Statistics show that in the past 22 years, 13 percent of domestic violence-related murders in San Diego County involved strangulation.

“Healthcare providers play a critical role in identifying domestic violence and strangulation victims,” said Palomar Health Forensic Health Services Director Michelle Shores. “We want healthcare workers in San Diego to know that our program is a resource available to them and the patient. Our highly trained forensic nurses conduct on-site medical evidentiary exams to document injury and collect evidence to be submitted to law enforcement.”

More than 500 kits, 16,000 wallet cards and brochures in multiple languages, and some 9,000 posters in English and Spanish are being distributed to roughly 60 healthcare-related locations across San Diego County. The outreach campaign also includes materials in, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Arabic. Items from the kit can also be downloaded electronically at www.SDCountyHealthCARES.org. In addition, 100 healthcare professionals from hospitals, family health centers, nursing and medical schools, and other healthcare sites will attend a special training session tomorrow in North County to kick-off the campaign.

San Diego County Health CARES encourages healthcare staff to:

Conduct screening for domestic violence

Assess for signs and symptoms of strangulation

Report suspicious injuries to law enforcement

Evaluation of the patient by a trained forensic examiner

Safety plan with the patient and connect them to resources

By state law, healthcare workers are mandated reporters of suspected abuse. Over the past year, the District Attorney’s Office has been reminding various mandated reporters in healthcare sites, schools and financial institutions about their responsibilities to report suspected physical, sexual, financial abuse and suspicious injuries.

In 2017, The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, local law enforcement officials and the San Diego City Attorney signed an agreement that outlines a coordinated community response on how to handle strangulation cases. The new Strangulation Protocol included a training video to teach law enforcement basic information about strangulation, such as the little amount of pressure it takes to cause significant damage. The DA’s Office files three times as many felony strangulation cases since the protocol was implemented.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Wednesday, October 16 is nationally-recognized as Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day. If you or someone you know is being abused by a current or former partner, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) for confidential support and assistance planning for safety. [TWEET THIS]

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a time for reflection on all that has been accomplished to prevent violence and abuse in our communities, and all that must still be done. Today, the District Attorney’s Office joined the San Diego Domestic Violence Council (SDDVC), county officials and other social service agencies together as a “Community of Hope” to provide resources, education, prevention and awareness of domestic violence to professionals and community members The event is the first of many to raise awareness throughout the month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

San Diego County has averaged 17,000 domestic violence incidents annually for the past 10 years from 2008 through 2018. In 2018, there were 17,513 domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement in San Diego County, there were also 15 domestic violence homicide victims of which the suspect was a current or former intimate partner. There were an additional three homicide victims (e.g. family members, new boyfriend, bystander) that died during these domestic violence incidents and five offenders died by suicide. Last year, 2,643 defendants were charged for domestic violence crimes by the DA’s Office.

“Domestic violence not only harms the direct victim but also has a devastating ripple effect on children, families and communities.  This is why we must fight it together as a community united to break the cycle of violence,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “We are committed to collaborating with partners from a variety of fields to bring accountability through prosecution and bring hope through early prevention and intervention.”

Throughout this past year, the San Diego County DA’s Office served the SDDVC by coordinating training for hundreds of professionals in our county on domestic violence as well as other family violence topics such as mandated reporting, being trauma-informed and risk assessment.

“Together, we are helping to bring light to this issue and let those experiencing abuse know they are not alone,” said SDDVC President Jessica Yaffa. “There are so many resources in our county to help them. We want them to know, there is hope, if they reach out.”

At the event, a candlelight vigil ceremony was held to honor every victim of domestic violence homicide in 2018. Survivors of domestic violence also shared their stories.

“Many people in San Diego County encounter domestic violence on a daily basis – the best thing a person can do when they see domestic violence is say something,” said Kelsey Hamlett, who is a survivor of domestic violence. “Too many people have been taken by domestic violence. If we all ban together to stand up to domestic violence San Diego County can save lives.”

San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox presented the Live Well San Diego proclamation to the SDDVC during the event, which also included a resource fair for services to help survivors of domestic violence. Also at the event, Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso was named President for the San Diego Domestic Violence Council. Grasso is the Assistant Chief of the DA’s Family Protection Division. The SDDVC is a collaboration of a multitude of organizations and community members seeking to reduce and prevent domestic violence in our county, including County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency, the DA’s Office, the City Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, and other law enforcement and social services agencies.

If you or someone you know is being abused by a current or former partner, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) for confidential support and assistance planning for safety.