News

DA Issues COVID Test and Price Gouging Warning Amid Omicron Surge

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan warned the public today to steer clear of unapproved at-home COVID-19 tests as people become increasingly desperate to get tested for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Scammers are always waiting for their next opportunity to take financial advantage of unsuspecting consumers and the shortage of COVID-19 tests […]

Former Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter

Former San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Russell, 25, pleaded guilty today to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of a man he saw escape from a patrol car near the downtown San Diego jail in May of 2020. Russell also admitted he personally used a firearm in the […]

Sex Offender Charged with Double Murder

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced multiple criminal charges today against Marco Antonio Valadez, 47, in connection with a December 4 shooting that killed Raquel Pitsenburger, 55, and Marco Antonio Valadez, Jr., 36. Valadez has been charged with two counts of murder and sex abuse charges, stemming from a fatal confrontation in which […]

DAs Granted Temporary Restraining Order Stopping Earlier Releases for Serious, Violent Criminals by CDCR

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that she and 27 elected District Attorneys across California have been granted a temporary restraining order, by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Raymond Cadei, preventing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) from enacting an increase from 50% “good time” custody credits to 66% credits for […]

DA Files Hate Crime

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced criminal charges today against a man who attacked his neighbor on November 10 while yelling anti-gay slurs. Robert Frank Wilson, 40, is charged with one count of felony battery and a hate crime allegation. He was arraigned today in San Diego Superior Court in the South Bay […]

DA Releases Reviews of Three Officer-Involved Shootings, One In-Custody Death

Suspect Wielding a Crowbar Advances on Officer On the evening of April 21, 2021, the Escondido Police Department received a call reporting a person hitting parked vehicles with a metal pole in the parking lot of a business. An officer contacted Steven Olson, 59, the subject of the call, in the parking lot. The officer […]