DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 10-31-24
In this week’s DA News Update, DA Summer Stephan talks about the importance of Red Ribbon Week and drug prevention programs in schools.
Tag Archive for: San Diego DA
DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 10-10-24
In this week’s DA News Update, DA Summer Stephan celebrates Red Ribbon Week and announces a new reward fund for hate crime tips.
Crime Stoppers Hate Crimes Reward Fund Announced
In response to a recent 39% increase in hate crimes reported in San Diego County, law enforcement, government officials and community leaders announced a Crime Stoppers “Hate Crime Fund” to assist in the investigation and successful prosecution of these crimes. Tips leading to the arrest of a suspect in a felony hate crime featured by Crime Stoppers could result in a $2,000 reward. Anyone with information regarding hate crimes is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
5 THINGS to know about One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is celebrating the two year anniversary of opening One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center and in this video, District Attorney Summer Stephan shares 5 things you should know about this amazing family justice center that is an important resource for our community:
- One Safe Place is a safe place for anyone who has been a victim of a crime to receive comprehensive free services such as acute crisis care, advocacy, counseling, legal services, childcare, connections to shelter and housing, and social service benefits – all under one roof.
- We opened on July 5, 2022, and we’re celebrating our 2nd year anniversary.
- In just two years, One Safe Place served over 5,200 crime victims and received the help that they needed.
- The symbol of One Safe Place is Hope, Healing and Justice. Those are the three things that we provide, and we do it with the help of over 100 partners agencies working collaboratively with the DA’s Office to provide hope, healing, and justice for the community.
- We serve every type of victim with a focus and expertise on victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, elder abuse, hate crimes, and gang-related crimes. But every victim of crime is welcome to walk in.
To learn more about One Safe Place, just visit OneSafePlaceNorth.org.
Meet Paralegal Sandy Barajas
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15, we are highlighting stories from DA employees and what inspired them to pursue a career in public service. Meet Paralegal Sandy Barajas.
Sandy was born in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, but came to the United States when she was only six months old. She grew up in San Diego County, in the community of Barrio Logan, where her family has lived for over 50 years.
She attended Southwestern College and graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies, then went directly to National University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. She then pursued a Pre-Law degree in Paralegal Studies at the University of San Diego.
Currently, Sandy is assigned as a Paralegal I for the East County Division, where she works on Misdemeanor DUI cases. She also serves in the County’s Peer Support Team because she has always been passionate about giving back to her community.
When she is not busy working, she loves to make her spare time useful. She currently has a business which consumes half of her time, but she also likes to stay active in her community.
“I volunteer my time and expertise to help others,” she said. “I feel I have a duty to give back and help younger women to reach their potential. Once I had women who gave to me, who mentored me, so it’s only fair that I continue to keep the ball rolling. I enjoy non-profit volunteer work.”
What inspired you to pursue a career at the DA’s Office/in law enforcement?
“There were several factors that inspired me to pursue a career at the District Attorney’s office. Firstly, I have always had a strong passion for justice and protecting the rights of individuals. Here at the DA’s Office, we believe in protecting victims, building safe neighborhoods and partnering with the community. I have worked with diverse communities for the past 20 years.”
What is your favorite part of the job?
“I love to work with diverse populations and give back to my community. I believe it’s important to pay it forward and help others.”
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you? Why is it important?
“Hispanic Heritage Month holds a special significance for me as it is a time to celebrate and honor the rich cultural contributions of Hispanic individuals to our society. It is also a time that I get to indulge in the beautiful traditions, history and accomplishments of the Hispanic community and to educate others about the diversity within this group. I am very passionate about my roots and that is why I decided to create a business that entails the art, culture and traditions of my Hispanic culture. As a Latina, Hispanic Heritage Month allows me to connect with my roots, showcase the beauty and resilience of my culture, and feel a sense of pride in my heritage.”
Happy IT Professionals Day! Meet Senior IT Engineer Dustin Harger
IT Professionals Day, which is recognized on the third Tuesday of September, was established in 2015 to honor the IT pros who do the critical but often unseen work to keep our networks and applications running. So, today we want to highlight one of our amazing Information Technology Engineers here at the DA’s Office!
Meet Senior IT Engineer Dustin Harger, who was born and raised in San Diego County. He studied Architectural Engineering and Graphic Design at California State University Long Beach before finding his way into IT.
Dustin has been with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for one year and is currently a Senior IT Engineer. When he is not busy working, he enjoys playing guitar, piano, golf and baseball. In his free time, he also likes reading, designing, and tinkering with computers, as he is a part of various IT trade organizations. Read more below about what inspired him to pursue a career in the Information Technology Division of the DA’s Office.
What is your position/describe your role at the DA’s Office?
“I am an IT Engineer – much of our day consists of finding effective solutions for complex issues and staying on the forefront of new technology to help everyone work safely and efficiently. Also reviewing A LOT of data.”
What is your favorite part of the job?
“Working with a great team at SDCDA and finding new, interesting problems to solve every day.”
What inspired you to pursue a career in IT for criminal justice system/law enforcement/DA’s Office?
“I really enjoy helping people, that’s the heart of any service/support role – I grew up working on electronics and building computers, so the IT part was a natural fit. Working for the San Diego DA’s office is an honor – what better way to help your community than to help support its justice system?”
Anything else you would like people to know about IT professionals?
“It is impossible to know everything in IT. We rely on each other as a team to share our expertise to resolve issues together. Just like in life – remember to reach out when you need help!”
The Information Technology Division strategically uses technology to support the operation of the District Attorney’s Office. The 28 employees who make up this unit, design, develop, implement, and support all information technology hardware, software, business applications, and websites. They also provide support for prosecution in the courtroom and community outreach efforts. In addition, ITD provides direct support to the City Attorney’s Office in their use of the District Attorney’s case management system for criminal prosecution.
Join us in recognizing all our IT Pros today and don’t forget to say “Happy IT Professionals Day” to your IT division!
#ITProDay #ITProfessionalsDay #InformationTechnology
5 THINGS The DA’s Office Accomplished in 2023
We are more than halfway through the year and District Attorney Summer Stephan wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about some of the work we are doing at the DA’s Office. Here are 5 things the DA’s Office accomplished last year in 2023:
1- Working together, we were able to reduce the numbers of fentanyl overdoses by over 7% especially with youth.
2- We updated our unique school threats protocol with all 42 school districts that is laser focused on preventing school shootings.
3- We grew and supported a first-of-its-kind Elder Justice Task Force that is working around the clock to protect seniors from fraud that destroys their hard-earned retirement.
4- We fought retail theft through our specialized team and brought down multiple organized retail crime rings to protect small and large businesses.
5- We served over 5,000 vulnerable victims at One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center, removing them from a sure path to homelessness and despair. We continue to work to obtain justice for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, hate crimes, organized retail theft, fentanyl poisoning, environmental and consumer fraud, elder abuse, sex crimes, child abuse and many more.
You can read our detailed Annual Report for 2023 by going to SanDiegoDAannualReport.com or visit SanDiegoDA.com and click on 2023 Annual Report.
DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 08-15-24
In this week’s DA News Update, DA Summer Stephan alerts victims of the Santana High School shooting about the upcoming parole hearing scheduled for the shooter. She also talks about the importance of victims’ rights, including their right to participate in parole hearings.
5 THINGS About the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
In this video, District Attorney Summer Stephan shares FIVE THINGS you should know about the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office:
- The DA’s Office is responsible for prosecuting felony crimes committed in San Diego County.
- The DA’s Office also prosecutes misdemeanor offenses that occur outside the City of San Diego – since the City of San Diego has a City Attorney that prosecutes their misdemeanors.
- The DA’s Office is the LARGEST provider of victim services in the county, in fact last year, in 2023, our Victim Assistance Program assisted 10,379 victims of crime.
- Each year, the more than 300 prosecutors in the DA’s Office file about 40,000 criminal cases on behalf of the county’s nearly 3.3 million residents.
- Part of our mission is also to prevent crime by partnering with the community to create initiatives that help promote public safety and participating in collaborative courts that hold offenders accountable but divert them to programs and treatment that stop the cycle of recidivism.
You can learn more about what we are doing on our website SanDiegoDA.com or follow us on social media!
Attempted Murder Charge for Man Who Attacked MTS Bus Driver
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that premeditated attempted murder and attempted robbery charges have been filed against a 50-year-old man, who attacked an MTS bus driver in Escondido this week by viciously stabbing the victim multiple times with a large knife, causing great bodily injury. Defendant Mario Felix pleaded not guilty in Vista Superior Court this afternoon. He is facing 65 years to life in prison if convicted and is being held on no bail.
On Wednesday, Felix boarded an MTS bus at the Escondido Sprinter Station and demanded a free ride from the driver. When the driver told Felix he had to pay, he became enraged and demanded the victim’s wallet and threatened to kill him before using a knife to stab the driver in the torso, stomach, shoulder and back. The victim managed to push Felix out of the bus while he was being stabbed, but Felix immediately jumped back on the bus and delivered a final stab before walking away.
Witnesses followed Felix and they directed police to the defendant’s hiding spot behind a dumpster, where he was apprehended.
“Bus drivers and transit workers have been increasingly subjected to violence as they perform their important and essential jobs,” DA Stephan said. “This case is a horrific example of an escalating threat that makes the already-difficult job of transit workers more dangerous.”
The stabbing comes amid an uptick in violent crime and other criminal acts across San Diego County public transportation. The District Attorney’s Office looked at criminal case data for a 17-month period between January 2022 through April 2024 and found the following trends:
- More than 1,200 cases issued by the DA’s Office involved a transit element, such as a passenger, worker, vehicle or transit facility such as MTS or NCTD.
- 35% of cases issued involve a violent crime charge.
- Beginning in the summer of 2023, there was a 65% increase in the monthly average number of issued cases involving the transit system, increasing from 35 to 58 per month.
- Of the cases issued, 33% of them involve passengers whereas 13% of them involve crimes against a transit worker, with 6% involving drivers.
“This disturbing trend of crime involving our transportation systems has also impacted passengers,” DA Stephan said. “Everyone deserves to be safe and our team at the DA’s office will work in partnership with Escondido Police Department to bring justice in this case to the innocent victim, who was simply doing his job. Working with our law enforcement partners and MTS, we are committed to preventing crimes like this from being committed on public transit. My office has gathered this data to help guide strategic actions to improve the public’s safety.”
Felix will next be in court on August 20. Deputy District Attorney Keith Watanabe is prosecuting this case.