Tag Archive for: domestic violence

Victims of domestic violence are remembered in candle-light vigil.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Event Honors Victims and Empowers Survivors

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan joined the San Diego Domestic Violence Council, community leaders and other social service agencies to mark the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at a ceremony in Balboa Park today. The annual event is meant to empower survivors, award those who work with victims and remember those whose lives were taken in domestic violence incidents during the previous year. This year, the event theme was “Empowering Survivors, Supporting Our Community Together to End Abuse.”

In 2023, there were five domestic violence homicide victims of which the suspect was a current or former intimate partner, a 50% decrease from the year before. That is the lowest number of DV homicides recorded in San Diego County in the past three decades.

Attached here is a list of “Not to Be Forgotten” domestic violence homicide victims whom officials promise will not be forgotten. The San Diego Domestic Violence Council works with its community partners and law enforcement agencies, like the DA’s Office, to support victims in several ways.

“Domestic violence does not discriminate and does not know borders,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “Anyone who is living with any type of violence at home, especially intimate partner violence, needs to know they do not have to live this way. There are many resources and agencies available to help. This event is just one example of efforts that go beyond the month of October. Every day we are all fighting to prevent domestic violence, prosecute offenders and provide resources to empower victims so they can safely leave their abusers and lead a safe and dignified life.”

Last year, there were 16,666 domestic violence calls for assistance made to law enforcement across San Diego County. The DA’s Office filed charges in 1,892 domestic violence cases in 2023. Part of DA’s efforts to prevent domestic violence include coordinated trainings for hundreds of professionals across the county on recognizing the signs and symptoms of domestic violence, firearm safety, victim rights, stalking, and outreach and inclusion of diverse victim populations.

One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center, which is managed by the DA’s Office, provides resources and services all under one roof for anyone who has experienced abuse or violence. Since opening in 2022, more than 6,000 victims have been helped. This year, the DA’s One Safe Place began a historic partnership with the Attorney General of the State Baja California, Mexico, and the State of Baja California Justice Center for Women in Tijuana to cross-refer victims and provide vital services on both sides of the border to further regionalize help and ensure they can get to a safe and healing place no matter where they live or work.

During the Balboa Park event, which included a resource fair and a candlelight vigil ceremony honoring homicide victims, Amy Vance, who is a survivor of domestic violence shared her personal story.

“The journey to empowerment for survivors has been a goal in my personal and professional life for over a decade,” said Vance, who has spent the last 13 years advocating for other survivors. “For survivors of family violence and their families, it is critical to provide easily accessible, readily available shelter beds with supportive services including counseling, safety planning, workforce development, and a clear path back to a life without violence. Those services must include the input of individuals who have lived experience and understand the ripple effect of violence throughout the family, especially children. It is only through empowerment, healing, and time that the journey is successful.”

The San Diego Domestic Violence Council is a collaboration of organizations and community members who seek to reduce and prevent domestic violence. Partner agencies include the DA’s Office, San Diego County Health and Human Services, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement and social services agencies.

“Domestic violence is a community issue, which requires community response,” said San Diego Domestic Violence Council President Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez. “As a psychologist providing clinical care specializing in domestic violence and first responder treatment, I know first-hand the trauma and vicarious trauma caused by domestic violence. Over the past two decades in this field, I have also witnessed remarkable resilience, growth, empowerment, and collaboration among families and communities, which is why I love this year’s theme. We made significant improvement this past year in saving lives, yet our work is far from over. I am confident that together we can build a more compassionate and just community where everyone feels safe and supported.”

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. More information and resources can be found on the DA’s website here.

The DV Council will host additional community events throughout October, which you can find here.

Photo of gavel and scales of justice.

Dad Who Drove off Sunset Cliffs with Twin Girls in Car Sentenced to Prison

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said today that  Robert Brians, 51, who in a fit a rage amid a divorce and custody dispute, intentionally drove off Sunset Cliffs with his 2-year-old twin girls in the car has been sentenced to 31 years in state prison.

Brians pleaded guilty on August 9 to two counts of attempted murder, child abuse, kidnapping, domestic violence, and burglary. He had taken the children from his parents’ home in the middle of the night before driving away, intent on killing the girls and himself.

“Attempting to kill your innocent children to hurt your spouse is beyond despicable,” DA Stephan said. “I am grateful to first responders who found this defendant’s whereabouts and were able to save the young girls from drowning. I’m also proud of our Family Protection Division for holding this defendant accountable for his unspeakable act.”

During a 2021 preliminary hearing, Jenna Brians testified that after Brians took the children, she exchanged several text messages with him as she tried to learn their whereabouts. At one point, Brians called Jenna on Facetime so she could say goodbye to the girls. Brians told her that he was planning to drive off a cliff in his truck while his girls were inside. One text message he sent read, “I told you, girls are going to Heaven and I’m going to Hell to wait for you.”

Domestic violence has many forms including physical aggression, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, stalking, or financial abuse. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, frighten, terrorize, injure, or wound someone.

If you or someone you know is being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-7233. More resources can be found on the District Attorney’s website.

In addition, One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center provides free 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. OneSafePlaceNorth.org

Deputy District Attorney Franciesca Balerio prosecuted this case.

Photo of a Judge's gavel and a gun.

TikToker Sentenced to LWOP Plus 50 Years for Murdering Wife and Her Friend

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that Ali Abulaban, the TikTok personality who killed his wife and her friend in October 2021, has been sentenced to two terms of life in prison without parole plus 50 years to life in state prison.

The sentence was handed down today by San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Fraser. A jury found Abulaban guilty of two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances on May 29 after a 16-day trial.

“This defendant mercilessly took the lives of two young people and the pain he left their families with is unimaginable. We hope the guilty jury verdicts and today’s sentence will bring some semblance of justice and peace for the families left behind in the wake of this terrible violence,” DA Summer Stephan said. “Every year, domestic violence kills an average of 13 people in San Diego County. This is a statistic we must confront and continue to fight. One death at the hands of an intimate partner is one too many.”

The evidence in this case proved that defendant Abulaban drove to their apartment with a loaded gun, used a key card to enter the apartment, and immediately killed both his estranged wife Ana Abulaban and her friend Rayburn Barron by shooting them in the head.

Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast worked tirelessly to bring justice and successfully prosecuted this case.

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.

DA Summer Stephan speaks at a podium with city, county and state leaders standing behind her.

DA Collaborates with City Attorney’s Casa Mariposa Domestic Violence Shelter

On Friday, June 21, 2024, District Attorney Summer Stephan joined San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott and Senator Toni Atkins to celebrate the arrival of a new shelter option for families who are fleeing domestic violence. The Casa Mariposa Domestic Violence Shelter will offer survivors the services they need to get their lives back on track and ensure they do not fall into homelessness when they leave their abusers. Both the City’s Your Safe Place and the County’s One Safe Place (North County Family Justice Center) Family Justice Centers will make referrals to Casa Mariposa, operated by SBCS (formerly South Bay Community Services). A large percentage of unsheltered women were victims of domestic violence — physical, psychological, and sexual — before becoming homeless. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, visit sandiego.gov/yoursafeplace or go to onesafeplacenorth.org for help.

Photo of gavel and scales of justice.

50 Years-to-Life in Domestic Violence Case

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said today that defendant Arturo Ulloa, 43, has been sentenced to 50 years-to-life in prison for brutally attacking his girlfriend, strangling her and then stabbing her repeatedly. The sentence was handed down in San Diego Superior Court in Vista this afternoon. During a jury trial in January, Ulloa was found guilty of premeditated attempted murder, aggravated mayhem, attempted carjacking, and child endangerment. The defendant has 11 prior convictions for armed robbery. Deputy District Attorney Jessica Stehr prosecuted the case.

“This was a vicious crime, committed in front of the victim’s children,” said DA Stephan. “It’s incredible that she survived the attack and a testament to her resiliency and bravery that she was able to testify during the trial. Today, a measure of justice has been delivered.”

The victim was awakened at about 5:30 a.m. by the defendant who was strangling her. He stopped and then started strangling her again, this time for about two minutes. The victim tried to get away and defend herself, but Ulloa then began stabbing her with steak knives. He stabbed her more than 20 times using five different knives. Her children, ages 4 and 7, witnessed the attack and ran to a neighbor for help. After stabbing his girlfriend, the defendant fled and attempted to carjack a separate victim.

Strangulation is common in domestic violence incidents and law enforcement in San Diego County has a coordinated community response on how to handle such cases. Studies have shown that episodes of non-fatal strangulation have a greater likelihood of leading to homicide. The county’s Strangulation Protocol put into place a system of uniform detection, documentation and response so victims receive consistent treatment across the county. Since strangulation often does not leave obvious signs of injury, it is important for victims to report it and receive appropriate medical care.

Domestic violence has many forms including physical aggression, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, stalking, or financial abuse. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, frighten, terrorize, injure, or wound someone.

If you or someone you know is being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233. More resources can be found on the District Attorney’s website.

In addition, One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center provides free 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. For more information, visit OneSafePlaceNorth.org.

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 10-05-23

In this week’s DA News, District Attorney Summer Stephan discusses Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed throughout the month of October, and the important resources available to those who are in an abusive relationship. Read more about DV Month and resources, here.

 

DA Marks the Start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

An average of 13 people are killed every year by an intimate partner in San Diego County. Today, the District Attorney’s Office joined the San Diego Domestic Violence Council, county officials and other social service agencies to launch the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at a ceremony in Balboa Park. The event is meant to empower survivors, award those who work with victims and remember those whose lives were taken in domestic violence incidents during the previous year. This year, the event theme was “Let Today Be the Day You Move Forward!”

In 2022, 10 people were killed by a current or former intimate partner and there were four additional homicide victims, such as a family member, new boyfriend, or bystander, who died during domestic violence related incidents. In addition, five offenders committed suicide. See a list of domestic violence homicide victims not to be forgotten, here.

“In San Diego County, we are fighting every day to save lives from the destructive cycles of domestic violence,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “I want to thank the San Diego Domestic Violence Council and Claudia Grasso for the partnership in protecting families from violence. Domestic violence not only harms the direct victim but also has a devastating ripple effect on children, families, and communities. This is why at the DA’s Office we work every day to prosecute the offenders and provide resources to victims so they can safely leave their abusers and move on with their lives. Domestic Violence Awareness Month is one more chance to empower women, children, and survivors to know that there are resources to help them get out of a dangerous relationship.”

Each year there are more than 17,000 domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement across San Diego County. Last year, the figure was 17,472 and the District Attorney’s Office filed charges in 2,393 domestic violence cases.

During the Balboa Park event, which included a resource fair and a candlelight vigil ceremony honoring homicide victims, Ivette Kuyateh, who lost her mother to domestic violence when she was a child shared her personal story.

“Events like these give us a platform to expose the darkness in our society and say the words that victims often can’t,” Kuyateh said. “Yet every advocate knows our work continues past the month of October. It is year-round. As long as people still ask, ‘why doesn’t she leave?’ we have work to do to educate others on the complexities behind the answer to this question.”

Also at the event, Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez, who is a marriage and family therapist, was named the new President for the San Diego Domestic Violence Council. The domestic violence council is a collaboration of organizations and community members who seek to reduce and prevent domestic violence. Partner agencies include the District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Health and Human Services, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, and other law enforcement and social services agencies.

Over the last year, the DA’s Office coordinated trainings for hundreds of professionals across the county on domestic violence, firearm safety, stalking, and how to be more inclusive when working with victims.

“We are so proud of how the San Diego Domestic Violence Council has brought county organizations together to help connect victims with resources and support service providers with tools to consistently restore hope to those who have lost it,” said Claudia Grasso, the outgoing President of the SDDVC and Executive Director of One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center. “I am grateful to District Attorney Summer Stephan, who for my entire four-year term as SDDVC President, was a constant source of encouragement and support.”

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. More information and resources can be found on the DA’s website here. See the calendar and flyers of additional domestic violence awareness events that will take place throughout the month of October, here.

San Diego DA Sounds the Alarm About Assembly Bill 1028

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan today strongly criticized pending legislation that would remove the requirement that healthcare workers make a report to law enforcement when they suspect a patient has suffered physical injury caused by abusive conduct. Under the proposed new law, domestic violence victims who are bruised, attacked, stabbed, strangled, tortured, or maimed or are injured with weapons other than firearms, would not receive the current protection the law affords. Stephan is urging lawmakers to vote against Assembly Bill 1028 when it comes in front of the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, July 11.

“This ill-conceived bill reverses critical, long-standing protections that currently exist for victims of serious crimes including domestic violence,” said DA Stephan. “Mandated reporting is a link in the chain to a victim’s safety and can be the difference between life and death. Health care providers serve as gatekeepers to identify and report abuse where the family members and the abused themselves may not. These reporting laws ensure that a victim is protected, even if the abuser stands in the lobby of the hospital, demanding the victim lie about the abuse. A physician is duty bound to report suspicious injuries under the current law if they reasonably suspect the injuries were the result of abusive or assaultive conduct.”

Current law requires a health practitioner, as defined, to make a report to law enforcement when they suspect a patient has suffered physical injury that is either self-inflicted, caused by a firearm, or caused by assaultive or abusive conduct, including elder abuse, sexual assault, or torture.

Victims’ rights groups are also opposing the bill.

“As someone who almost died at the hands of my abuser and had to be taken to the hospital, I know firsthand how dangerous it would be to take away a doctor’s important responsibility to report suspicious injuries,” said Isabel Rosales, a survivor of domestic violence who was stabbed by her ex-husband. “Doctors reporting domestic violence absolutely saves lives.”

California has long protected it’s most vulnerable by legislating mandated reporting for domestic violence and child abuse, and more recently elder abuse. This bill eliminates physician-mandated reporting for any physical injury due to domestic violence other than the small percentage of domestic violence cases that result in injuries from firearms. This means that domestic violence victims who are bruised, attacked, stabbed, strangled, tortured, or maimed or are injured with weapons other than firearms, would not receive the current protection the law affords.

“This bill takes us backwards 30 years and has unintended consequences that will put victims in even more danger,” said Karen Marcus, a retired forensic nurse in San Diego County. “Healthcare professionals are one of the most important protectors for injured victims of crime and provide the victim important access to culturally competent community resources.  Removing health care’s duty to report decreases the health and safety of victims and increases the risk of continued or worsening violence.”

San Diego County has roughly 17,000 domestic violence incidents reported per year, and a subset of those only come to law enforcement’s attention because of the good work of health care providers doing their duty to report suspicious injuries. Domestic violence is already one of the most under reported crimes because of the dynamics of power and control within an intimate partner relationship.

“AB 1028 is not supported by any California-based research and ignores the polling in California showing that advocates and survivors favor the existing Suspicious Injury Reporting Law,” said Casey Gwinn, President and Co-Founder of Alliance for Hope International. “If this bill becomes law, terrified, seriously injured victims will have the responsibility to decide if their abusers get reported to the police. More women, men, children, and police officers will die if AB 1028 becomes law. The only state to end all reporting in the last ten years has seen more than a 100% increase in domestic violence-related deaths.”

Research shows that cases where the abuser strangles their partner, cutting off airflow and blood flow to the brain in the attack have been associated with a seven times greater likelihood of being murdered by that same abuser. This bill would send that strangulation victim, seven times more likely to get murdered when she or he walks out the door, into a deadly risk this legislature should not be willing to take.

DA Stephan urged constituents in San Diego County and across the state to contact their State Senators and voice their opposition to AB 1028.

The Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee is Senator Aisha Wahab, (916) 651-4410.

State Senators representing districts in San Diego County are:

Sen. Toni Atkins, Central San Diego County (916) 651-4039

Sen. Steve Padilla, Chula Vista/South Bay (916) 651-4018

Sen. Brian Jones, El Cajon and Escondido (916) 651-4040

Sen. Catherine Blakespear, Encinitas/North County (916) 651-4038

Read the DA’s letter sent in opposition to AB 1028 here.

Man who Brutally Murdered Wife and Sister-In-Law Sentenced

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that defendant Juan Carlos Ortega, 38, who was convicted by a jury on December 21 of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child endangerment likely to produce great bodily injury and one count of arson, has been sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole plus 26 years to life in prison.

In 2018, Ortega fatally stabbed his wife Veronica Soto Ortega, 30, and her sister Ana Gabriela Soto, 26, as the couple’s children slept nearby.

“The brutality with which this defendant killed the two victims is horrendous and is sadly a disturbing example of what can happen when domestic violence escalates,” DA Stephan said. “A specialized DA prosecution team worked tirelessly to bring this case to justice, and we are grateful for the jury verdict and sentence in this case. Every year there are more than 17,000 reported incidents of domestic violence with an average of 13 women killed per year by their intimate partner. We will keep fighting to reduce the gut wrenching damage of domestic violence in our community.”

On August 9, 2018, Ortega watched his estranged wife’s apartment in Escondido and waited to enter until just after 3 a.m. Once inside the home, he attacked his wife, stabbing her in the neck twice, then slashed his sister-in-law’s throat, stabbed her in the chest and shot her. He then continued stabbing his wife until she died. After killing his wife, he locked his two children, ages 4 and 5, in a nearby bedroom and covered his wife with a blanket. He stuffed his sister-in-law’s body into the back of his wife’s SUV and drove off, tossing out Soto’s cellphone along the way.

At Country Club Drive and Kauana Loa Drive, just east of Escondido, Ortega poured lighter fluid over Soto’s body, set it on fire, then walked back to his vehicle, which he left at a Park & Ride in San Marcos.

Deputy District Attorneys Patricia Lavermicocca and An Dang prosecuted this case.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, take the first step today to protect yourself and your family and call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233(SAFE) for help and referrals to local resources. Call 9-1-1 if in immediate danger.

DA-Sponsored Bill That Gives Life Saving Medical Access to Domestic Violence Victims Signed into Law

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that a bill her office sponsored, giving victims of domestic violence assault equal access to comparable forensic exams that sexual assault victims receive, has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Assembly Bill 2185, authored by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber and sponsored by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, codifies the gold standard of forensic medical examination and documentation, and brings equal access and parity to all victims of domestic violence in California. The new law will promote access and enhance positive health outcomes for domestic violence survivors.

“This new law can save lives,” DA Summer Stephan said. “The law provided for sexual assault victims to have access to medical forensic exams and treatment at no cost, but not for domestic violence victims, even though both are at risk for life-threatening injuries. We know that these domestic violence medical evidentiary examinations can be critical, especially in cases of strangulation. I want to thank Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D., who immediately saw the great benefit that this law can provide through her unique physician lens, and fought to make this law a reality for vulnerable victims.”

Strangulation injuries are often internal with no external visible injuries; making life-threatening injuries easy to miss without proper training for examiners, and immediate assessment, accurate diagnosis, and treatment. Research shows that a victim strangled even one time is 750% more likely to be killed later by her abuser compared to a domestic violence victim who has never been strangled. The percentage is higher if there are multiple strangulation assaults or altered consciousness.

“In San Diego County, the District Attorney’s office implemented a countywide pilot program with trained forensic nurse examiners to document strangulation and other injuries from domestic violence assaults through medical evidentiary exams,” said Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. “The evidence proved that the exams coupled with early intervention with counseling and resources for women and families resulted in saving lives. This is why I authored AB 2185 to scale the pilot program statewide and expand access to medical evidentiary examinations for survivors of domestic violence assault to all Californians. AB 2185 will also create a funding system to reimburse qualified healthcare professionals for administering these exams. I appreciate Governor Newsom’s signing the Legislative Women’s Caucus priority bills which underscores California’s commitment to achieving equitable policies for all women.”

In 2016, experts from San Diego County recognized that domestic violence examinations were not being utilized throughout California. In 2017, as part of Cal OES XC grant, San Diego County piloted a program where specially trained forensic nurses were dispatched to law enforcement scenes to better document domestic violence strangulation cases. The purpose of the pilot was to enhance the collective coordinated community response to victims of abuse related assault, to provide those victims with evidentiary exams, and to document strangulation and other injuries free of charge to victims. These examinations increased access to victims and provided awareness about the medical dangers of strangulation incidents. For example, one victim of a serious assault suffered a fractured larynx but didn’t realize it until a forensic nurse performing a medical evidentiary exam, screened her and referred her to the emergency room. The victim could have died had it not been for this intervention.

Specially trained forensic nurses examine the patient/victim, take additional photographs, encourage the victim to seek emergency medical care when necessary, and connect them to local advocacy resources and supportive victim services.

Over 1,000 victims and survivors of abuse across San Diego County have benefitted from forensic domestic violence assault exams, at no cost them. Since the pilot program went into effect, domestic violence homicides dropped by 15% between 2017 and 2020 and those resulting from strangulation also dropped substantially. (San Diego Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team).