Every year, the District Attorney’s Office participates in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) as part of a collaborative effort to bring support to the Special Olympics Northern California through fundraising and public awareness. This year, the DA’s Office had 57 members, consisting of administrative staff, attorneys, and DA inspectors, join the run.
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On June 18, the day began at 7:10am as the team met at Niko’s Restaurant in Alameda to receive the “Flame of Hope” from the Alameda Police Department and begin their trek over to Downtown Oakland to relay the torch to the Oakland Police Department. As the run began, red and blue lights could be see moving across city blocks as the DA’s office was escorted through the streets of both Alameda and Oakland by police motorcades that paved a clear and direct path for the runners. Upon hand off at 7
th
& Broadway in Oakland to OPD, cheers and applause ensued as a new set of runners began the next leg of the relay and DA staff resumed work at their respective branches. The District Attorney's Office would like extend special thanks to all who participated and contributed to this great cause.
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GUN SAFETY CAMPAIGN
SAVE A LIFE: ALWAYS ASK
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For many families and kids June 21, summer solstice, marks the start vacation and children across the Bay Area will be frequenting the homes of their friends and neighbors. Children can be put at unnecessary risk for serious injury or death by improperly stored guns. In America, one out of three homes with children has a gun, and nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun. Each year thousands of kids are killed and injured as a result. The Alameda County DA’s Office promotes a simple idea that will save lives: always ask if there is a gun in any home where your child goes to play. And,
Save a Life: Lock up your Guns
. Learn more about gun safety
here
.
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JUNE IS PROCLAIMED
ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH
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The Alameda County Board of Supervisors proclaimed the month of June as Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Deputy District Attorney Cheryl Poncini, Assistant District Attorney Sabrina Farrell, and Division Director for Alameda County Social Services Alicia Morales, were honored to receive proclamation from Supervisor Wilma Chan. All month long, the DA's Office took initiatives on educating the community about the different forms of elder abuse and what kind of resources are available to those who have fallen victim to such crimes. In addition, the District Attorney's Office hosted and collaborated in several events to further expand awareness. “Scam Jam Trivia Challenge” was a fun and innovative way that taught people of all ages, not just seniors, about the various forms of abuse and what assistance is available to victims seeking help and preventative measures against financial exploitation. Members of the office also volunteered alongside Social Services Division of Aging & Adult Protection and Legal Assistance for Seniors at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
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Click
here
for more information on elder/dependent adult protection:
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SETTLEMENT ANNOUNCED TO ADDRESS
ILLEGAL DUMPING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE
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On June 19, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley announced an $11 million settlement against AutoZone, Inc. (AutoZone) to resolve allegations that the company violated state laws governing hazardous waste, and hazardous materials, by routinely and illegally disposing of used motor oil, automotive fluids, and other hazardous wastes into company waste bins destined for municipal landfills not authorized to accept hazardous waste. The lawsuit also resolves allegations that AutoZone routinely failed to shred customer records containing confidential information before disposing of those items into the trash.
“The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in our effort to ensure all businesses operating within the county and the state comply with the laws and regulations designed to protect the health of our environment,” states DA O’Malley. “When companies ignore or violate these laws, they put our precious natural resources at risk. I thank the Attorney General and my District Attorney colleagues for joining in the ongoing effort to protect our soil, groundwater and oceans from highly dangerous contaminants.” To learn more, see
full press release here
.
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To learn more about the Consumer, Environmental, and Worker Protection Division visit:
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SB 22
, AUTHORED BY SENATOR LEYVA AND SPONSORED BY DA O’MALLEY,
PASSES ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
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With strong bipartisan support, the Assembly Public Safety Committee passed Senate Bill 22, important legislation co-sponsored by DA Nancy O’Malley and authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) requiring that law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories promptly analyze and test all newly collected rape kit evidence in California.
SB 22 ensures that sexual assault victims in California will have access to the swift submission and analysis of forensic evidence associated with their cases. Under the requirements of the proposal, newly collected rape kits must be submitted within 20 days and tested no later than 120 days after receipt. Promptly testing DNA evidence in rape kits will prevent backlogs of forensic evidence in laboratories or evidence rooms and can identify an unknown assailant, link crimes together, identify serial perpetrators, and exonerate the wrongfully convicted.
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SUCCESSES IN
ATTENDANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT
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On Monday, June 10, 2019 parents and children gathered in Judge Barbara Dickinson’s courtroom in the Rene C. Davidson Superior Court for a unique and unusual court date. After a year or more of participating the District Attorney’s School Attendance Program and appearing for multiple progress reports in Parent Truancy Court, each of the more than 45 parent cases were called individually for a motion to dismiss. Colorful school backpacks lined one side of the courtroom (purchased by the DA’s Office with a generous grant from the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation). As each case was called, the parents and students beamed as they were congratulated on a successful school year, and each child invited to pick out a new backpack before leaving court. Both parents and students spoke with enthusiasm about how improved daily attendance led to a better school experience, improved grades and academic skills and overall happiness in school.
Alameda County’s truancy court program stands out as a highly successful collaborative court program aimed at assisting parents and families whose elementary/grammar school aged children struggle with chronic absenteeism. Created 15 years ago by the DA’s Office, the program has addressed the needs of thousands of struggling students. The court process has developed over the years to include excellent wrap-around services by Lincoln’s School Engagement Program, Alameda County’s Asthma Start Program, as well as H.E.A.L. (Health, Education, and Attendance for Life), an award winning collaborative with Alameda County Health that addresses underlying medical needs preventing regular school attendance. To learn more about the District Attorney's Office's Truancy and Attendance Program:
click here
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PEOPLE V. ANICASIO GARCIA
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On May 29, 2019, a jury convicted Anicasio Garcia of second degree murder for the killing of Nelson Diaz Velasquez, based on the events of May 27, 2016 when the defendant stabbed Mr. Velasquez in his heart. That night, Mr. Velasquez had been on a date with his girlfriend. When he drove her home, the defendant was waiting for them. After dropping his girlfriend off, Mr. Velasquez waited in his car for the woman to get inside. The defendant approached him with the murder weapon in hand and stabbed him in the chest, penetrating his chest wall through to his pericardium, damaging his left ventricle and the heart itself. Mr. Velasquez eventually collapsed in the parking lot across the street from his girlfriend's apartment while good samaritans tried to help. That night Mr. Velasquez succumbed to the serious injury and was pronounced dead. After the stabbing, the defendant fled the scene, discarded the murder weapon, but was eventually apprehended. When interviewed by the Oakland Police Department, the defendant admitted to stabbing the victim with a knife, but claimed he did not intend to kill him. The jury found that he committed murder when his actions led to the unlawful death of Mr. Velasquez. This case was prosecuted by DDA Charly Weissenbach with the assistance of Inspector Brian Delahunty and Victim Witness Advocate Liliana Bueno.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2019.
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PEOPLE V. CHRISTOPHER JONES
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On June 11, 2019, a jury convicted Christopher Jones of first degree residential burglary and attempted first degree residential burglary. In the early morning hours of September 21, 2018, the defendant was captured on a home video surveillance system making his way to the back property of a home in Berkeley occupied by nine Univ. of California, Berkeley students. Items taken from their home included various laptops. On October 7, 2018, the defendant was captured on a home video surveillance system attempting to open the locked door of a home located in Berkeley a few blocks away from his previous burglary. The defendant was identified by the distinct tattoo on his forearm along with other similar characteristics. The case was prosecuted by DDA Malisha Jones with the assistance of Inspector Tom Milner.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2019.
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On June 6, 2019, a jury convicted Jacob Colbert of robbery. On August 13, 2017, the victim was robbed in Oakland’s Chinatown while with his grandchildren. The defendant tased the victim in his leg and pushed a gun into his torso. The men demanded his belongings. The victim gave his watch and wallet. The defendant ran away to a nearly waiting car and fled. Weeks later, when police attempted to arrest the defendant at his apartment, the defendant engaged in an hour’s long standoff. During the standoff, the defendant dug a hole in the ceiling and crawled to the neighboring apartment, where he broke through that ceiling. He was subsequently arrested. Officers searched his car and found a semi-automatic pistol and stun gun. The case was prosecuted by DDA Camille Ching with the assistance of Inspector Kendell Won and Victim Witness Advocate Erica Chavis.
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To view more felony verdicts:
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Questions for the DA's Office?
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Do you have a question for the District Attorney?
If you would like to see a particular question answered in our next newsletter, please email us at
[email protected].
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HEAT Watch: HEAT Watch is the anti-human trafficking program run by the DA's Office. It coordinates the response to help fight trafficking in the Bay Area and beyond.
DA Speakers Bureau: We provide speakers for your next school or community meeting who come to you with decades of expertise about the law, the criminal justice system and how we at the DA's Office can help you if you have been the victim of a crime.
Point of View: The well-known legal educational tool written and published by the DA's Office.
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