Volume 2, Issue 6 — June 2026 | | | | |
Our Work in Action: Updates from the City Attorney’s Office | | | | |
Legal Actions and Protecting Our City | |
Standing With the Islamic Center of San Diego and the Muslim Community
On May 18, the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in our city and a place of worship, learning, and community for generations of San Diegans, was targeted in an act of violence, hate, and terrorism that took three lives.
Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad each met that moment with extraordinary courage. Amin, the mosque's security guard, stood between the attackers and the families inside. Mansour was a founding member and caretaker who had been with the mosque since it was built in the 1980s. Nadir was a neighbor who ran toward the danger to help. Each gave everything they had to protect others, and their actions that day saved lives. We honor all three.
To our Muslim neighbors: our city stands with you. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone carrying this grief. If you or someone you know needs support in the wake of this tragedy, the San Diego Family Justice Center provides free services for people experiencing the effects of gun violence.
As your City Attorney, I am committed to standing against Islamophobia and all forms of hate. We will keep working with our law enforcement partners and faith leaders to protect houses of worship and keep every San Diegan safe.
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$1.25M Judgment Against Illegal Short‑Term Rental Operators
We've shut down an illegal short-term rental operation that converted six homes across Normal Heights, City Heights, and other San Diego neighborhoods into unlicensed short-term rentals. Yumi Yanagawa Willmott, James Morely Willmott, and their companies, 3YS LP and Skytree Enterprises, had been running these rentals since at least June 2023 without a Business Tax Certificate, Short-Term Residential Occupancy license, or building approvals. In one case, they turned a detached garage into rental lodging with no permits and no inspections, exactly the kind of unsafe conversion the City's rules exist to prevent.
Our Housing Protection and Civil Code Compliance Unit (HPU) worked with the City's Building and Land Use Enforcement Division (BLUE) team to secure a stipulated final judgment and permanent injunction. The operators must shut down all rentals, cancel existing bookings, remove every listing, fix the code violations, and stop using unpermitted structures as living space. They are barred from operating or applying for a short-term rental license at these properties until 2028 and face up to $1.25 million in civil penalties.
San Diegans deserve safe, stable neighborhoods and housing that serves the people who live and work here. A big thank you to our BLUE team for building this case property by property, and to our HPU team for prosecuting it!
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Shutting Down an Illegal Massage Parlor in Linda Vista
A more than year-long investigation into Comfy Spa, an illegal massage parlor on Linda Vista Road, uncovered ongoing prostitution, a reported sexual assault, and extensive building and zoning violations. SDPD received community complaints in early 2025, including reports of women possibly being held against their will. Officers conducted multiple undercover visits and documented a pattern of illegal activity, including online advertisements promoting sex acts tied to the business.
BLUE inspectors found the commercial space had been illegally converted into a residence, complete with a kitchen, unpermitted appliances, and six massage rooms built behind unpermitted interior walls. The property owner was notified twice. Nothing changed.
We've filed suit to shut Comfy Spa down and are seeking civil penalties of $2,500 per day per violation. When a business exploits vulnerable people, ignores repeated warnings, and puts the public at risk, we will act.
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#KnowYourRights: Primary Elections Edition
Leading up to the June 2 gubernatorial primary, our office teamed up with the San Diego City Clerk to release a Voter Rights Alert to help San Diegans know their rights at the polls.
The guide covered registration deadlines, ballot return options, your rights to vote in person, what to do if you ran into trouble at the polls, and how to report voter intimidation.
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Public Safety PSA: Don't Drive Impaired
Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, our office joined the San Diego District Attorney's Office, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on a public safety campaign reminding San Diegans that impaired driving is never worth the risk.
The message was simple: impairment takes more forms than most people realize. Alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, and even some over-the-counter drugs can affect your ability to drive safely. California law doesn't distinguish between them. If you're impaired, you shouldn't be behind the wheel.
Have a plan before you head out. Designate a driver, call a ride, or arrange to stay put. Together, we can keep San Diego's roads safer for everyone.
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Building Connections and Sharing Impact | | |
Celebrating Community and Leadership at the PALSD Annual Dinner
I was honored to attend the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego (PALSD) 48th Annual Dinner, an evening dedicated to celebrating excellence within our legal community. The event recognized this year’s award recipients and highlighted PALSD’s scholarship program, which helps aspiring attorneys achieve their goals.
PALSD continues to champion diversity, mentorship, and leadership in the profession, and it was wonderful to connect with colleagues and friends in support of PALSD's important work.
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Civil Prosecutors Coalition: Backing California Workers
As vice‑chair of the Civil Prosecutors Coalition (CPC), I joined fellow City Attorneys and County Counsels in Sacramento to discuss how we can better support California residents and strengthen enforcement statewide.
Our group met with the California Labor Federation to explore ways our offices can work together to more effectively uphold labor and employment laws — ensuring workers across the state receive the protections they deserve. Representing jurisdictions that together serve over 40% of Californians, the CPC uses its collective reach to pursue meaningful, statewide impact.
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League of California Cities City Attorney's Conference
I joined fellow city attorneys at this year's League of California Cities Conference for a panel discussion on the issues keeping municipal lawyers up at night: artificial intelligence, housing, public records, and the governance challenges cities are navigating in real time.
As California cities face mounting pressure on all fronts, from AI policy and housing mandates to transparency laws and emerging legal questions with no clear precedent yet, these convenings are where we work through it together. Hearing how other cities are approaching the same problems, what's working and what isn't, is one of the most practical ways we can serve San Diego better. We brought those conversations home.
| | Standing With Survivors and Older Adults Through Awareness and Action | |
This month, the San Diego Family Justice Center, Your Safe Place, a division of the San Diego City Attorney's Office, participated in two important observances dedicated to safety, awareness, and support for vulnerable members of our community.
On June 5, the team joined Wear Orange Day to honor the lives lost to gun violence and to reaffirm our commitment to prevention, accountability, and community healing.
Later in the month, on June 15, the San Diego Family Justice Center marked World Older and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Day, elevating awareness about abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation affecting older and dependent adults. The team shared resources on recognizing warning signs, understanding risk factors, and learning how to support those who may be at risk.
During Older and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month, we continue to encourage the community to stay informed and help promote dignity, safety, and respect for all older and dependent adults. If you or someone you know needs support, the San Diego Family Justice Center can be reached at 619-533-6000.
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Observing Juneteenth and City Service Updates
San Diego City Hall raised the Juneteenth flag for the sixth time outside the administration building, ahead of tomorrow's federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and around 250,000 enslaved people learned they were free, more than two years after the proclamation had declared enslaved people in Confederate states free. It became a federal holiday in 2021 and a California state holiday in 2022.
In recognition of the holiday, the City will close administrative offices and several public facilities on Friday, June 19, including libraries, recreation centers, pools, and select permitting and passport services. Street sweeping will pause for the day and parking meters will not be enforced. Essential services including trash collection, landfill operations, and public safety will continue without interruption.
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| Join Us at San Diego Pride! | | |
June is Pride Month, and San Diego has a lot to celebrate. Our city marks Pride twice, in June and again in July with our own parade, and that says something about who we are. We're proud to stand with San Diego's LGBTQ+ community this month and every month, and to reaffirm our commitment to equality, inclusion, and ensuring every San Diegan is treated with dignity and respect under the law.
We'll be marching in the San Diego Pride Parade on Saturday, July 18, along the 1.5-mile Hillcrest route from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The San Diego Pride Parade is one of the largest Pride celebrations on the West Coast, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to Hillcrest every year. It's a tradition that reflects the strength, visibility, and resilience of San Diego's LGBTQ+ community, and one our office is honored to be part of. The public, community partners, and allies are all welcome to join us on the route.
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San Diego City Attorney's Gun Violence Reduction Unit
June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, and this month we want to put a spotlight on the work of our Gun Violence Reduction Unit (GVRU). Since the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) program began, the unit has helped to obtain orders to remove guns from over 1,500 people who posed a serious risk to themselves or others. California's red flag law makes that possible, giving law enforcement, healthcare providers, and others a way to temporarily remove guns from someone in crisis before tragedy strikes.
Partnering with the San Diego Police Department, the GVRU files petitions for GVROs, argues the cases in court, and handles appeals. Beyond that, the unit advises law enforcement on search warrants, firearm destruction petitions, and relinquishment laws, and leads the San Diego Countywide Gun Relinquishment Task Force. Cities and counties across California also contact the San Diego City Attorney's Office's GVRU to help build their own programs.
Request a Free GVRO Training
Not sure what a GVRO is, when it applies, or how to request one? We offer free training, in person or online, covering the legal criteria, the petition process, court procedures, and common misconceptions.
Sessions run 30 or 60 minutes and are led by a Deputy City Attorney, sometimes alongside law enforcement officers with firsthand experience. Open to law enforcement agencies, community organizations, family members, healthcare providers, educators, and others.
Email GVRO@cityofsandiego.onmicrosoft.com to schedule one.
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HPU works to protect San Diegans by ensuring housing is safe, fair, and livable. The unit tackles chronic problem properties, repeated code violations, substandard housing, and unfair rental practices. Through enforcement and partnerships, HPU holds violators accountable and safeguards the rights of residents across the city.
Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit (ACE)
Our ACE Unit protects consumers and workers by holding businesses accountable for unlawful practices like false advertising, unsafe products, wage theft, and worker misclassification. We use litigation and partnerships to promote fair business practices, public safety, and economic justice.
Report a Violation Here
Gun Violence Reduction Unit and GVROs
Our Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) program uses California’s red flag law to remove guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or others. The unit has removed firearms from over 1,500 dangerous individuals and helped prevent potential mass shootings.
Learn More
San Diego Family Justice Center, Your Safe Place
The San Diego Family Justice Center provides free services to adults, seniors, children, and teens who have or are experiencing domestic violence, family violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, or sex trafficking regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, income, zip code, and immigration status.
Visit YSP Website
Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Unit
The Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Unit handles misdemeanor cases of domestic violence, elder abuse, animal abuse, sexual battery, stalking, and child abuse, including neglect, molestation, and statutory rape.
Call (619) 533-5544 or email CityAttyCrimInfo@sandiego.gov
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