San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Police arrest a parolee carrying a gun in his car after he leads them a short chase late Monday night, said police.

Around 11 p.m. a 29 year old man who is on parole took off after a police officer tried to pull him over to issue him a traffic warning, according to Lt. Daniel Hardman.

While on pursuit the suspect drove into a canyon and ran into a power pole. He fled his car and ran away from police.

With the assistance of ASTREA, police finally found him about a half an hour later near the intersection of Paseo Ladero and Telegraph Canyon Road.

Police arrested the parolee and took him into custody on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon, tampering with the serial numbers on a gun and hit and run causing damage to a property.

The man is also facing charges of damaging city property for kicking out a vent and breaking a fan in a police transport van, said Hardman.

Police pursuit ends in arrest of parolee, Sign on San Diego, March 31,2009

Continue reading " Parolee Leads Police on Pursuit Before Arrest in Chula Vista " »

East San Diego County Convenience Store Burglarized by Teens Who Led Police on Chase

Two teenagers led police on a chase in a stolen getaway car after being suspected of steeling a can of beer from an East County 7-Eleven convenience store. The suspects ended up crashing their vehicle before being arrested by police.

The petty theft occurred shortly after 12:30pm on Paradise Valley Road and South Washington Street in Spring Valley according to Sgt. Greg Hampton.

The driver of the getaway car led police on a chase that ended when the suspect lost control of his vehicle, ran up an embankment and overturned after running “numerous” stop signs and red lights.

Police arrested the driver. The passenger fled the scene but was arrested a short distance away.

The petty thieves, who are minors, have outstanding warrants for their arrest. They were taken to Sharp memorial Hospital where they were treated and evaluated and then police booked them into juvenile hall. The minors could be facing charges of evading police, theft crimes, and grand theft auto.

Teens Lead Wild Road Chase Before Crash, Arrests In Spring Valley, KFMB News 8, March 26,2009

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A former fifth grade teacher has pled not guilty to felony molestation charges of a boy when he was 13 years old.

Adrienne Elizabeth Feistel, 35, is charged with 10 counts of committing a lewd act on a child. According to prosecutors, she molested the student several times between August 2006 and August 2008. The boy is now 15 years old.

Feistel was a teacher at the Rosa Parks Elementary School in City Heights. She was a district employee from August 1999 through February 2006 and resigned September 1, 2006, according to the San Diego Unified School District spokesman, Jack Brandais.

Feistel moved in with the family of the boy for several months after befriending the family. Authorities say Fiestel began molesting the boy when he was in the seventh grade and was no longer his teacher.

After police responded to a disturbance at the home of the boy, the boy told his mother about the molestation.

If convicted of the sex crime, Feistel could be facing “a significant amount of time in prison,” said Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick Mazzarella.

Former teacher pleads not guilty to sex charges, Sign on San Diego, March 26,2009

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A bank in La Jolla was robbed today by two men carrying what was thought to be semiautomatic weapons. Police are now searching for the thieves.

According to San Diego police, the robbery took place around 10:00 a.m. today, when two gunmen entered a Wachovia Bank office on Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla and demanded cash from a bank teller.

The bank robbers were described to be around 20to 30 years old. They were wearing black hooded jackets and carrying guns when the theft crime was committed. The robbery suspects got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Witnesses say the thieves left in an older, possibly silver car. Police are still searching for the bandits.

La Jolla Bank Held Up, San Diego 6 The CW, March 25, 2009

Police Search For La Jolla Bank Robbers, 10News.com, March 25,2009

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A mechanic who had just finished his shift early Tuesday morning at the Metropolitan Transit System complex in San Diego fired several gunshots at co-workers leaving one man dead and one man critically injured in this violent crime. Police shot and killed the gunman after he pointed his gun at them.

According to San Diego Police, Lonnie Glasco, 47, worked at the Metropolitan Transit System for 29 years, had just finished his shift when he walked into a lounge area and told co-workers “no one is going to leave” then went out into a parking lot and fired several shots with a deadly weapon, killing co-worker Benjamin Mwangi and critically injuring Michael Stevenson, 55 who later died at the University of California San Diego Medical Center.

When police arrived at the scene they found the shooting suspect holding a gun. After officers repeatedly told the gunman to drop the weapon, Glasco ignored their requests and made a call using his cell phone with his other hand, according to Lt Kevin Rooney. “When the call ended, he started to raise the gun at the officers and they shot him.” said Rooney.

Motives for the shootings are under investigation.

Third Man Dies In San Diego Transit Center Shooting, KFMB News 8, March 24, 2009

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A man in his 20’s was robbed and assaulted by three men and two women at his home in Rancho Penesquitos Saturday evening. They also tried to kidnap him but the victim escaped. Four of the five robbers were caught by police when their getaway car crashed.

The robbers entered the house of the unidentified victim while he was home through an unlocked sliding glass door, according to San Diego police Sgt. Bob Dare.

The victim was taken into his backyard by one of the robbers who stole his wallet, cash, cell phone and then hit him a number of times. The five suspects thought that the man had stolen jewelry from a party earlier in the week, said Dare.

The thieves forced the man out of his house and tried to get him into their car to kidnap him but he escaped by grabbing on to another passing car and was dragged before falling off.

The group of robbers crashed their car into another vehicle after running a red light at Stargaze Avenue and Black Mountain Road. According to Sgt. Dare, 4 of the 5 suspects were arrested while running from the car. The fifth suspect got away but left his identification in the back seat of the car. Authorities are tracking him down.

Man Jumps Onto Moving Car To Escape Abductors, 10News.com, March 22, 2009

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A Girl Scout Volunteer bookkeeper for 44 North County troops was sentenced to spend 30 days in jail and 3 years of probation for embezzling about $13,000 over a period of 18 months.

On January 8th she had pleaded guilty to one count of felony grand theft.

Janet Daily, 36, had been in charge of the bank accounts for 44 Girl Scout troops in the Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe area for seven years.

The defendant told police she had financial difficulties and she was going to pay it back.

She tried to pay back some of the stolen money after she was caught, but she still owed the Girl Scouts $5958 when she entered her guilty plea, according to District Attorney Kate Flaherty.

Last November after Daily announced she was moving out of state, coordinators discovered thousands of dollars missing. She was arrested by police and admitted to steeling from the Girl Scouts.

In court yesterday, the former bookkeeper had a check for $5458 and said she would pay back the remaining $500 she still owed.

Daily is now in jail serving her 30 day sentence.

Ex-bookkeeper who stole from Scouts gets 30 days, Sign on San Diego, March 17,2009

Girl Scout Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement Charges, KFMB News 8, March 16, 2009

Continue reading " North County San Diego Girl Scout Bookkeeper Sentenced " »

After a San Diego, Carmel Mountain Ranch area bank was robbeed, the suspected bank robber led police on a wild chase that lasted 45 minutes. Police were finally able to force the suspect to stop and take him into custody.

Thomas Lavalle, 61, was arrested after robbing a Bank of America branch in Carmel Mountain.

The suspected bank robber was driving erratically in a silver Honda Civic when he sped through stop signs in neighborhoods of Carmel Mountain Ranch and Rancho Penesquitos. He then led police on a chase throughout several different freeways while topping 100mph and driving on the wrong side of the road at times.

Lavalle was finally arrested by San Diego Police about 6:55 pm when he ran over a tire-flattening spike that eventually shredded his tires and made him stop.

According to police Lavalle is a convicted felon who has lived in many areas of San Diego and all over the country.

Lavelle is facing robbery charges, evading police, carrying a loaded gun in public and being a felon in possession of a concealed weapon. His bail is set at $1 million dollars.

Robberies are the most serious of all theft crimes. Robberies is divided into First or second Degree. If two or more persons are charged with First degree Robbery, the punishment can be 3, 6, or 9 years in state prison.

The amount of time increases significantly if a weapon or firearm is used in a robbery.
All robberies, regardless of degree are “Strikes under California Three Strikes Law.

Wild, Wrong-Way Pursuit Ends In Arrest Of Bank Robbery Suspect, 10 News.com, March 13, 2009

Suspected Bank Robber Held On $1 Million Bail, News 10.com, March 16,2009

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A man was taken into custody after bringing a revolver to an Oceanside church on Sunday.

The crime happened the same day a church pastor was killed by gunshots in a Southern Illinois Church.

Oceanside police was alerted around 6:45am by the man’s wife who called and said that her husband was on his way to the Del Oro Hills Church to speak to his pastor and that he was carrying a gun.

Police and paramedics were dispatched to the church on Oceanside Boulevard near Avenida Del Oro. 17 police officers and a police dog surrounded the church building. Police said that the man walked out of the building “numerous times with the handgun and was very agitated.”

According to police, the man who has a history of mental illness reached into his waistband as if to remove the handgun, a police officer then fired a rubber bullet which just missed him. The man fell to the ground and dropped his gun upon hearing the gunshot.

The man was taken to jail and booked for weapons charges.

'Agitated' man arrested with handgun at church, Sign on San Diego, March 10, 2009

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An Oceanside man is in custody for suspicion of raping a student at Cal State San Marcos last April while she was intoxicated.

After a warrant was issued for his arrest, Tyrone Henry Crawford, Jr. 23, turned himself in to campus police. Last Thursday he pleaded not guilty to felony charges.

According to police, Last April 18th a friend of the female rape victim let the suspected rapist into her residence at the University Village Apartments on the Campus of Cal State San Marcos. That is where the sexual assault occurred.

Judge Marshall Hockett set bail at $150,000. In lieu of bail, Crawford is in custody at the Vista jail on count of raping an unconscious person and one count of rape of an intoxicated person. If convicted Crawford could be facing up to 10 years in prison.

Continue reading " Oceanside Man Arrested for Suspicion of Rape at Cal State San Marcos " »

An acquittal verdict of voluntary manslaughter for a Jamul contractor who killed a man and injured another after thinking they were on his property to steel copper wiring.

Joseph “Bob” Orlosky testified in court that he fired gun shots at a Jeep that was carring Charles Crow, Hector Monget and David Hurley Jr. after he heard gunshots and was almost run over.

In the incident Crow, 23, was killed and Monget, 29 was injured. Hurley was not hurt.

The jury took almost 2 ½ days to reach their verdict of not guilty in the retrial of Orlosky. He was acquitted of murder last year by a different jury.

Orlonsky, 57, married and father of four is a heavy equipment contractor who stores his equipment on his property. He has had a series of copper thefts before the shooting. Two weeks before this incident, he held three thieves at gunpoint on his property until sheriffs arrived and arrested them. They were later convicted, said Pfingst.

“This was a very clear example of a property owner who confronted people who were there to steal, and he took defensive measures,” according to defense attorney Paul Pfingst.

Jamul Contractor Acquitted of Manslaughter Charges in Killing on Property, San Diego 6 the CW, March 6,2009

Continue reading " San Diego Jury Decides to Acquit Jamul Contractor in Manslaughter Case " »

A bookkeeper for a San Diego North County custom woodworks company was arrested for suspicion of embezzling $9.9 million.

The theft crime took place over a seven year period. Annette Yeomans, 51, turned herself into law enforcement and was booked into Vista Detention Center. Her bail was set at $10 million, said Sergeant Mark Varnau of the sheriffs Financial Crime Unit.

Yeomans employer, Quality Woodworks Inc. was notified by a credit card company about many company checks that were deposited into Yeomans account.

After investigations were made by the sheriffs department, it was noted that Yeomans would spend $25,000 on her credit card and then take a company check to pay off the balance the following Monday.

The suspect used the alleged stolen money for luxury vehicles, shopping trips to Italy, designer clothes, shoes and purses, home remodeling. She also gambled heavily at local casinos, where she had substantial losses.

“Clearly, due to her position of trust, Yeomans was able to conceal her crimes for an extended period of time,” Varnau said.

Bookkeeper Held For Allegedly Embezzling Millions, 10 News.com, March 6, 2009

Continue reading " Escondido Woman Arrested For Embezzling Over 9 Million Dollars From Employer " »

Two men wearing masks that held up a Sushi Restaurant in Clairemont yesterday are still on the loose.

According to San Diego police Sergeant Alan Hayward, the robbers were armed with a semi automatic handgun when they entered Sake Sushi. The robbery happened at 5430 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard on Wednesday around 9:45am.

The robbers, two white males in their 20’s ordered the customers of the restaurant to get down on the floor. They took cash from the register and a woman’s purse before fleeing the scene.

The thieves took off in a stolen red Honda Element after committing the crime. The Honda was later found abandoned at 5300 Conrad Street, Sgt. Hayward said.

Police said one of the robbers was about 5 feet 3, and the other was about 5 feet 2. Both were wearing sunglasses and masks, while one of the men was seen holding a silver semi-automatic handgun.

Robberies are one of the most serious of theft offenses. When 2 or more people are involved in the robbery and are charged with First Degree Robbery, the punishment is 3,6, or 9 years in state prison.

If a firearm or weapon is used in the commission of the robbery, the amount of prison time served increases substantially.

In the state of California Three Strikes Law, all robberies regardless of degree constitute as “strikes.”

Clairemont Sushi Restaurant Robbers On Loose, San Diego News 10, March 5, 2009

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Two “hot prowl” residential burglaries have neighborhoods in Oceanside on the lookout, according to Oceanside police.

The crimes are committed when there is at least one resident at home when the intruder breaks into the house. The break-ins occurred in the northeastern area of Oceanside Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning on Via Malaguena and Manteca Drive.

According to Sergeant Kelan Poorman, the burglar got into the home through an open window or an unlocked door. It was not disclosed what might have been taken from the properties.

Police are warning residents about the theft crimes, to lock their doors and windows and keep some lights on in their yards at night. The burglary suspects are still on the loose.

Oceanside Police Warn Of 'Hot Prowl' Burglaries, San Diego News 10, March 4, 2009

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Today in a commercial district in San Diego’s East County, a 16 year old girl has reported being kidnapped and raped.

The sexually abused teenage girl told authorities that a man who appeared to be in his 20’s made her get into an older model green car near the 1100 block of El Cajon Blvd.

The incident occurred this morning around 9:00am, when the suspect drove away with her. He then pulled over in an alley and sexually assaulted the girl before releasing her, according to Lt. Steve Shakowski.

The teen girl said she saw a pistol in the suspects “beat up” four-door sedan. She described the kidnapper as a 5-foot8-inch heavyset black man with a shaved head, beard and mustache. He was said to be wearing jeans and a white shirt.

The 16 year old girl was taken to a hospital for an examination.

El Cajon Teen Reported Kidnapped & Raped, The San Diego CW6, March 2, 2009

Search For Man Who Sexually Assaulted Teen In El Cajon, KFMB News 8

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