San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

A man and woman from Poway who are suspected of numerous San Diego crimes including using counterfeit bills were arrested on Thursday at their home, according to authorities.

Rancho Diego Target security guards alerted San Diego police after discovering that purchases were made using counterfeit money. Mina Thamracksa had made two purchases with the fake bills on March 30.

Police went to her home on Powers Road in Poway on Thursday and arrested her and her boyfriend, Thanh Nguyen, who was recently released on bail from San Diego County jail. When police searched the home in Poway they found stolen items from San Diego burglaries that happened around the county, drugs, counterfeit money, which were all seized including computer equipment, according to Sgt. Jeff Maxin.

The Poway couple who were taken into custody on suspicion of counterfeiting and for other San Diego crimes had their one year-old son taken into protective custody.

Poway Couple Arrested for Counterfeiting, San Diego 6 TheCW, April 29,2010

POWAY: Counterfeit money investigation leads to burglary suspects, North County Times, April 29, 2010

Continue reading " Poway Man and Woman Arrested for San Diego Crime " »

After the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to appropriate more land, Santee jail could be three times the size.

It looks as though plans to grow the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility from 15 acres to 45 acres could be in the works. “I think we are now well on the way to starting, putting it out to bid,” according to San Diego County Sheriff William Gore.

Some Santee residents and city officials are not happy with the expansion of Las Colinas and strongly oppose it, but with San Diego crime and the population growth, the facility needs to increase in size.

In 1979 the Santee jail became a female detention center; it was originally built in 1967 to hold juveniles. With the decision made by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors the expansion is likely to become a reality.

Las Colinas Expansion Plan Met With Resistance, 10News.com, April 27,2010

County moves forward with Santee jail expansion, Fox 5 San Diego, April 28,2010

Continue reading " San Diego County Board of Supervisors Vote to Expand Santee Jail " »

A San Diego man was shot and killed in his North Park home by a San Diego police officer after he proceeded to attack the officer with a knife.

The San Diego fatal shooting occured after San Diego police were called out to the North Park home around 11:00 a.m. to check on a 56 year-old man’s mental state in the 3400 block of Alabama Street after a call was made to police by a family member.

The knife wielding man who lived with his mother refused to drop the weapon he was carrying after police officers ordered him to. He told police they would have to kill him first, according to San Diego Police Department Lt. Kevin Rooney.

As the man approached the officer with the knife another officer fatally shot him. The man was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital where he died a little while later.

Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Police In North Park, 10News.com, April 26, 2010

Police Officer Shoots & Kills a Disturbed Man in North Park, San Diego 6 The CW, April 26, 2010

Continue reading " San Diego Police Shoots Man Brandishing Knife " »

An operation centering on gang members and affiliates in North San Diego County resulted in 21 San Diego arrests on Tuesday, according to the Sheriff’s department.

The North County sweep took place on Tuesday beginning at 6:00 a.m. with the help of the North County Gang Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals, San Diego County’s fugitive task force, county probation and state parole, deputies arrested 21 and took them into custody.

There were seventeen people arrested on alleged felonies, violating parole and probation violations, narcotics violations, and arrest warrants. Four others were arrested on suspected misdemeanor violations, including resisting arrest, outstanding warrants and being under the influence of drugs.

If you are charged with a San Diego crime, whether a misdemeanor or felony in San Diego County, it may be in your best interest to obtain legal council from an experienced San Diego criminal defense attorney.

21 arrested in sweep of gang members, Sign on San Diego, April 20, 2010

Continue reading " 21 North County Gang Members Arrested in Sweep " »

An East San Diego bank robbery had employees and customers lying on the ground by three armed bandits who escaped with an undetermined amount of cash in Rancho San Diego, said police.

The San Diego thieves held up a Citibank branch office on Monday in Rancho San Diego around 11:00 a.m. in the 3700 block of Avocado Boulevard and Calle Verde Drive.

Everyone in the bank, including bank employees and patrons were ordered to lie on the floor by one of the bank robbers who yielded a gun. The two other bandits ascended over the counters, trampling over the tellers and stealing the cash, according to the FBI.

Three bank tellers were hurt in this San Diego theft crime. The robbers who were considered to be violent, escaped in a white four-door sedan with an undetermined amount of money. Images were captured on a surveillance camera of the three robbery suspects.

Violent trio hits Rancho San Diego bank, Sign on San Diego, April 19, 2010

3 Men Rob East County-Area Bank, 10News.com, April 19, 2010

Continue reading " East San Diego County Bank Robbed by Three Men " »

In San Diego County, after a spree of car burglaries in Chula Vista, there were five people arrested in connection with car break-ins in two separate occurrences over the weekend.

One incident occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday when police were notified by a person who was following a vehicle with three men in it who tried to burglarize his car earlier. As the vehicle was entering the 805 Freeway police pulled them over as they exited on Bonita Road. One of the suspects got out of the car and was arrested. The driver of the vehicle that turned out to be stolen earlier that day in National City took off and collided into another vehicle injuring a woman. At that time the second suspect took off out of the stolen vehicle and was arrested. As the driver sped off again he crashed sustaining injuries. San Diego police arrested the driver charging him with hit and run and felony evasion, all three were charged with suspicion of vehicle burglary and possession of stolen property.

Two other men suspected vehicle burglary were taken into custody early Sunday morning about 2:30 a.m., after admitting to an officer that they committed the San Diego theft crime after the officer saw them inside a car in Eastlake in the 1900 block of Marquis Court.

“Whether they’re a part of a larger ring operating in San Diego County, we don’t have any idea at this point,” said Bernard Gonzales with the Chula Police Department. The two suspects, 18 year-old Glenn Spears and Zachary White of Eastlake were arrested on suspicion of vehicle burglary, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property.

Rash of Burglaries in Chula Vista, San Diego 6 The CW, April 20,2010

Five linked to vehicle break-ins arrested, Sign on San Diego, April 18, 2010

Continue reading " San Diego Car Thieves Arrested in Chula Vista " »

A San Diego robbery and carjacking that happened just before midnight on Monday night in the City Heights area of San Diego leaves three men in custody.

Three men were suspected of robbing a 20 year-old man of cash around 11:45 p.m. on Monday in the vicinity of Van Dyke Avenue and Wightman Street in the Castle area of San Diego.

Shortly after, the three San Diego thieves came up to a man in his thirties. One of the robbers punched him in the face through an open window while he was parking his Toyota Camry behind his apartment building. As the motorist got out of his vehicle one of the suspects drove off in the victims car. The other suspects caught up with him and sped away, according to San Diego police.

The San Diego carjackers were found on West Street near ocean View Boulevard in Mountain View. As San Diego police arrested the driver of the stolen vehicle the two other suspects of this San Diego crime fled on foot. They were soon caught and also arrested.

Three Suspects Arrested in Robbery & Carjacking, San Diego 6 The CW, April 13, 2010

Three men arrested after robbery, carjacking, Sign on San Diego, April 13, 2010

Continue reading " San Diego Carjacking and Robbery Leaves 3 Men in Custody " »

San Diego car break-ins have increased in the first three months of 2010, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.

Eastlake, Otay Ranch, and San Miguel Ranch have been hit the hardest by thieves. There has been a 148 percent increase in Chula Vista car burglaries in 2010 compared to the same time last year. From January to March, 189 incidents were reported to police compared to 76 in 2009.

Police are advising people to not leave any valuables in their vehicle especially if they are left out in plain sight and they are telling them to lock their cars. Thieves are looking for the easy target for break-ins. “A lot of the community members are leaving valuables in their vehicles and as they do that, they’re creating an opportunity for these individuals,” said Chula Vista Police Lt. Roxana Kennedy to 10News.

San Diego car thefts and burglaries can be reduced or avoided by locking your car, using your car alarm and not leaving anything of value in it or keeping it garaged.

Chula Vista Car Burglaries On Rise, 10News.com, April 9, 2010

Continue reading " San Diego Car Burglaries Climb in Chula Vista " »