San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Chula Vista resident is suspected in the killing of his girlfriend in 1992, and the 2010 deaths of his mother-in-law and wife.

57 year old Michael Eugene Richardson is being accused for the murder of his girlfriend in 1992 as well as the killing of his wife in mother-in-law who died in a staged car wreck. The defendants 39 year old wife, Thao, and 72 year old mother in law, Phan Lai, bodies were found near an overturned car off state Route 67 north of Lakeside last June. Richardson was charged in January for the murder of Jovita Collazo, 38 of National City, whose body is yet to be discovered. Richardson used to own a mechanic shop in Poway.

The San Diego criminal is also being charged for sexually abusing his 17 year old niece last year. El cajon Judge Herber Exarhos found after a three-day preliminary hearing that because enough evidence has been presented for the defendant to stand trial. Richardson is being charged with three counts of murder and eight counts of sexual assault and Judge Exarhos scheduled arraignment for July 14.

If convicted he is either facing the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted. This is to be determined by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Prosecutor Chantal de Mauregne told a judge at Richardson’s arraignment last July that he had escaped from prison in North Carolina in 1982. He served time there for robbery. The defendant was originally only being charged with molesting his niece but not long after he was then charged with the killings of his wife and mother-in-law and then later with killing his girlfriend in 1992.

Man Accused In 3 Deaths To Stand Trial, 10news.com, May 26, 2011

Man to stand trial in murders of wife, mother-in-law, girlfriend, fox5sandiego.com, May 27, 2011

Continue reading " San Diego Mechanic Accused of Three Deaths and a Sexual Assault " »

San Diego Police Officer is accused and being charged for raping a Prostitute.

The preliminary hearing was set for Tuesday June 14 for the former San Diego policeman who is being accused of raping a prostitute while on duty in Presidio Park. The accused, Daniel Edward Dana, is currently being held on $300,000 bail. Dana will have a bail review Thursday and will be back in court for it. 26 year old Dana has pleaded not guilty to four felonies including rape under the color of authority. Immediately after the defendants arrest he was no longer under the SDPD employment done either being fired or quitting.

The defendant had befriended the 34 year old prostitute where she told the authorities that she had agreed to meet him at around 3 in the morning of May 11 in Presidio Park. Dana allegedly forced her to have intercourse with him and told her that if she refused he would arrest her. The defendant is also facing more charges of false imprisonment assault by an officer and oral copulation under the color of authority. Deputy District Attorney Annette Irving if Dana is convicted of all the charges he can receive more than 17 years in prison.

There have been a total of ten San Diego police officers who have been accused of a variety of different crimes over the past few months. They have ranged from driving while under the influence while off-duty to sexual-assaults while on-duty. The arrest of the defendant Dana was preceded by the public apology from police Chief William Lansdowne for the wave of alleged officer transgressions on the San Diego Police force.

Hearing Date Set For SDPD Officer Accused Of Raping Prostitute, 10news.com, May 24, 2011

Cop accused of raping prostitute wants lower bail, fox5sandiego.com, May 24, 2011

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An Oceanside man was sentenced on Monday to life in prison in Vista court for murdering a woman outside a shopping center in North San Diego County.

Eric Russell Andreasen fatally stabbed Katherine Parker in April 2009 while she was visiting from Sacramento. Thirty-nine year-old Andreasen was charged with first degree murder as well as a special circumstance allegation of murder at some stage in a robbery. Andreasen who claimed insanity and pled not guilty was in fact legally sane during the time of the stabbing. Throughout the hearing on Monday, the San Diego murderer disrupted the court several times claiming that he tried committing suicide with a knife and that he was raped in prison.

The victim’s husband, Al Parker as well as other family members attended the hearing. Aaron Katz, a Vista Superior Court Judge acknowledged and personally apologized to the victim’s husband for his loss. Al Parker stated that his wife’s murderer was going “where he belongs.” Parker also stated that his late wife “was the best thing that ever happened to me. She kept me on the straight and narrow.”

Evidence at the trial showed that Katherine Parker was attacked in the parking lot of an Oceanside shopping center where she was stabbed in the upper and lower parts of her body at least nine times. Andreasen’s public defender Dan Segura argued that schizophrenia prompted the attack, not anger. Segura also explained that witnesses of the attack heard Andresen say “God told me to do it” right after he fatally stabbed the victim. Segura recommended during the trial that Andreasen be placed in a prison where his mental illness will be treated.

O'side Man Gets Life for Fatally Stabbing Tourist, Sign on San Diego, May 23, 2011

Continue reading " San Diego Tourist's Murderer Recieves Life in Prison " »

A San Diego criminal suspect may face life in prison if convicted of murder charges.

The San Diego murder suspect, Johnny Chenda, was charged in an attempted burglary “smash and grab” where one of his accomplices died in a shootout with a security guard. The San Diego crime happened at a Chula Vista Apple store. South Bay Judge Kathleen Lewis set Chenda’s bail at $1 million.

Twenty three year old Alex Somphonoh Choulamontry, a documented gang member was shot in the head and died at the scene as he tried to run away. Another accomplice, 21 year-old Melissa Ortiz and Chenda fled the scene but were later arrested for the San Diego crime.

Chenda’s criminal charges include, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit a robbery and burglary, possessing a firearm while being a felon. A preliminary hearing is set for August 24. If you are charged with violent crimes a San Diego Criminal lawyer can help.

Suspect in Apple Store Smash & Grab Also Charged with Murder, San Diego 6 The CW, May 11, 2011

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A San Diego robbery leaves two suspects arrested for allegedly breakin into an Ocean Beach home.

The two men were arrested at a traffic stop on Tuesday shortly after robbing a man in his home where they tied him up and threatened them with a gun. The San Diego crime was reported around 10:30 a.m. and occurred in the 3800 block of Voltaire Street. The resident of the home, Marcus Somerset, reported that when he answered the knock on his door two armed men shoved past him, forcefully took him, tied him up with duck tape and demanded him to sit on the floor where the men then proceeded to take items from the residence including a flat screen TV.

The victim immediately contacted the police once the robbers left. The San Diego police arrived at Somerset’s apartment within minutes, however were uncertain of who Somerset was so they ordered him to drop to the ground where they then handcuffed the victim. After the police looked around the residence and confirmed Somerset was the victim, they removed his handcuffs and helped him off the ground. The victim was upset by the way he was treated by the officers and when he had initially came out from the apartment some duct tape was still present and visible around his hands and feet.

When Somerset had called the police he was able to give a detailed description of the thief’s car. They had fled in a silver two-door Honda sedan. The authorities had noticed a car matching the description of the thieves’ getaway car 10 minutes later. Officers were able to pull over the vehicle off of Sports Arena Boulevard and Camino del Rio West where they then arrested the two Somali men. When the officers apprehended the men they found the victim’s flat screen TV in the car’s trunk.

2 Accused Of Robbing OB Man Arrested, 10news.com, May 3, 2011

Police mistake victim for the bad guy in Ocean Beach home invasion, cbs8.com, May 3, 2011

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