San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

San Diego woman has gone on a credit card theft spree all around San Diego County stealing from unsuspecting elderly victims.

San Diego Authorities are seeking the public’s help to identify a woman who has stolen multiple shoppers’ wallets and then used the cards at various stores shortly after the theft. Only three incidents are known to be in connection with the suspect. The first occasion occurred on June 2 at a CVS Pharmacy at 734 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road in San Marcos at about 2:30 p.m. where the suspect diverted an 81-year-old woman’s attention by questioning her about a product, then took the victim’s wallet out of her purse. The elderly victim noticed that her wallet was missing when she went to make a purchase. Not long after the theft, the suspect allegedly went on a spending spree using the stolen credit cards to make purchases worth $2,400 at stores ranging from Carlsbad all the way to San Clemente. The suspect then made cash advance of $1,000 at a Carlsbad bank using a stolen credit card.

The second incident occurred the day after the first theft at around 10 a.m. when the suspect once again stole the wallet of an elderly shopper of about 65 years in age at Windmill Farms at 6386 Del Cerro Blvd in San Diego. According to authorities, only two hours following the theft the suspect spent $500 worth of purchases on the stolen credit cards and this time made a $2,000 cash advance. The third occasion happened on July 6 at a Ralph’s grocery store located in La Mesa. This time the suspect had an accomplice with her who was also a woman. The two stole the wallet from a distracted 85-year-old woman and then used the credit cards charging up to $500 and then made a cash advance of $3,000.

The suspect is described by authorities as black, age 50 to 55, height ranging from 5 ft 3 to 5 ft 6 and around 180 to 220 pounds. She also has graying shoulder-length hair and has large teeth with gaps between each tooth. Her accomplice is also black, heavyset and around 45 to 55 years in age

Woman Who Stole, Used Elderly Shoppers' Credit Cards Sought, 10news.com, September 16, 2011

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In the Rancho Penasquitos sexual assault of two teenage girls, the two young men arrested and charged for the rapes have pleaded not guilty.

The two 16 year-old boys, Leonel Contreras and William Rodriguez are being tried as adaults. The two boys held two teenage girls at knifepoint in a Rancho Penasquitos park and allegedly raped them over Labor Day weekend. On Monday the two accused teens plead not guilty to 16 felony charges which includes forcible rape, sodomy by force and kidnapping. Bail was set for $5 million each. 13 of the 16 charges have a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison which if convicted can be up to a total 325 years to life in prison, according to Deputy District Attorney Wendy Partick.

The prosecutor told reporters “The nature of the crimes, the duration of the crimes, the number…the brutality of the crimes, the callousness..the stranger-rape nature of this offense justified charging them as adaults.” Contreras’s older brother Ivan disagreed with the severity of the charges saying “the charges they’re giving are obviously too much. How are you going to get him as an adult?”

The San Diego Crime occurred on September 3 when two girls, age 15 and 16, were attending a family party and walked to a nearby park. According to the prosecutor, the defendants were wearing jackets with hoods when they came up behind the girls and ordered forced them into a secluded area across the street. The two boys held the girls at knifepoint then sexually assaulted the two girls for about 30 to 40 minutes until a family member of one of the girls was heared calling their names. Patrick told the judge “this included every kind of rape you could imagine.” The defendants then left on a bicycle.

2 Teens Plead Not Guilty In Rancho Penasquitos Rape Case, 10news.com, September 12, 2011

2 teens plead not guilty to raping girls in park, fox5sandiego.com, September 12, 2011

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San Diego resident was attacked by her neighbor’s two pit bulls causing her to lose her left arm and leg.

The owners of the pit bulls are 39 year-old Alba Medina Cornelio and her daughter Carla Ramirez Cornelio who is 19. Judge Yvonne Campos ruled Friday after a two day preliminary hearing that the mother and daughter pair are to stand trial on multiple charges for the attack on their 75 year-old next-door neighbor by the pit bulls. The defendants charges include failing to protect the public from a dog and owning a dangerous dog, six misdemeanor code violations, and felony counts of having a mischievous animal that causes serious bodily injury. Both defendants have the possibility of serving more than three years each if convicted.

The violent incident occurred on June 18 where Emako Mendoza went outside to retrieve her morning paper. She was then attacked in her fenced-in yard where the pit bulls got through a opening in the fence. Mendoza suffered an amputation of her left arm below the elbow and left leg below the knee due to the attack. According to Prosecutor Makenzie Harvey, the defendants had knowledge that the dogs they owned were dangerous because of a previous attack by the two pit bulls where they escaped from the owners yard and attacked a man and his puppy. The man was bitten by the two dogs and the puppy suffered a broken jaw.

San Diego criminal defense attorney Donovan Dunnion claimed that the dogs had never harmed another human prior to the attack on Mendoza. Dunnion also argued that the pit bulls were running from a swarm of bees when they attacked the victim. However Harvey said there is no evidence that the pit bulls were stung by bees.

Mom, Daughter To Stand Trial In Pit Bull Attack, 10news.com, September 9, 2011

Women charged with felonies in dog mauling, fox5sandiego.com, June 30, 2011

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