The Carmel Valley Resident, Patricia Corby, is being charged with murder and assault charges. The 36 year-old mother drowned her 4 year-old autistic son in the bathtub in their apartment. The defendant is looking at 25 years to life in prison if she is convicted. San Diego County Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth set bail at $10 million because she is a flight risk and may be mentally unstable.
Dino Paraskevopoulos, Deputy District Attorney, says that the defendant filled up the bathtub with water in her apartment and then held her son Daniel under water until he was lifeless on Saturday morning. The prosecutor went on to say that after she killed her son she drove to the nearest Police Station and turned herself in. Daniel’s body was wrapped in a blanket in the car. The paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Law enforcement arrested Corby after questioning on suspicion of murder.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant killed her son because she “essentially believed the child would not have a future without her…that it wouldn’t be just for the child to be without his mother”. The victim’s father was at work at the time of his death. The prosecutor has reason to believe and evidence that the defendant is suicidal. Corby’s preliminary hearing is set for April 17.
Boy, 4, Allegedly Killed By Mother Identified, 10news.com, April 2, 2012
Mother admitted killing son to police, utsandiego.com. April 4, 2012
Jason Russell recently made a video that went viral over the internet and was watched by millions of social networking users. The video brought awareness to what is happening in Uganda as well as reeled in both support and criticism. On Thursday morning witnesses saw Russell walking through the streets of Pacific beach in his underwear allegedly masturbating, talking to himself and running through traffic in the street. Witnesses also told the San Diego Police Department that Russell seemed agitated and was likely to be high on some kind of drug. A nearby construction worker was able to record part of the incident on his cell phone. David, the construction worker, said “I thought he was just high on something. I thought he was a druggie or something”. Russell was then stopped and held down by bystanders until the police came.
The CEO of Invisible Children, Ben Keesey, released a statement on behalf of Russell saying “Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition. He is now receiveing medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday”.
Danica Russell also made a statement regarding her husband saying “Jason has never had a substance abuse or drinking problem, and this episode wasn’t caused by either of those things. But yes, he did some irrational things brought on by extreme exhaustion and dehydration”.
Invisible Children Co-Founder Hospitalized After Incident, 10news.com, March 16, 2012
Invisible Children co-founder detained in PB, fox5sandiego.com, March 16, 2012
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal defense lawyer. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>Brendan O’Rourke opened fire at a Carlsbad elementary school on Oct. 8, 2010 wounding two second-graders. O’Rourke’s Deputy Public Defender Dan Segura argued that the defendant’s actions are due to delusions and a mental disease. According to Segura, the defendant AIG Inc. where he was formerly employed as well as politicians in the state of Illinois conspired to get back at him. Segura stated that “you have a diseased mind, your thinking isn’t always right”.
The defense now has the burden to prove that O’Rourke is insane because he was convicted Monday of seven counts each of premeditated attempted murder and assault with a firearm. The defendant is looking at 103 years to life behind bars if the jury finds him sane, but if they find him insane he will be sent to a state mental hospital. Segura has four psychiatrists that are going to testify that the defendant suffers from schizophrenia. A psychiatrist named Jaga Nath Glassman, who interviewed the defendant, told jurors that “it was my opinion that he has paranoid schizophrenia. Most of his problems were really a direct outgrowth of his severe mental illness”.
The defense argues that their client believes that his former employers “made him do it” and that they were conspiring against him. He worked at AIG in 2001 in Illinois. O’Rourke had attended a company party in which he saw a fellow coworker doing cocaine. After that incident the defendant started panicking and believed that he was a part of a conspiracy. He was also being accused of sexual assault at the time of his employment and said that they those were rumors because they were trying to get back at him. He moved from Illinois to California in order to get away from the conspiracy
Sanity Phase Begins For Man Guilty In School Shooting, 10news.com, March 6, 2012
Kelly School shooter's sanity argued in court, fox5sandiego.com, March 6, 2012
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>David Westerfield was convicted in 2002 for kidnapping and killing Danielle Van Dam, his 7 year-old neighbor. An appeal has been filed for Westerfield’s death penalty conviction by his attorneys. There is a 450 page legal brief that has been filed with the California Supreme Court. During Westerfield’s trial, media coverage was broadcast all over the world to let millions watch court proceedings live. Westerfield’s San Diego Criminal lawyers argue that the jury was “under siege” because the media was misleading viewers and giving them a “lynch mob mentality”.
A professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, David Steinberg, reviewed the brief saying “this trial was conducted under a microscope”. Steinberg does not believe that argument is not a convincing one. The law professor also states that “trial publicity is not your best argument for reversing a conviction. Your best bet typically is that there’s some evidence introduced that should not have been”. It is being argued by Westerfield’s attorneys that search warrants were illegally obtained, and that judge William Mudd was showing unfair treatment by not sequestering the jury, not ruling out child pornography charges in a capital murder case, not granting motions for a mistrial and keeping some jurors against protests by the defense team.
There were 28 reasons listed for reversal in the appeal along with the argument that the California death penalty is unconstitutional. Steinberg does not think there is a good likelihood that Westerfield’s appeal will be successful. In Steinberg’s opinion he said he “would be very surprised if there is a reversal…either of his guilt or on the death penalty”.
10News Gets First Look At Westerfield Death Penalty Appeal, 10news.com, Feb. 11, 2012
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>43 year-old Jennifer Trayers was found guilty by a seven-woman, five-man jury for killing her husband who was a Naval Doctor. It took the jury three hours to finally reach a verdict. On December 4, 2010 Trayers stabbed her husband Dr. Frederick Trayers. It was reported that this occurred three months after she had learned he was having an affair with another woman. Trayers’ San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney had advocated for voluntary manslaughter. Trayers is to be sentenced on March 9 by Judge Joan Webber. She is facing up to 16 years to life behind bars.
Fiona Khalil, Deputy District Attorney, was satisfied with the verdict saying “I think it reflects the culpability. I feel that we gave the jury everything that we could possibly give them”. The second-degree murder charge means that the killing was not premeditated but was intentional. Trayers’ criminal defense lawyer Kerry Armstrong said “obviously, second-degree is better than first-degree, but it’s still very disappointing, when you put your heart and soul into a case for 12 months—14 months—and she’s not going home in a couple years like I’d hoped”. Armstrong also reported that “she feels absolutely horrible about what happened to her husband. I know this sounds strange to say, but she still loves him, she really does”.
Khalil said in her closing argument that Trayers presented a “false concoction” when she testified about how she killed her husband. Trayers claims that she was frustrated that her husband refused to talk with her about his affair so she took a butcher knife and asked him how she should kill herself. She then told the jury that they started struggling over the knife until she stabbed him in the neck. After that she allegedly blacked out and didn’t remember stabbing him 10 more times. However Khalil said evidence shows that the victim took sleeping pills and was attacked by the defendant after he took them.
Woman Found Guilty In Death Of Navy Husband, 10news.com, February 8, 2012
Jury reaches verdict in love triangle murder case, fox5sandiego.com, February 8, 2012
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal defense attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>Kahl who was formerly linked to Vienna Girardi, claimed the incident was in fact “self defense” however was arrested on Sunday morning for being intoxicated and belligerent at Club Habano’s. The incident explained in the police report was that Kahl was attacking a fellow club goer by the name of Richard Chaney outside Club Habanos when he then went on to attack Chaney’s girlfriend, Renne Idsinga as she tried stopping the brawl. Idsinga told police that Kahl was “very intoxicated” when the reality star approached them.
The police report also describes that Chaney asked Kahl to stop the inappropriate things he was saying to them. All of a sudden Kahl strikes Chaney in the face as well as the head numerous times. According to police, Chaney and his girlfriend were both bleeding as cops made their way to the scene. Like the couple, Kahl had his own version of the story of what occurred at the club. Kahl did tell police that he did have “a lot to drink” but did not start the fight and claimed his actions were strictly out of self defense. Kahl also shared that he wants to press charges against the couple while the couple wants to press charges against Kahl.
Police stated that the former reality star was “intoxicated and belligerent” and that the he was not in the right mind to take care of himself. Kahl was arrested and booked in Fresno County jail where he was later released.
'Bachelorette' Star Accused of Bashing Woman in Drunken Nightclub Attack, TMZ.com, January 17, 2012
Kasey Kahl Arrested for Drunk and Disorderly Conduct, People.com, January 17, 2012,
Authorities arrived at the 1020 Park Place condo structure at around 2:20 a.m. in Coronado after receiving a call about reported gunshots. An adult male victim was found lying in the doorway of the building with a gunshot wound was found by officers when they arrived to the complex. It was confirmed by the officers that the adult male had no signs of life.
A sheriff’s SWAT team was called in by the Coronado police department. The team used a robot to go into the first floor of the building in order to spot out if an active shooter was inside. The SWAT team followed the robot continuing to search the first, second and third floors of the building.
Upon the search, three more bodies were found those of two men and one woman. All four victims had gunshot wounds. Two of the victims were identified as 25-year-old David Reis who was an F-18 pilot and his sister Karen who was a former student and volleyball player at UCSD. David’s neighbor Don Hubbard heard the gunshots saying “there were two shots…about a five-second pause and then five more”. The third victim was Reis’s roommate Bob Reeves who was a fellow Navy pilot. The last victim identified was a 31 year old Chula Vista resident where his relation to the other three victims is unclear. It is said that the Reis siblings were in downtown San Diego at a bar when they met someone new and brought him back to the condo to party with their roommate.
Details Surface About 4 Dead In Coronado Shooting, 10news.com, January 2, 2012
4 bodies found in Coronado condo, fox5sandiego.com, January 1, 2012
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>Justin Meltzer pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon for supposedly threatening neighbors with a gun, as well as counts of murder and use of a firearm. Meltzer is looking at 61 years to life in prison if convicted. The accused was arraigned Thursday morning in the hospital after undergoing surgery. The 42-year-old alleged shooter was arrested Friday evening at his home on Larkspur Drive in Alpine. Officers took action following reports of a man pointing a gun to the head of a woman who was identified as 40 year-old Deborah Meltzer. Carlos Campbell, Deputy District Attorney, reported that “a witness heard screaming, heard a fire alarm, approached where he heard it, which was the defendant’s house. [The witness saw the victim near the door of the defendant’s residence; handcuffed with a dog leash attached to handcuffs…She was screaming. She was asking for help. She was saying he has a gun, he’s going to shoot me”.
After an exchange of gunfire, the victim was hauled into the home with the man at which time the defendant was shot in the leg. Campbell also reported that “Sherriff’s deputies did respond, they attempted to save her. They were unsuccessful, firing shots. He then dragged the victim into the house. At that time sheriff’s deputies did hear several rounds. They went inside and found her with I believe seven shots from a 9 mm in her chest”.
Dawn Beebee, Justin Meltzer’s San Diego criminal defense attorney, argued for no bail due to the fact that Meltzer does not have a previous criminal record. Despite her argument, Judge William McGrath set the defendant’s bail at $2 million. The suspected shooter remains in the hospital in recovery under 24-hour surveillance by San Diego County sheriff’s deputies.
Man Accused Of Killing Ex-Wife Pleads Not Guilty, 10news.com, December 29, 2011
Alpine man pleads not guilty to killing ex-wife, fox5sandiego.com, December 29, 2011
Gregory Charles Davis, 54, is being charged with attempted murder, carjacking, elder abuse, and two misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run. Davis is accused for stabbing a fellow trolley rider as well as carjacking a 75-year-old man’s car near Old Town on September 26. Davis pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity following his preliminary hearing at the downtown courthouse. Preceding the trial, the defendant is to be examined by a psychiatrist and psychologist that is court-appointed. If the defendant is convicted of these charges he faces 15 years to life but if he is also found insane he could be sent to a state mental hospital.
Witness Kirstie Moss testified that Davis appeared to be frantic in the back of the trolley when he headed down the aisle, yelled something unintelligible and then stabbed victim James Novae in the neck. The victim had to have emergency throat surgery due to the life threatening wound. Another witness who was on the trolley during the incident testified that Davis seemed to be acting a bit strange and did not seem to be mentally secure when he attacked Novae.
According to prosecutor Christopher Moon, after exiting the trolley the defendant allegedly went up to an elderly man demanding the keys to his Buick. Davis then struck the man and recklessly drove away causing two hit-and-run accidents. The stolen Buick was spotted heading south along Interstate 805. Officers used a service dog to search an open brush area which the carjacker had been spotted after pulling over on the freeway. At around 4 p.m. Davis was taken into custody.
Carjacking Suspect Ordered To Stand Trial, 10news.com, December 19, 2011
Insanity trial ordered trolley stabbing case, fox5sandiego.com, December 20, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>In the Chula Vista shopping mall, three people were arrested and taken into custody for armed robbery. The robbery occurred Thursday evening at the Footaction USA, a store in the Chula Vista mall located on Brodway and H Street. According to Chula Vista Police Lt. Daniel Hardman, it was reported that two males went into the store armed and ordered the employees to the back and then commanded that they give them cash and shoes. The alleged robbers tried to exit the store through the back door but were unable to immediately get out so during this confusion, an employee slipped out unseen to contact the authorities.
The suspects, identified as 24 year-old Lukmond Muhammad and 23 year-old Anthony Bolden, were spotted by officers arriving to the scene. Muhammad and Bolden were seen running from the south parking lot onto Fifth Avenue where they then split up as they entered a residential area. Police tracked down Muhammad who was then arrested and then used canine units and a helicopter to look for Bolden but were unable to find him. Muhammad’s 21 year-old wife, Patria, was also arrested for being an accomplice as the getaway driver. Police recovered all stolen property. Chula Vista police Capt. Gary Wedge reported that “based on information, evidence we have we believe she was well aware of what was going on”.
Bolden was arrested and taken into custody Friday afternoon at his San Diego home. The authorities also searched Muhammad’s residence and found evidence that connects the two suspects to another 10 armed robberies throughout San Diego County. Chula Vista police Lt. Lon Turner said “some items were items of clothing that may be involved in helping us identify other potential robberies”.
Suspected Mall Store Robbers In Custody, 10news.com, December 16, 2011
Mall heist suspect nabbed by police dog, signonsandiego.com, December 16, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal attorney. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Diego Field Division’s acting special agent, Bill Sherman, more than 65,000 of the marijuana plants were obtained from public lands. These plants were taken with the help of the U.S Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and tribal partners on reservations. Sherman reported that these agencies worked together to make sure that these public lands were free of marijuana plants so the land could be safe for the use of the public. He also noted that between the times of January and November, the agencies together made a total of 100 arrests, seized 71 weapons and obtained more than $1.2 million in assets which include cash, vehicles and real estate.
Sherman also said “it’s a sign we’re driving them out of San Diego County with our continued efforts. The fact that we’re arresting more people associated with outdoor grows has really been a deterrent”. Tommy LaNier, director of the National Marijuana Initiative said that “major prosecutions on the federal and state side have had a significant impact on marijuana traffickers. The trends from our focused operations that we continue to do will have an effect both on the outdoor marijuana as it relates to public lands, but also the medical marijuana as it relates to those that are producing medical marijuana in the outdoors as well”.
The illegal cultivation of these marijuana plants also have had harmful side effects to the environment by taking place of natural vegetation, releasing harmful pesticides, and have redirected streams and public water sources from their natural state. The ones who grow these plants are using fertilizer that is deadly to animals which are clearing out native plants and wild animals out of their natural habitat.
200K Pot Plants Seized In County In 2011, 10news.com, December 8, 2011
San Diego's Marijuana Seizures Are Down, sandiego6.com, December 9, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal lawyer. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>The twin brothers Juan and Julio Villanueva had reportedly stolen more than $100,000 in property and tried selling the items on Craigslist. According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department the men stole items such as sports memorabilia, high end appliances including Viking and Thermador ovens, microwaves, dishwashers and trash compactors. Sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Montion noted that the appliances stolen between November 17 and 19 had been recovered however only $34,000 worth of items were recovered and the rest lost. The two brothers had the appliances located at two residents located in the 1600 block of Wilt Road in Fallbrook.
Two detectives posed as husband and wife responding to the Craigslist add and met up with their Julio Villanueva who used a false identity. The detectives recognized 36 stolen appliances held in Villanueva’s garage. Both brothers were then arrested on suspicion of theft and conspiracy to sell stolen property. They were then booked into the Vista Detention Facility. Montion reported that a computer was recovered from one of the residents in which the internet search history showed searches for homes for sale with “high-end stainless appliances” in North County as well as in Riverside County.
One of the undercover detectives reported that the twins “were definitely not amateurs. They knew what they wanted. We believe there are many more victims”. Juan Villanueva’s bail was set at $210,000 while his twin brother’s bail was set at $215,000 for also being held on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine.
Twins Arrested In Craigslist Stolen Goods Bust, 10news.com, November 29, 2011
Twins accused of trying to sell stolen loot online, fox5sandiego.com, November 29, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal lawyer. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation]]>The two teenage boys are being tried as adults for the Rancho Penasquitos rapes of two young teen girls. According to Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick, the 16 year-old boys, Leonel Contreras and William Steven Rodriguez are each possibly facing up to 325 years to life behind bars if convicted of all of their charges. They are charged with 16 counts of kidnapping, forcible rape and sodomy by force.
The two teenage victims had gone for a walk during a family party on September 3 at around 8:15 p.m. Patrick told a judge at the defendant’s September arraignment that the two boys walked past the young girls with hooded jackets on and demanded they go to an isolated area across the street. The teenage victims complied and were then ordered to remove their clothes. The girls were assaulted for about 30 to 40 minutes until family members started to call their names looking for them.
The defendants then threatened the victims saying “don’t scream, I don’t want to have to hurt you”. The boys then took off on their bicycles that had been hidden away in some bushes nearby. The girls had never met the accused boys prior to the assault. The defendant’s are each being tried as adults and are looking at 25 years to life for each of the 13 charges out of 16 therefore if convicted could face up to 325 years in prison.
Hearing Rescheduled For Teens Accused Of Kidnapping, Rape, 10news.com, November 15, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal lawyer. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>The robbery occurred at the Carl’s Jr. in La Mesa on the 8000 block of Parkway Drive jus off of Fletcher Parkway. Two men entered the fast food restaurant, occupied by one customer and several employees around 9 p.m. The armed men commanded the employees to lie on the ground and ordered the cooks to crawl to the front. The robbers stole both a safe and $900 cash then fled the scene. Although the faces of the robbers were partly covered, the employees were able to give a somewhat detailed description of the men to the police.
Not long after the robbery, an officer who was supervising an intersection near the Carl’s Jr. spotted a car occupying two men that matched the description of the robbers. The officer proceeded to pursue the car until it finally pulled over on Adobe Falls Road and Waring Road in Mission Valley. The occupants of the car were identified as 31 year-old Antonio Arnold and 30 year-old Mario Deangelo.
The two were arrested on spot without incident. Authorities searched the home of one of the suspects and were able to recover some of the stolen cash and located one of the weapons used. Police are investigating to see if they are in connection to any of the past 10 business robberies that have occurred in La Mesa in the past month however they do not think it is likely that either one of them are responsible for any of the previous robberies.
2 Men Arrested In Connection To La Mesa Armed Robbery, 10news.com, November 14, 2011
La Mesa Carl's Jr. Robbed at Gunpoint, sandiego6.com, November 14, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal lawyer. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>47 year-old Dennis Gluck was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison for the killing of his elderly parents in their Carlsbad home. The married couple, Harry and Jean Gluck, was hacked up with a machete by their son. The bodies were discovered in a bedroom of their home on January 18, 2009 and had died from “chop” wounds inflicted upon them with a machete. According to the authorities, Gluck had always shown hostile behavior towards his parents. The defendant escaped to Mexico after murdering his parents but was arrested a month later in Ensenada and charged with second-degree murder.
Gluck was kept from standing trial for two years due to a mental illness however in August he was able to proceed with a trial because treatment and medications helped his condition improve. Gluck appeared to be vacant and inexpressive during his sentencing. Gluck’s brothers spoke at his sentencing and expressed their dissatisfaction with the state’s mental health system. Mitch Gluck said “even though Dennis bears some of the responsibility for what has happened, I’m also aware of how inadequate the mental health system is, much less than criminal system”. According to both Mitch and Richard Gluck, Dennis started showing signs of mental illness in his 20’s.
This isn’t Gluck’s first run in with the law. Some years before the murder of his parents, Gluck was arrested for assaulting a person with a machete at a homeless camp in Oceanside. During his sentencing, Gluck’s brothers did not ask Superior Court Judge Aaron Katz to be lenient on him. Richard Gluck’s ending statement was “we stand before him and this court with nothing but love and forgiveness in our hearts. Dennis, you are and always will be our brother and we love you”.
Man who hacked parents to death sentenced, fox5sandiego.com, Nov. 3, 2011
Man Who Killed Parents With Machete Sentenced, 10news.com, Nov. 4, 2011
]]> If you have been arrested and charged with a crime in San Diego County, trust your case to an experienced San Diego criminal lawyer. Victor A. Orsatti at the San Diego Law Center will explain all of your legal options during a free consultation.]]>