Gangs Division
The District Attorney’s Gangs Division has the task of prosecuting the most serious gang offenders. The Gangs Division is a vertical prosecution unit which combines Deputy District Attorneys with District Attorney Investigators to handle the unique and dangerous issues that arise in gang prosecution. Led by Division Chief Dana Greisen and Assistant Chief Valerie Summers, the division’s personnel are some of the finest in the nation.
The Gang’s Division has taken an even more proactive role with local,
state, and federal law enforcement during 2008. Prosecutors from the division
participated and assisted on numerous task forces specifically aimed at
gang members and the crimes they commit.
As part of this approach during 2008, the Gangs Division took a leading role in the “Lincoln park” project which is the latest approach to addressing gang crime in San Diego. Each member of a gang is targeted for the crimes they commit regardless of their role in the gang. This zero tolerance approach to gang prosecution resulted in the arrest of approximately 50 Lincoln Park Gang members for charges including murder, attempted murder, robbery, weapons violations, pimping and pandering, and drug charges. About 75 others were arrested for supplying drugs to the Lincoln Park gang.
Gang members are also targeted through civil injunctions and abatements in order to disrupt the gang culture and lifestyle and raise the quality of life for members of the community.
Prosecutors in this division also use court-approved wiretaps, undercover operations, and gang injunctions to stop violence before it occurs. Further, they work closely with local law enforcement and community organizations to help in gang intervention to try and stop gang violence before it starts.
While there are hundreds of success stories in this division, the ongoing seriousness of gang violence in San Diego is reflected by the kinds of cases and defendants prosecuted in 2008.
Major cases included:
People v. Carrasco and Nogales
These juvenile defendants were tried as adults in an case that involved
the murder of two innocent brothers who were outside their family home
when a truck pulled up and the occupants made claims of “Paradise Hills.”
When the gang declarations were ignored, a passenger got out of the truck
and fired into the crowd, killing the brothers. The defendants were convicted
of two counts of second-degree murder, one count of shooting from a vehicle,
both counts with gun and gang allegations.
People v Penifoti Taeotui
This defendant was charged with the ambush murder Oceanside
Police Officer Bessant. The jury returned verdicts of first-degree murder
with special circumstances.
People v. McCauley and Bernal
These defendants shot and killed a 7-11 clerk during a robbery in Lemon
Grove. A customer was also shot and seriously wounded. The defendants
also shot a young man for no reason who was walking in the Murrieta area
the previous night. The verdicts for both defendants were guilty on two
counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and gun allegations;
attempted murder with gun and injury enhancements; robbery with gun enhancements.
People v Lopez and Estrada
This case involves the kidnapping of a man who was held in a house for
eight days. A ransom of $200,000 was paid. The victim was rescued before
he was killed with the cooperation of the District Attorney's Office
and other law enforcement agencies. The defendant Lopez was convicted
of kidnapping for ransom with bodily harm and possession of methamphetamine
and a firearm. The defendant Estrada was convicted of kidnap for ransom
with bodily harm.
People v. Broadnax
This special circumstance murder case involved two innocent teenagers killed
in December of 2006 in what appears to be retaliation for earlier murder
by rival set of the defendants. The defendant was convicted of two counts
of first-degree murder with special circumstances and firearm allegations,
as well as charges involving dissuading a witness.
