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 prosecutions. Led by Division Chief Dana Greisen and Assistant Chief Robert Hickey, the division’s personnel are some of the finest in the nation.
The Gangs Division has continued its proactive role with local, state, and federal law enforcement during 2010. Prosecutors and investigators from the division participate and assist on numerous task forces specifically aimed at gang members and the crimes they commit.
As part of this approach during 2010, the Gangs Division continued its participation in targeted gang operations. These operations have been highly successful in addressing gang crime in San Diego. Under this approach each member of a gang is targeted for the crimes they commit regardless of their role in the gang. This zero tolerance for gang crimes has resulted in the disruption of some of San Diego’s most violent gangs and have resulted in convictions for charges ranging from drug sales and prostitution to armed assaults and murders. As a result, gang homicide rates have continued to plummet in the City of San Diego to their lowest rates in decades.
In 2010, the DA Gang unit continued to target Gang members 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.
The “Border Crimes Task Force” was founded in 2009 through a federal grant and has been highly successful . Assigned to the task force are two deputy district attorneys and district attorney investigator. Along with federal and state law enforcement, the task force combats violent crime including murders, kidnappings, robberies and narcotic trafficking, associated with major Mexican drug cartels. This proactive task force coordinates efforts of law enforcement and prosecution to effectively combat the growing threat of serious violent crime occurring in San Diego as a result of drug cartel influence. Gang members in 2010 have received life sentences for engaging in attempted kidnappings and numerous other defendants were indicted for participating in kidnapping and murder crews.
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 2010.
Major cases included:
People v. Martinez and Martinez
This case involved a two-week crime spree by gang members. The two defendants drove in a rival gang territory when they happened upon two young men. The defendants approached, yelled gang challenges and attacked. Darren Martinez shot the deceased victim, who collapsed on the ground, then continued firing. Hector Martinez continued assaulting the surviving victim. A week later, Darren Martinez, along with a group of juvenile gang members, stabbed and assaulted three perceived rivals in his own gang territory. Both defendants were convicted of first-degree murder, firearms allegations and gang allegations. Darren Martinez was also convicted of various assaults related to the stabbing incident.
People v. Joaquin Martinez
This defendant was a member of a Vista Gang and a prison gang. He murdered 24 year-old woman when he believed she would inform authorities that he and his companions were robbing banks and “taxing” (extorting) drug dealers in the North County area. Injecting her with a lethal dose of heroin, he later smothered her when she didn’t immediately die, then dismembered her hands and feet with a machete. Her body was dropped in an Escondido dumpster and never recovered. The jury returned a verdict of first degree murder.
People v Larry Garcia and Eric Rodriguez
Garcia was the leader of a crew from a South bay street gang. When word that a rogue group of gang members were taxing without authorization, Garcia was tasked to clean house and discipline those responsible. With the assistance of other gang members, Garcia and Rodriguez discovered the victim's location and lured her into going with them to a remote location on the Otay Mesa. The victim was beaten and ultimately stabbed multiple times and left dead on the side of the road. Over the course of almost two years, participants in the murder was uncovered, charged, and agreed to cooperate in the prosecution. Garcia was convicted of First Degree Murder with Gang Allegations and Conspiracy. Rodriguez was found guilty of Second Degree Murder, Gang Allegations, and Conspiracy.
People v. Hamilton
The victim had notified the defendant of his desire to drop out of the gang in order to be a better father to his newborn child. As the victim walked home one evening, he was confronted by defendant and another fellow gang member. When they challenged victim to a fight, defendant suddenly produced a knife and stabbed the victim twice in the abdominal area for violating gang code – no drop outs. The jury convicted defendant of attempted murder with a knife, gang allegations, infliction of great bodily injury and one strike prior.
People v. Yang et al
Gang member defendants did a drive by shooting at a Pool Hall in the Kearny mesa area in which the innocent pool hall owner was shot and killed. Case went unsolved for many years but ultimately was solved after an extensive investigation by SDPD and the DA Gang unit. Was convicted of 1st degree murder, attempted murder, firearm, and gang allegations.
People v. Rabb & Butler
In January of 2002, these two juvenile gang members used a recently stolen SUV and a gun stolen in a residential burglary only days before to commit a robbery. In the course of the robbery three people were shot, including a pregnant 17 year old girl and a gang rival of one of the defendants. Two of the victims died. The young woman survived with serious and lasting injuries. Her 26 week old fetus was delivered that night by emergency c-section, one of the bullets having pierced the victim’s uterus and struck her unborn baby in the upper arm. The defendants thought they got away with murder until they were finally charged in 2008 and convicted in December, 2010.
