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May 2008

DA Honors Citizen Heroes

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis honored six San Diegans at the 19th annual Citizens of Courage Awards Luncheon in April as a part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. More than 300 people attended the event which honored survivors of crime and good Samaritans who came to the aid of crime victims.

"These individuals acted with great courage when confronted by a violent crime," DA Dumanis said. "Each of them has an inspiring story and compelling story. Our office is proud to recognize them with these well-deserved awards." This year's Citizens of Courage recipients included:

  • Sean Allin came to rescue of a teenage boy who was being savagely beaten by a gang of assailants, despite the threat to his own safety.


  • Julian Cristo-Lucero and his wife, Janet Cristo, helped the victim of a domestic violence altercation, was shot by the attacker and later testified at a trial.


  • Joseph Hake came to the aide of a woman who had been attacked by her boyfriend and was then beaten unconscious by the attacker.


  • Christine Hartline, director of the Animal Safehouse Program at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society. The shelter provides protection for pets of domestic-violence victims.


  • Abraham Macias fought two armed robbers during a crime spree that left eight people traumatized, he then testified in court.


  • Charles Wright rescued the victim of a roll-over collision on the freeway caused by a speeding drunk driver, then testified against the defendant.


    • trophiesEach recipient received a trophy from DA Dumanis, as well as proclamations from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.


    DA Participates in Historic Cold Case Summit

    DA Dumanis released new crime statistics showing the number of cold-case homicides in San Diego County as part of a DNA/Cold Case Summit. Data analyzed by the DA's Office show that there are 1,262 unsolved homicides in San Diego County for the years 1987 to 2006. On average in California, 1,221 homicides go unsolved every year.

    dna"This is a statewide issue that needs to be addressed cooperatively by law enforcement," DA Dumanis said. "Solving cold cases not only delivers long-awaited justice, but also brings a measure of closure to families whose lives have been shattered by tragedy." Statewide, there are nearly 24,000 unsolved homicides, according to the Department of Justice statistics compiled by the DA's Office. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office established a Cold Case Homicide Division in 2003. The division has a 100% conviction rate and maintains working relationships with law enforcement agencies throughout the county, including police laboratory criminalists.

    The April Cold Case Summit provided training, forums and networking opportunities for district attorneys, sheriffs, chiefs of police, lab directors, cold case/homicide prosecutors, detectives, criminalists, city council members and county board of supervisors, legislators, and victim advocates. See California unsolved homicide statistics.

    Elder Abuse Unit DDA Featured in Nationwide Newsletter

    elder abuseSouthwest Airlines recently featured the San Diego DA's Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit on the front page of its newsletter distributed nationwide. The DA's Elder Abuse Unit is nationally-recognized. One prosecutor, DDA Paul Greenwood, focuses all his time prosecuting defendants who victimize our elderly citizens. Click on the image to the left to read the Southwest Airlines article.


    DA CASE FILE

    Brian Dammon Smith, 35, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for fatally shooting a Vista store owner during an attempted robbery nearly 14 years ago. Prosecutors contended that Smith stole a gun from a sporting goods store and ballistics evidence showed that the same gun was used to kill the store owner.

    Geraldine Meyers, 47, was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting her bodybuilder boyfriend in the head during an argument in their apartment. Meyers was convicted of second-degree murder and the use of a gun. She shot him as he laid on the floor playing video games.

    Bobbie Norby, 49, was sentenced to one day in custody and three years' probation and ordered to make restitution after she pleaded guilty to stealing jewelry worth $45,000 from her former employer. The store also raised $12,000 for her after she falsely claimed she had cancer and needed help with her medical expenses.

    Antonio Cortez Bonilla, 20, was sentenced to six years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to felony assault with intent to commit rape and misdemeanor sexual assault. Bonilla sexually assaulted two women last year where one of the victims obtained the suspect's license number. Bonilla was arrested three days later and charged.

    Philip Graeme Ferres, 26 and Kolis Barba, 25, two Australian Navy sailors, were sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury, and admitted allegations that they assaulted and injured the victim. Ferres and Barba beat up a law student in a dispute over politics and football while on shore leave in San Diego. Each defendant was also ordered to pay a $680 fine and will be responsible for restitution.

    Larry Eugene Wilson, 35, was sentenced to 58 years to life in state prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman nearly nine years ago. Wilson was convicted of raping and sodomizing the woman in a secluded area in Balboa Park, then driving her to a trolley stop, where he raped her again. The crime went unsolved until investigators found a DNA match last year.

    Curtis Allen Brown, 44, was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison for fatally shooting his 41-year-old wife. The San Diego woman had taken out a restraining order on her estranged husband. Brown was upset about his pending divorce, broke into her condo and forced his wife outside. He then fatally shot her before being wounded by police.

    Keith Terez Johnson, 28, was sentenced to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run. After he struck a man, Johnson kept driving until he crashed into a small church nearby. Prosecutors said he was driving at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour when he struck the victim.

    Efrain Omar Cristobal, 29, was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Cristobal broke into a Vista home, stole a 14-year-old girl's underwear, then returned later and peered into her bedroom window.

    Ralph Garbarini,, 46, was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison with an additional term of life in prison with the possibility of parole. A businessman was dining with his wife and another couple at a dessert café when Garbarini walked over to their table and shot the victim three times in the head.

    John Holler, 41, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and placed on three years' probation after he pleaded guilty to one felony count of rape with a foreign object. The former high school teacher had sex with a 17-year-old girl who was a student and teacher's aide in his classes.