From the Office of the Alameda County District Attorney

Nancy E. O'Malley, District Attorney

Did You Know ...

Issue 7, 2013 

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Alameda County DA O'Malley & Alameda County Elected Officials Honor Domestic Violence Victims at the Day of Remembrance

The Alameda County Family Justice Center, in partnership with District Attorney Nancy E.O'Malley and Supervisor Richard Valle, sponsored the 11th Annual Day of Remembrance held on Friday, October 25, at the County Administration Plaza. At the Day of Remembrance, the community paid tribute to those who have been murdered as a result of domestic violence.
Left to Right: CA Senator Ellen Corbett, Assemblymember Bill Quirk, Alameda County D.A. O'Malley, Superior Court Judge Tara Flanagan
The ceremony featured a memorial service where members of Alameda County government agencies read aloud the names of victims murdered between 1996 and 2012. More than 100 names were read and the ages ranged from unborn children to victims in their late 50s. Speakers at the ceremony included D.A. O'Malley, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and Superior Court Judge Tara Flanagan. 

"It is important that we honor the memories of those who have lost their lives as a result of domestic violence," stated D.A. Nancy E. O'Malley. "Our Office is committed to ending domestic violence within Alameda County and we strive to continuously empower survivors of this crime. We need all communities together to act now to stop the violence and to stop the killing."


If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach out to the
Alameda County Family Justice Center for resources and services.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Events continued...
Alameda Health Services Symposium
For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Alameda County D.A. O'Malley, Cherri Allison,  Executive Director of the Alameda County Family Justice Center (ACFJC), and Raeanne Passantino, Director of Programs at ACFJC shared their expertise in patient confidentiality at the Alameda Health Services Symposium. Other topics of the symposium included domestic violence in a medical setting and proper responses to domestic violence victims in accordance with legal mandates and health system rules

Tri Valley Haven Candle Light March 201
CA Senator Corbett (middle left) with Asst. D.A. Meehan (right) 

Tri Valley Haven held its annual candlelight march on October 18, 2013 for Domestic V
iolence Awareness month. Tri Valley Haven is a domestic violence and sexual assault resource agency that has served the Tri-Valley for over 35 years. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office is a long time supporter of Tri Valley Haven. Assistant District Attorney Jim Meehan represented D.A. O'Malley at this event.

Approximately 75 people participated in the candlelight march down Pleasanton's Main Street to bring attention to the plight of victims of domestic violence. Joining Mr. Meehan to speak about the impact of domestic violence in our community was CA State Senator Ellen Corbett (pictured on the left).
 
Alameda County District Attorney's Inspectors Participate in
National Drug Take Back Event
Inspectors Collect 96 Pounds of Narcotics and Drugs
Inspectors from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office participated in the National Drug Take Back Event on Saturday, October 26, organized to collect prescription and over-the-counter medications. This was the second Drug Take Back of 2013 and conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Our Office collected 96 pounds of narcotics and drugs at Saturday's event at both the Family Justice Center in Oakland and the Hayward Hall of Justice. Over the past year and a half, our Office has collected almost 430 pounds of medications in similar events.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from the medicine cabinets of family and friends. Safe disposal of these drugs is crucial to prevent their misuse, and to end the harmful environmental impact caused by disposing of them in landfills and water systems.

For more information regarding safe drug disposal, click here to read the Drug Disposal Information Resources page on the Drug Enforcement Administration's main website. 
Alameda County D.A. O'Malley & Chief Asst. D.A. Dunleavy  
Award Local Law Enforcement Officers

This year's 2013 Officer Recognition Award Recipients were invited to a ceremony honoring their recent achievements in local law enforcement. Over 200 people were in attendance including the guests of honor and their families, each agency's commanding officers, and the District Attorneys and Inspectors from the Alameda County D.A.'s Office.

This year's winners were nominated by various individuals from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office:

Alameda County Sheriff's Office:
Sergeant Dave Dickinson, Detective Pat Smyth, Detective Ricardo Gonzales,
Detective Gustavo Mora, Detective Josh Armijo
recognized for their work on the People v. Joseph Carranza murder case

Sergeant Mike Carroll
for his outstanding work in the Sheriff's Office Robbery Division.

Hayward Police Department:
Officer Aaron Runolfson
for his outstanding work on the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force

Detective Zachary Hoyer
for his work on People v. Jacob Castro conspiracy to commit murder case

Oakland Police Department:
Sergeant Holly Joshi
for her outstanding work in the Human Trafficking Unit

Officer Lesa Leonis
recognized for her work on People v. Khari Hicks domestic violence and human trafficking case

California Highway Patrol:
CHP Investigator Mark Locey
recognized for his work in the Cargo Theft Unit 
D.A. O'Malley (front left) stands with award recipients and members of the District Attorney's Office
Urban Shield 2013
Inspectors Assist Alameda County Sheriff's Office during Mass Casualty Scenarios
Inspectors Craig Chew, Dan Lee and Frank Moschetti, from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, volunteered at the annual Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) Urban Shield tactical team training. The weekend-long training incorporated major disasters and emergencies using real fires, live ammunition, and hazardous materials.

Throughout the continuous 48-hour training exercise, the ACSO created 35 real-life scenarios to test their local, national, and international participants' critical thinking and safety awareness during mass casualty disasters. The Inspectors assisted with maintaining safety during these high risk scenarios.

Urban Shield has proven to be an effective method for training first responders. Law enforcement agencies within the United States hold similar Urban Shield events each year and now international first responders have organized their own Urban Shield. This year's Urban Shield was capped off with a banquet thanking first responders and Veterans for their service and featured special guest speaker General Wesley Clark of the United States Army.
Highlighted Recent Verdicts 

Felony Verdicts 
  • On October 29, 2013, a jury convicted Maurice Barrow of first degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon. On August 24, 2012, Maurice Barrow and two accomplices went to the 700 block of Sycamore Street in Oakland. All three were armed with semi-automatic firearms and started shooting towards a house located at 704 Sycamore Street. The three men fired at least 55 shots towards 704 Sycamore. As a result of the shooting, Otis Key Jr. was shot and killed in front of the house and a 7-year old boy playing in his front yard next door to 704 Sycamore was shot in the neck. The prosecutor was DDA Georgia Santos with assistance from DA Inspector Shawn Knight.   
  • On October 28, 2013, a jury found Alejandro Amezcua guilty of five counts of lewd and lascivious Conduct on a Child Under 14. Between 2002 and 2004, the defendant sexually assaulted a young girl several times as she was being cared for at his house on the weekends. The crimes began when the child was five years old. The defendant used force to commit the acts and threats to prevent her from disclosing the abuse. Ten years after the abuse ended, the victim disclosed the conduct to a nurse during a routine checkup. The nurse, who was a mandatory reporter, notified the authorities. Following an investigation, the defendant was placed under arrest and charged for the offenses. The prosecutor was DDA Scott Ford.
  • On October 3, 2013, Linda Sue Foss plead guilty to five counts of financial elder abuse, two counts of grand theft, and one count of money laundering. The defendant became an employee of the US BANK branch in Montclair in 1983 and was eventually promoted to manager. She was terminated after other employees at the bank discovered that she provided customers with fraudulent statements to cover up missing account balances. Within ten days, she was employed by a competitor bank in Montclair and continued embezzling. Subsequent investigation by the Alameda County D.A.'s Consumer and Environmental Protection Division revealed that Foss had embezzled over $2,500,000 from 20 individuals for over ten years. The majority of these victims were elders. As the defendant became aware of the investigation, she induced several victims to sign bogus promissory notes and statements indicating that the thefts were loans and to lie to investigators. Many of the victims considered themselves personal friends of the defendant. On October 28, 2013, Linda Sue Foss was sentenced to 12 years state prison pursuant to the plea agreement. The banks cooperated during the investigation and the victims have received restitution in full. The prosecutor was DDA Tony Douglas with assistance from DA Inspector Ron Miller.

Misdemeanor Verdicts

  • On October 2, 2013, a jury found Jonathan Singh guilty of driving under the influence and refusing to submit to a chemical test to determine his blood alcohol content. On November 10, 2012, Hayward police officers pulled over the intoxicated defendant after he recklessly drove across traffic lanes on Winton Avenue. The defendant refused the opportunity to take a breathalyzer test. The prosecutor was DDA Camille Ching.
  • On October 2, 2013, a jury convicted Veronica Craven of driving under the influence while having a blood alcohol content (B.A.C.) of over 0.08%. The jury additionally found true that the defendant had a B.A.C. in excess of 0.15% while driving. On December 19, 2012, officers observed the defendant partially hanging out of the driver's side door of her SUV. The defendant was too intoxicated to safely perform field sobriety tests. Officers determined that the defendant possessed a B.A.C. of 0.31% during the arrest. The prosecutor was DDA Adam Maldonado.
For a full description of all felony and misdemeanor verdicts, please visit our website.
IN THIS ISSUE
D.A. O'Malley and Elected Officials at Day of Remembrance
D.V. Awareness Month Events (coninued)
National Drug Take Back Day
Officer Recognition Awards 2013
Urban Shield Tactical Training
Highlighted Recent Verdicts

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The Alameda County DA's Office is dedicated to serving our community through the ethical prosecution of criminal offenses and the vigorous protection of victims' rights.

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