Criminal Neglect

Diana Gonzalez never made it home from school tuesday night. The nineteen year old mother of a nine month old infant was found murdered in the men's bathroom at San Diego City College. It took a long time to positively identify the body, the wounds marring her body beyond recognition. Knife wounds.

Diana's relatives had been driving her to and from school because she was living in fear of her estranged husband Armando Gabriel Perez, 37. Perez had held her hostage in a motel recently for three days, kidnapping her, raping her and beating her. He ultimately choked her into unconsciousness. She managed to escape once but he caught her and threatened to kill her. He finally released her so that she could visit her parents in National City.

Perez was ultimately picked up and jailed, the SDPD Domestic Violence Unit investigated the case and forwarded it to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis' office, which declined for some unknown and ungodly reason to file charges. Perez was released from custody following four days behind bars, according to police reports.

Steve Walker, a spokesman for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, said the agency does not publicly "discuss why we reject cases." Gonzalez filed a temporary restraining order on September 28th, while Perez was still in jail. Perez had also allegedly beat his ex wife and spent two months in jail earlier this year for battery. That case was also dismissed for unknown reasons. The restraining order was served on him in jail. A police report says that there were twenty cases of prior abuse. Perez's car was recently found in Tijuana. His whereabouts are unknown at this time. I linked the restraining order pdf but must caution you that it is very graphic and disturbing. I honestly couldn't finish reading the handwritten notes from this beautiful, dead woman.

The Gonzalez family lashed out at the District Attorney for not moving more aggressively in the case.  A family that had begged the authorities for protection. Unfortunately there was a similar case with a similar result a few months ago in the county. The citizenry of San Diego deserves to know why the District Attorney refused to file charges in the Gonzalez case.

Dumanis left a written statement, "I want to make it clear that the District Attorney's Office takes cases of domestic violence very seriously. We work closely with victims and hold perpetrators accountable whenever responsible." Nice words but little consolation for Gonzalez's daughter and family. Hollow words.

***

Jovan Jackson was in the clear. He had been judged not guilty during his trial last year on charges of illegally selling medical marijuana. Jovan managed the Answerdam Medical Marijuana collective that is now defunct in San Diego.

Jackson, a 32 year old black man now working as a barber, thought that he could get on with his life. Bonnie Dumanis had other ideas. She would try him again on the same charges, a clear case of double indemnity. She convinced a Superior Court Judge Howard Shore not to let Jackson use a medical marijuana defense. Jurors felt hamstrung by the draconian instructions. He was convicted and now he faces a six year term in prison. Jackson, a Navy veteran, read a statement outside of court saying he was disappointed at the verdict but vowed to press the appeal. He said he felt “pity and anger” at prosecutors for aggressively pursuing the case against him and other medical marijuana defendants.

***

It is amazing to me that Ms. Dumanis can squander limited public resources going after medical marijuana patients and their caregivers and yet decide not to bother to protect a woman getting raped, assaulted and eventually murdered by her husband. Shame on the San Diego County District Attorney for her misplaced priorities.