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Past Murder Case Being Re-Evaluated

Past Murder Case Being Re-Evaluated

2007 Bus Driver Murder Case

 

Crime scenes are often left as a mystery. Sadly there are some sick people in this world and they are very good at covering their tracks. Some cases go unsolved simply for the lack of evidence. There’s actually a ton of reasons that murder cases go “unsolved” or unresolved.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) have confirmed that a man who was/is suspected of killing an off-duty bus driver at a San Diego doughnut shop, eight years ago will now face charges in the cold case.

The SDPD investigators have said that forty year old, Santiago Covarrubias will be facing murder charges for the 2007 killing of thirty-eight year old, Damon Green. Covarrubias has already been serving time in the state prison for other, unrelated homicide. The police found the information linking Covarrubias to the cold case while Covarrubias was still in prison. According to the SDPD, Covarrubias is now in custody in the San Diego Central Jail and will appear in court on a Monday.

According to the reports, Covarrubias is actually the second person to be linked to this murder case this year. The case was strangely enough cold for more than eight years. I guess when the information comes, it comes all at once.

On July 28th of this year, San Diego resident, Martin Villapando was arrested by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The thirty-six year old was arrested as he was legally entering into the United States. He was then jailed on first degree murder for the connection of Green’s killing.

The court reports show that Villapando pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. The judge set his bail at $2 million. Villapando has been in custody and at the South Bay Detention Facility for around four months. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 17.

 

Bus Driver Shoot and Killed

 

The investigators say that Green was found critically injured and was found behind the Donuts Plus shop. The shop is located at 4090 El Cajon Blvd. Green was found around 2:30 in the early morning on March 20, 2007. The reports say that the man had suffered from several gunshot wounds to his torso. Green was quickly taken to a local hospital where he sadly passed away an hour later.

The investigating detectives think that Green was with a friend and eating at the taco shop which is next door to the doughnut shop, when Green got into the argument with Villapando and Covarrubias. Villapando and Covarrubias were the first ones to leave the taco shop.

 

Crime in San Diego

 

However, the two sneaksters came back as Mr. Green and his friend were leaving the shop. They didn’t come alone though, they came armed with a gun. The suspects confronted, unarmed Green outside of the doughnut shop. They started shooting at Green. Green ran into the doughnut shop to try to seek cover, however according to the detectives, shots were fired and went through the plate glass window. The shot fired that time would be the one to fatally wound Mr.Green.

The suspects were of course, quick to leave the scene. They made their getaway before the officers could respond to the call. The suspects were last seen on the northbound 41st Street. After Villapando was arrested over the summer Deputy District Attorney Supervisor of the Cold Case Homicide Unit, Tom Manning said that the cold case detectives had been actively working on this case for years. They had even talked to Villapando before about Green’s murder.

 

Manning’s Statement about the Murder

 

The police have had continuous contact with witnesses, including Mr. Villapando over the years. He knew San Diego Police detectives were continuing on the case and were also looking at him over the last few years.

 

If Mr. Villapando is convicted of Green’s murder he will face up to fifty years to life in prison.

Sybil Green, mother of deceased victim, said that the news of a arrest for her son’s killers over the summer brought her a wave of emotions. Which I’m sure is understandable. She probably feels the pain of losing her son all over, but some relief that something is being done about his death. But then probably guilty over someone else losing their life. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.

Sybil said that the day her son was tragically killed, was the “day her heard died”. And even though it’s been a few years, her family will always mourn for the loss of her son.

 

Sybil’s Statment:

You murder one person, but you slaughter a family because our family has not been the same since.

The family of Green are currently living in Las Vegas. Sybil said that she has always refused to believe that the killer of her son would actually get away with it. She’s looking forward to finally getting some justice for her son. She always refers to Green as her “gentle giant”.

Green didn’t just leave his mother behind though, he is survived by two sons and a daughter.  All because of a little dispute in a taco shop. Hopefully his loving family can get some peace, knowing that Green’s death isn’t going to go unpunished.

We hope that the police are able to get the crime rates down in San Diego and Phoenix. If not, what is going to be left for the families in those cities?

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC

668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
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Phoenix Shootings

Multiple Teenagers Involved in Shooting Crime Scene

Hells Angels Affiliated Men Shot in Phoenix

 

“Hells Angels” have been known to be a pretty rough and rowdy motorcycle gang. Their name has been and probably still is, feared and loved throughout the United States. On Saturday two men who were affiliated with the “Hells Angels” motorcycle gang were shot as they were riding their motorcycles in North Phoenix.

 

Judy Jones’ Statement:

It’s just really gotten bad in this neighborhood lately.  It’s really, really crazy.

 

Judy just happened to work at a nearby restaurant, The Codfather restaurant. The restaurant is very close to where the police says that two bikers were shot near 16th Street and Bell Road.

 

Phoenix Police Officer, James Holmes’ Statement:

When the officers get there what they find is six motorcyclists.

 

Officer Holmes said that the bikers were travelling westbound on Bell Road when someone then opened fired at the motorcycle riders. Officer Holmes also says that bikers had to be in motion at the time that they were shot. They were not stopped at a light when the two men were shot.

 

The shooter did their job or what they intended to do, one of the men was in very serious condition and the other one was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The one who was severely injured was transported to a local hospital and luckily expected to survive, according to officer Holmes.

 

The police know that the motorcycle riders aka bikers were not just any typical Saturday evening ride bikers. Officer Holmes said that all of the bikers had the “Hells Angels” insignia jackets as well as other things that indicated they were part of the “Hells Angels” club. Which causes concern for the investigators.

 

Judy also claimed to see “Hells Angels” bikers before in the area.

 

Judy’s Statement about the “Hells Angels”

I mean, you see, like on a Sunday morning, they’re riding down towards the 17.

 

Even though the police were taking a cautious investigation into the incident, they did not believe that the shooting was gang related.

 

Officer Holmes’ Statement about the Incident

 

At this point we’ve not made any kind of a connection between them being members of the club and this shooting.  Right now it’s either a random act of gunfire or they were targeted for a specific reason that we’ve not identified yet.

 

The police was also able to look at a surveillance video to hopefully find out if there was one or more shooters involved. Also if the person or possibly people responsible for the shooting had another vehicle or were maybe standing nearby the shooting scene.

 

Judy has decided to be more cautious in the future, saying “You just have to be careful, everything you do,”.

 

 

Another, More Recent Shooting in the Phoenix Area

 

In April, a shooting involving officers happened in Phoenix. One Saturday in April a shooting on 20th Street and Thomas Road ended badly for a suspect after a shooting involving the police officers.

 

According to Phoenix Police Sgt. Jonathan Howard, 911 dispatchers had received a call from a man and stated that there were several “snipers pointing rifles” at him. Of course several officers were sent to the scene. However, before they even had a chance to contact the man he had opened fire on the officers. According to the report, the man was sitting in a white van at the time of the shooting. Officers had no choice but to return fire on the man. They did not miss their target.

 

One officer had been reportedly shot in his arm. The officer was of course treated for his gunshot wound and later released from the hospital, Officer Howard stated.

 

Officer Howard did say that the suspect died at the hospital that Saturday night. Later the police was able to identify him as forty-four year old, Erik Lagunas Tellez. The officer who was injured during the shooting name has not been released at this time.

 

 

 

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Woman Stabbed by Son in North Phoenix

Stabbing Incidents in Phoenix

28 Year Old Stabs Mother In Vehicle After Argument

 

A lot of crime now days often is a result from a family dispute. On Sunday a woman was left in critical condition after her son had stabbed her in North Phoenix.

 

Stabbing

 

A stabbing is when something sharp penetrates the skin or an object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, by an assassin or murder. Of course it is always possible to accidentally stab yourself or another person. Stabbing is a bit different than slashing or cutting. When slashing or cutting, the motion of the object used to do that stabbing usually moves more perpendicular and directly into the victim’s body, rather than across the victim.

 

A lot of stabbings that take place now days are among gangs and in prisons. Why? Because the knives are easy to make or get and are cheap. Plus they’re pretty effective for whatever you’re intending to do with one.

 

28 Year Old Son Stabs Mother

 

According to the Phoenix Police, a woman and her twenty-eight year old son had gotten into an argument in a vehicle which happened near 51st Avenue and Cactus Road. The stabbing happened pretty late on Sunday, around ten, thirty at night.

 

During the family feud or argument, the suspect then began to stab his mother. The mother then fell out of the vehicle. There were witnesses nearby and saw the woman in need of help. They rushed to the woman’s aid and also tried to stop the suspect, according to the local police. One of the witnesses got pretty brave and rushed to retrieve a gun from his own home and tried to get the suspect to stop. The witness even shot the suspect after he gave the suspect several warning commands.

 

The suspect died from his injuries. The woman was transported to the local hospital in critical condition.

 

How Stabbing Works

The human skin has a somewhat elastic property as a self-defense; when the human body is stabbed by a thin object such as a kitchen knife, the skin often closes tightly around the object and closes again if the object is removed, which can trap some blood within the body. It has thus been speculated that the fuller, an elongated concave depression in a metal blade, functions to let blood out of the body in order to cause more damage. This misconception has led to fullers becoming widely known as “blood grooves”. The fuller is actually a structural reinforcement of the blade similar in design to a metal I-beam used in construction. However, internal bleeding is just as dangerous as external bleeding; if enough blood vessels are severed to cause serious injury, the skin’s elasticity will do nothing to prevent blood from exiting the circulatory system and accumulating uselessly in other parts of the body.

Death from stabbing is caused by shock, severe blood loss, infection, or loss of function of an essential organ such as the heart or lungs.

 

If the suspect would have lived, there would have been a hearing and sentencing. Criminal Law is designed to give consequences to those who do not abide by the law. Every crime is made up of criminal elements. Most punishments for these crimes would include incarcerated in prison or jail. Could be sentenced to solitary. Of course the length of the crime varies on several things like severity of the crime or if this is a first offence. Some lighter sentencing would include house arrest, as well as parole or a probation regimen. There could also be fines, for seizing money or property of the suspect.

 

Objectives Of Criminal Law

 

There are mainly five objective associated with the enforcement of criminal law which are:

 

Retribution: where criminals should “suffer” in a certain way.  this is usually a common goal to the judge and jury. The terms “balance the scales” comes up a lot with this one. People can submit to the law to receive the right not to be murdered. The ones who “contravene” these laws then give up the rights which was granted to them by the law. Meaning that, the suspect can then be also executed.

 

Deterrence: When used as Individual deterrence, it’s aimed towards a specific suspect. The main purpose is to “impose a sufficient penalty to discourage the offender” from any more criminal behavior. General Deterrence is when the focus is at society as a whole. They then impose a penalty to those who commit certain offences. Other individuals re hoped not to make the same offenses.

 

Incapacitatation: Is made so that the criminals are kept away from society. So that the public can be safe from the suspect’s behavior. this is usually done in prison sentences today. The death penalty, and banishment have also served as an incapacitation as well.

 

Rehabilitation: This one is pretty common. Even if you’re not a criminal, you can still deal with rehabilitation. It’s a daily struggle fro some people. Rehabilitation aims at trying to transform the offender into a better person or a valuable member of the society. The primary goal of Rehabilitation is so that the suspect won’t commit the same crime and realize what they done was wrong.

 

Restoration: Is focused on the victim, but also a punishment to the offender. The goal here is to repair things. This could mean many things. If someone stole money, this is when they have to pay that money back.

 

So, hopefully you won’t have to deal with any of these stages of criminal law. It’s sad that a son could kill his own mother, over an argument. Nothing is that important in life that you should just take another’s life with no known reason. Hopefully the injured woman will make it through her injuries. It’s sad that she lost a son as well as he own sturggle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
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Phoenix, AZ 85008
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Former Phoenix Elementary School Teacher Sexually Abused Students

Abuse Happening at Home

Sexual Predators Found Everywhere

 

Sexual predators are on the rise. They are sneaky and can pretty much anywhere in the world. They could be an old neighbor, a teacher, a doctor, there are literally no tattle tale signs of a sexual predator. Some of the nicest people can be harboring a deep dark secret.

 

Some of the sexual assault cases are solved pretty quickly, however some could go on for years. Police try their best to catch these criminal’s as quickly as possible, but sometimes proof is hard to find or the suspect flees and goes into hiding.

 

Sexual Assault

 

Sexual assault is considered a personal offense.  A Personal Offense is made for “codes to protect the physical integrity of the body”.

 

Battery is a type of personal offense as well. Most people think Battery means “unlawful touching” that does not include the knocks and jolts of everyday life. An example of battery would be someone touching you in a harmful way.

 

Assault is creating a fear of “imminent battery”. Assault is like when someone attacks you in a fight. Other forms of battery can include: non-consensual intercourse or rape is considered an egregious form of battery. Sexual assault would fall into this category as well.

 

Examples of Sexaul Assault

 

Phoenix Teacher Accused of Sexual Assault

As sad as it is, there are plenty of examples of sexual assault cases just in Phoenix alone. A recent breakthrough on a local sexual assault investigation brings closure to one family.

 

Phoenix police have arrested an after-school arts and crafts instructor. The man was also a former Phoenix elementary school teacher. The investigators have stated that the man had sexually abused children as well as some of his own students. This went on for over a decade.

 

Jose Ruben Mada was arrested on a Tuesday. He was first arrested to crimes involving a teenage girl who he had known back in the mid 1990’s. According to the police report, Jose Mada’s sexual abuse run, dated back all the way to the early 2000’s.

 

Apparently it was happening before the 2000’s though, because the accuser claimed she had been abused from 1995-1997.  At that time, she was only in eighth grade. Poor girl must have been scared to death. The girl told the police that Mada had came into her room and would touch her body, such as her breasts and vagina while kissing her. She also told the authorities that Mada had told her not to tell anyone.

 

The now, woman gave the investigators a letter that her former instructor had written to her. The letter stated that his actions were “unacceptable”. When she was able to confront him, for something I’m sure has bothered her, her whole life, he simply said he did not know why exactly he did it. He claimed that it was “just one of those things that happened”.

 

Mada is currently a teacher for an after-school arts and crafts program that is for children between the ages six and twelve. The police report also said that the allegations against, fifty-four year old Mada had said that he had inappropriately touched and kissed his students over the years.

 

In 2002 he was a fourth grade teacher at the Bethune Elementary school. Documents show that the State Board of Education records showed that Mada had been fired from the Phoenix Elementary School District that year. This was after the sexaul harassment charges.

 

 Sexual Predator Takes Polygraph Test

 

The investigating officers at the time, gave Mada a polygraph test (lie detector) after there was another incident with a third grade girl who said that he had lifted her shirt above her breasts and then rubbed her stomach. However, he was cleared from any kind of criminal conduct after the examination.

 

Mada then went to teach at the Rose Linda Elementary school, which is still in the Roosevelt Elementary district.  Mada didn’t stay under the radar long though. In 2009 he actually resigned after one of his students had claimed to the school nurse that she was afraid of Mada because he would kiss her, touch her legs, and even slap her on her buttocks. However, according to the State Board of Education documents, there was no proof of any criminal acts. Mada finally gave up teaching in 2010.

 

According to the police report, he actually admitted to his struggle with his sexual attraction to children, which had been going on for years. It’s hard to tell how many children he had tried to mess with, he had been in the school system as a teach or teacher’s aid for twenty-six years.

 

Mada is being held without bond for charges of “dangerous crimes against children”.

 

Sexual Assault

 

Sexual Abuse is sometimes called molestation. Molestation is when someone is forcing undesired sexual behavior by one or more people towards another. When the force is “right now” or immediate, short term, it’s called a sexual assault. Most the time the offender is then called a sexual abuser or a molester. When the victim of sexual abuse is younger than the age of consent, then that is child sexual abuse.

 

Child Sexual Abuse, is a form of child abuse. It is when the child is sadly abused for the sick sexual satisfaction of an adult or older adolescent. There are several forms of child sex abuse.

 

Child Sex Abuse Examples

 

Sexual Contact is one form. That is when an adult or whoever is engaging in indecent exposure of their personal body parts to a child with the intent to “gratify” their own sexual desires.

 

The effects of child sexual abuse could and most likely does last a life time. Most victims feel guilt, self blame, flashbacks, nightmares, trouble sleeping, low self esteem, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, addiction, self injury, suicidal tendencies, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, as well as other life long symptoms.

 

Victims of child sex abuse are over six times more likely to attempt to commit suicide. They are eight times more likely to try to repeatedly kill themselves. In Fact, much of the side effects of child sexual abuse actually come later in life.

 

It’s a sad thing to think about. I know I’m terrified to send my child to school. You literally never know who a pedofile could be. You never want your child or anyone to experience the fear, pain, and all the trauma from being sexually abused. The school system and police can only do so much to keep your children safe. It’s sad to think that the people who are supposed to be protecting and caring for your children could very well be one of the people hurting them.

 

There are plenty of help-line’s if you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse. You can call anonymously at any time to talk. No one will judge you, they are here to help. If someone you know or love has been abused, please try those help hot lines.

 

Make sure to always talk to your children about their teachers. Let them know that if something goes on that makes them uncomfortable that they can always tell you and not get in trouble. A lot of kids feel like they did something wrong, so make sure that your children always know that they have that freedom to come and talk to you.

 

 

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Phoenix, AZ 85008
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DNA Evidence Helps Put to Rest a 20 Year Old Murder Case

DNA Evidence Helps Put to Rest a 20 Year Old Murder Case

DNA Final Factor in 20 Year Old Multiple Murder Cases

 

Technology and Science is ever changing. It’s so amazing and a thing of awe what science can do today. Thanks to DNA evidence an arrest has been made against a man who is involved for the killings of two young women twenty years ago. The two women who vanished, ten months apart on bike rides. They were riding near Phoenix’s Canal System.

 

Police were able to arrest forty-two year old, Bryan Patrick Miller on late Tuesday. They got him for the stabbing deaths of two girls, twenty-two year old Angela Brosso and seventeen year old Melanie Bernas.

 

According to the report, Angela was killed in November of 1992. Melanie was killed almost a year later in September 1993. Both of the young women had disappeared while biking near the Arizona Canal. Angela’s body was found decapitated, near an apartment complex. Melanie’s body was found 1.5 miles away just floating in the water.

 

Police Use DNA Evidence to Solve 20 Year Old Case

 

Police said that they were able to use forensic evidence connecting the killings within years. However, the investigators weren’t able to identify a suspect back then. Luckily, some DNA evidence was recently collected by some undercover officers and were able to link Miller to the killings.

 

Sgt. Trent Crump’s Statement:

Within literally hours we had a hit from those two murders, scientifically linking him by DNA, linking him to those two murders over 20 years ago.

 

 

Officers were able to search Miller’s rental home overnight. They expected to be continuing the search for several days due to the home being full of unspecified material. It’s unclear of what though.

 

Miller was being held without bond for: two counts of first degree murder and kidnapping as well as one count of sexual assault. Miller did not have a lawyer when he appeared in court on Wednesday. However, during the police interview, he denied having any involvement in the killings.

 

Police Statement in Court Document:

The defendant could not explain how the DNA profile obtained from the defendant was a match to the DNA profiles obtained from the victims.

 

Even though Miller denied any involvement, he did admit to living in the area of the killings at the time. He even admitted to also riding his bike on the bike paths.

 

Police have stated in the past that these killings were like the killer specialized in military training and he also collected trophies from the victims. Either bike from the killings were never found. However during the search, police did find a bike in Miller’s shed. It’s unclear if it’s one of the victims bikes though.

 

Source:https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/south-phoenix/angela-brosso-melanie-bernas-update-bryan-patrick-miller-denies-involvement-in-death-of-girls

 

 

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Former Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Misconduct

Former Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Misconduct

Former Physical Education Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Misconduct

 

It’s a sad world we live in now days. You can’t even trust your kids to be safe when you send them to school, that should be the safest place for them other than your home. Between the shootings and the sexual predators, it’s a little terrifying to send your child to school. It doesn’t stop when they reach high school either.

 

A former physical education teacher in Phoenix had been accused of some sexual misconduct with a female student. Apparently, she took the physical in physical education a little too seriously. Anyways, the former teacher has now been sentenced up to twenty years in prison as well as a lifetime of supervised probation.

 

Physical Education Teacher Sentenced

 

According to a Maricopa County Superior Court spokesman, stated that Nicole Wooten who is thirty-eight years old has been sentenced on Tuesday by Judge Sherry Stephens.

 

On December 1st of 2014, Nicole Wooten pleaded guilty to the charges of attempted child molestation, sexual conduct with a minor, and attempted sexual conduct with a minor.

 

The sexual misconduct happened when the victim was just an eighth grader. How sad and sick is that? That poor girl. She was a student at the Herrera School of Fine Arts & Dual Language which is in Phoenix. The sexual misconduct happened in 2005. The police say that the charges however, stemmed from incident that occurred at Wooten’s home in Mesa.

 

Which I’m not sure why the child was at the teacher’s home by herself with the teacher. Most teachers don’t have things going on at their home, so stuff like this doesn’t happen or can’t be accused of things happening. Let’s just hope if it did happen, that the little girl found some peace knowing that this woman will be in jail for some time and then supervised when she’s out.

 

 

Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/ex-phoenix-teacher-sentenced-to-prison-on-child-sex-charges

 

 

Criminal Defense Lawyers PLLC
668 N 44th St. Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(480) 351-6445
https://www.criminaldefenselawyers.me