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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A jury on Thursday found a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia\">Benicia\u003c/a> teacher guilty of sexually abusing four students at Robert Semple Elementary School, bringing to a close a criminal case that rocked the waterfront community and highlighted statewide gaps in educator vetting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matthew Shelton, 44, faced 12 felony counts of lewd acts with a child. He was convicted of 11 of those counts. The jury declared a mistrial for the remaining count. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was not the first time Shelton had been on trial for sexually abusing elementary students. Nearly two decades ago, Shelton stood trial over similar allegations that he sexually abused students at Phillips Edison Elementary School, a charter school in Napa. The jury acquitted him in 2008 after deliberating for just 20 minutes. The Benicia Unified School District hired him months later. Shelton then taught at the West Contra Costa Unified School District before returning to Benicia in 2015. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the victims of the alleged abuse in Napa, who testified in Shelton’s trial this month, said the verdict felt like a long time coming. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Justice was served. We’re finally here. Almost 20 years later,” she told KQED. This news organization does not name victims of alleged abuse without their consent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman, now in her 20s, said she testified on behalf of the girls in Benicia — and to make sure Shelton did not escape justice a second time.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It brought me back to being that third-grader and not being believed,” she said, adding that testifying as an adult felt different. “I felt like I had a voice this time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the trial, prosecutors played footage showing she told an officer the girls in Shelton’s class were 10 years old and hormonal, and that there was “a lot of emotion” in the classroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moore was put on leave the day after the verdict. Reached by phone, she declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said Shelton would smile. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Like he’s doing now,” she said from the witness stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She now works for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence and assault. “Being the voice for others is the whole purpose I’m put on this earth for.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said the district conducts reference checks when hiring and information during that process is “carefully vetted.” The district spokesperson said officials there placed Shelton on administrative leave in August 2023 after receiving an anonymous complaint.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093249/california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi\">both killed\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton is scheduled for sentencing in December. He faces life in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A jury on Thursday found a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia\">Benicia\u003c/a> teacher guilty of sexually abusing four students at Robert Semple Elementary School, bringing to a close a criminal case that rocked the waterfront community and highlighted statewide gaps in educator vetting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Matthew Shelton, 44, faced 12 felony counts of lewd acts with a child. He was convicted of 11 of those counts. The jury declared a mistrial for the remaining count. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This was not the first time Shelton had been on trial for sexually abusing elementary students. Nearly two decades ago, Shelton stood trial over similar allegations that he sexually abused students at Phillips Edison Elementary School, a charter school in Napa. The jury acquitted him in 2008 after deliberating for just 20 minutes. The Benicia Unified School District hired him months later. Shelton then taught at the West Contra Costa Unified School District before returning to Benicia in 2015. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This was not the first time Shelton had been on trial for sexually abusing elementary students. Nearly two decades ago, Shelton stood trial over similar allegations that he sexually abused students at Phillips Edison Elementary School, a charter school in Napa. The jury acquitted him in 2008 after deliberating for just 20 minutes. The Benicia Unified School District hired him months later. Shelton then taught at the West Contra Costa Unified School District before returning to Benicia in 2015. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the victims of the alleged abuse in Napa, who testified in Shelton’s trial this month, said the verdict felt like a long time coming. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Justice was served. We’re finally here. Almost 20 years later,” she told KQED. This news organization does not name victims of alleged abuse without their consent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Justice was served. We’re finally here. Almost 20 years later,” she told KQED. This news organization does not name victims of alleged abuse without their consent.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The woman, now in her 20s, said she testified on behalf of the girls in Benicia — and to make sure Shelton did not escape justice a second time.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It brought me back to being that third-grader and not being believed,” she said, adding that testifying as an adult felt different. “I felt like I had a voice this time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The woman, now in her 20s, said she testified on behalf of the girls in Benicia — and to make sure Shelton did not escape justice a second time.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It brought me back to being that third-grader and not being believed,” she said, adding that testifying as an adult felt different. “I felt like I had a voice this time.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>During the trial, prosecutors played footage showing she told an officer the girls in Shelton’s class were 10 years old and hormonal, and that there was “a lot of emotion” in the classroom. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Moore was put on leave the day after the verdict. Reached by phone, she declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said the district conducts reference checks when hiring and information during that process is “carefully vetted.” The district spokesperson said officials there placed Shelton on administrative leave in August 2023 after receiving an anonymous complaint.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said the district conducts reference checks when hiring and information during that process is “carefully vetted.” The district spokesperson said officials there placed Shelton on administrative leave in August 2023 after receiving an anonymous complaint.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shelton is scheduled for sentencing in December. He faces life in prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A Solano County jury found Matthew Shelton guilty of sexually abusing Benicia students. He was acquitted of similar allegations in Napa.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story includes details of alleged sexual misconduct against minors.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A jury on Thursday found a former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/benicia\">Benicia\u003c/a> teacher guilty of sexually abusing four students at Robert Semple Elementary School, bringing to a close a criminal case that rocked the waterfront community and highlighted statewide gaps in educator vetting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matthew Shelton, 44, faced 12 felony counts of lewd acts with a child. He was convicted of 11 of those counts. The jury declared a mistrial for the remaining count. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was not the first time Shelton had been on trial for sexually abusing elementary students. Nearly two decades ago, Shelton stood trial over similar allegations that he sexually abused students at Phillips Edison Elementary School, a charter school in Napa. The jury acquitted him in 2008 after deliberating for just 20 minutes. The Benicia Unified School District hired him months later. Shelton then taught at the West Contra Costa Unified School District before returning to Benicia in 2015. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the victims of the alleged abuse in Napa, who testified in Shelton’s trial this month, said the verdict felt like a long time coming. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Justice was served. We’re finally here. Almost 20 years later,” she told KQED. This news organization does not name victims of alleged abuse without their consent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman, now in her 20s, said she testified on behalf of the girls in Benicia — and to make sure Shelton did not escape justice a second time.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“It brought me back to being that third-grader and not being believed,” she said, adding that testifying as an adult felt different. “I felt like I had a voice this time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The woman was among seven former students from two school districts, ranging in ages from teens to adults in their late 20s, who took the stand over three weeks to testify against Shelton. They alleged that between 2007 and late 2022, he touched their butts, their crotch area, or that he made them touch his penis. Most of the abuse occurred in his classroom, including while other students were present. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101867\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthew Shelton holds hands with his wife Brandy Shelton as he walks into the Solano County Law and Justice Center for his court hearing in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton was acquitted in 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing — the state agency charged with determining who is fit to teach in California public schools — considered whether to discipline him, ultimately issuing a private admonishment. Such punishments, which are rare, are hidden from the public and must be expunged by the state and employers within three years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While making the case to the state for why he should be allowed to continue teaching, Shelton said he was willing to “put this event behind him” for future students who could benefit from his educational experience. He told the state panel of volunteers who reviewed his case that he changed his teaching practices, putting neon orange tape on the floor by his desk to create a physical barrier students were not allowed to cross, according to audio from the review played for the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The state allowed him to keep his license, and Shelton worked hard to ingratiate himself with Benicia parents and school administrators so future victims would not be believed, Shapiro said. Shapiro said when girls first reported inappropriate touching by Shelton to the Robert Semple Elementary principal, Christina Moore, in December 2022, they did not think their principal believed them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the trial, prosecutors played footage showing she told an officer the girls in Shelton’s class were 10 years old and hormonal, and that there was “a lot of emotion” in the classroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moore was put on leave the day after the verdict. Reached by phone, she declined to comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“[Shelton] thought that if he were valued by the school district, even if those students and victims did come forward, they likely would not make their way to the police department and certainly would not have the strength to make it into court,” Shapiro said. “The defendant was wrong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton’s defense attorney, Amanda Bevins, declined to comment on the verdict on Thursday. She had argued in her closing statement on Tuesday that multiple girls making allegations did not mean the claims were true.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“Repetition is not corroboration,” Bevins said. “The argument assumes the accounts developed independently. The evidence shows the opposite.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>She told the jury that the Benicia victims’ allegations became more detailed and egregious over time, beginning with claims of hugs and pinches on the arm that eventually morphed into accusations of sexual abuse. The girls’ memories, she said, had become “contaminated” by outside influences, from classmates and parents to attorneys posting ads online seeking victims of Shelton to represent in civil lawsuits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton acknowledged that he hugged students at Robert Semple Elementary School, and Bevins noted the school had no policy against touching students. She said no other students in Shelton’s classroom independently corroborated the girls’ claims that he touched their butts.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“If the prosecution’s theory is true, and Shelton was touching girls’ bottoms every day, multiple times a day, in front of the classroom, where is the corroboration? Where is the immediate outcry?” Bevins said. “It’s not there.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said another one of the girls’ claims that Shelton reached in the back seat of the car he was driving — then touched her crotch while he smiled — was either impossible or nearly impossible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12101868\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/20260928_BeniciaTeacherTrial_GC-21-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Solano County Law and Justice Center in Fairfield on Sept. 28, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the girls who accused Shelton of sexually abusing them at Phillips Edison Elementary School in Napa testified again at this trial. Bevins described the students as obstructive during their testimonies. One answered several of the defense attorney’s questions by saying she could not remember. Bevins said the other student appeared “angry” and “out for vengeance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former Napa student alleged during the trial that Shelton touched her crotch and made her touch his penis when she was in the third grade. Shapiro asked her to describe his demeanor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said Shelton would smile. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Like he’s doing now,” she said from the witness stand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with KQED after the verdict, the former student said she could feel him looking at her “deep within her soul” and his expression brought her back to being a third-grader in his classroom all over again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is still dealing with the trauma, she said, and struggles to trust male teachers around her own daughter. Sending her daughter to third-grade was the hardest, she said. But she said the guilty verdict closes a painful chapter for her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She now works for an organization that advocates for victims of domestic violence and assault. “Being the voice for others is the whole purpose I’m put on this earth for.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the criminal trial is over, Benicia Unified still faces three lawsuits alleging the district failed to protect its students when administrators hired Shelton in 2008. During the trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that appeared to show the state had notified the school district that it privately admonished Shelton. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They really dropped the ball,” said the mother of one of the girls suing Benicia Unified, who also testified at the trial. KQED is not naming her to protect her daughter’s identity. “They allowed someone like this inside of our school system. Somebody who was supposed to be a trusted figure.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a written statement, the Benicia Unified superintendent, Chris Calabrese, said the district’s focus is on the well-being and safety of its students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We are committed to maintaining strong hiring and screening practices, clear reporting procedures, staff training, and a school culture where students feel safe and heard,” Calabrese said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the mom said the issue extends beyond the district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Shelton agreed to resign from Benicia Unified in 2023 following complaints he touched students inappropriately, he was hired as an assistant principal at Helms Middle School in West Contra Costa Unified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the job application, Shelton listed as his supervisor a former teaching colleague and identified her as a principal, which she was not. Shelton acknowledged to the jury he lied and that he expected the teacher to provide a favorable reference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why didn’t they protect the children there?” the mother said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A spokesperson for West Contra Costa Unified said the district conducts reference checks when hiring and information during that process is “carefully vetted.” The district spokesperson said officials there placed Shelton on administrative leave in August 2023 after receiving an anonymous complaint.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2025, California public school administrators have been required to ask every single previous employing school whether teaching candidates were reported to the state for credible or substantiated reports of egregious misconduct. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097322/california-teacher-misconduct-bill-administrator-discipline-al-muratsuchi\">new law\u003c/a>, which goes into effect next year and was prompted by a \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/california-fired-teacher-sexual-harassment\">KQED-ProPublica investigation\u003c/a>, clarifies administrators who fail to do so may be subject to discipline by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But some school administrators say contacting every former employing school and getting their responses leaves room for error, since prospective teachers can omit information, or lie. Two California bills proposed this year would have created a searchable database to allow hiring schools to determine whether prospective teachers had been reported to the state after they were fired or resigned over claims of misconduct. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093249/california-teacher-misconduct-database-bill-failed-al-muratsuchi\">both killed\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shelton is scheduled for sentencing in December. He faces life in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "despite-the-evidence-contra-costa-countys-sheriff-coroner-called-her-death-a-suicide",
"title": "Despite the Evidence, Contra Costa County’s Sheriff-Coroner Called Her Death a Suicide",
"publishDate": 1792771200,
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"headTitle": "Despite the Evidence, Contra Costa County’s Sheriff-Coroner Called Her Death a Suicide | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A man who once ran for mayor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/antioch\">Antioch\u003c/a> will stand trial for the murder of his wife more than a decade after he told police she killed herself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a preliminary hearing Oct. 16, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge H. Glenn Kim found there was probable cause to show that Michael Leon, 68, shot and killed Brenda Leon, 52, in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key evidence presented in court was found in electronics seized from the family home roughly two weeks after Brenda’s death. A suicide note found on Brenda’s computer was written on Michael’s laptop, then transferred to Brenda’s computer on the morning of her death, according to a forensic analysis by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michael, who is in jail awaiting trial, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Matt Cuthbertson, said his client was “disappointed” in the judge’s decision and looks forward to a jury trial where he will be “afforded proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the courtroom, Brenda and Michael Leon’s daughters appeared frail and shaken; both declined to comment. Matt Guichard, an attorney who is representing the daughters in a civil suit against Michael Leon, told KQED, “ You’re sitting in a courtroom discussing the death of your mother, and seeing your father, the accused, in the same courtroom. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105260\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loved ones of murder victim, Brenda Leon, outside the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That Michael Leon will stand trial for murder more than a decade after his wife died underscores an ongoing debate in California about the reliability of death investigations in counties such as Contra Costa, where the sheriff is also the coroner. Critics say the sheriff-coroner arrangement is prone to conflicts of interest and can — intentionally or otherwise — undercut the medical expertise that’s standard in other death-investigation systems. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In these counties, the sheriff-coroner must consult with a forensic pathologist on the medical cause of death — such as a gunshot wound or heart attack — in sudden, violent or unnatural cases. But the sheriff-coroner, who typically has no medical training, has the last word on the \u003cem>manner\u003c/em> of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined. In Brenda Leon’s case, the sheriff-coroner determined that the manner of her death was suicide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An analysis by the California Newsroom found that 48 of the state’s 58 counties use a sheriff-coroner system. More than 19 million people — nearly half of California’s population — live under a combined sheriff-coroner office, according to the 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html\">American Community Survey\u003c/a> and other publicly available data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That leaves just six counties — Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and Ventura — where a licensed physician and surgeon with board certification in pathology, known as a medical examiner, investigates the cause and manner of deaths. (The remaining four counties appoint or vote for their coroners, who don’t have to be medical professionals.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yOWuq/3/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California, along with Montana and Nevada, are the only three states where county officials can choose a sheriff-coroner system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/impacts-governing-agency-comparison-resources-patchwork-medicolegal-death\">A 2024 federal survey\u003c/a> of death investigation systems across the United States found that standalone medical examiners or coroners conduct the most efficient and high-quality investigations, in part because they can “make operating decisions without having to balance competing priorities or influences.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics say there’s an inherent conflict of interest in having sheriffs determine the manner of deaths in the jails they run or when a civilian dies as a result of an officer’s actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11634689/autopsy-doctors-sheriff-overrode-death-findings-to-protect-law-enforcement\">two forensic pathologists accused\u003c/a> then-San Joaquin County Sheriff-Coroner Steve Moore of overriding their opinions in death investigations to shield himself and other law enforcement officers from prosecution. County supervisors later voted to replace the sheriff-coroner’s office with an independent medical examiner’s office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Riverside County jail deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened an investigation, which is ongoing. In the meantime, state legislators passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1379\">a law\u003c/a> this year to take coroner duties away from the Riverside County Sheriff’s department and install an independent medical examiner by next July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1108/id/3209248\">new law\u003c/a>, prompted by a string of deputy-involved deaths in Santa Barbara County jails, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. It requires counties with sheriff-coroners to ask another county with a medical examiner or standalone coroner, or an independent forensic pathologist, to determine both cause and manner of in-custody deaths. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Chad Bianco, who is also president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, told KQED that both bills, “[weren’t] about just getting it away from the jurisdiction of the place where the death occurred.” The bills were driven, he said, by liberal politicians “making sheriffs appear to be corrupt in the eyes of the public.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics say there’s also the issue of who is qualified to manage forensic procedures such as autopsies and tissue analyses. While sheriff-coroners work with licensed physicians who draw conclusions based on science, skeptics are troubled that a sheriff-coroner has the final say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Having someone with no medical expertise running the show,” said Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist with the Center for Policing Equity at Yale, “How are they even going to judge whether or not their procedures are up to standard?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bianco bristled at the idea and suggested he’d defer to medical professionals. “If I didn’t have 100% confidence in my chief pathologist,” he said, “they wouldn’t be the chief pathologist.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How a suspicious death investigation stalled \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The murder case against Michael Leon would not have wound up in court last week if not for the perseverance of Brenda’s family. Her parents and two daughters never believed she had killed herself and fought for more than a decade to prove it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Antioch Police Department denied KQED’s request for records or interviews, but a KQED analysis of the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner’s report, death certificates and court documents shows that evidence pointed to a homicide from the start. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deputy-Coroner Waimun Wong, with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, led the agency’s investigation of Brenda’s death. Michael Leon told Antioch police that he found his wife lying in bed deceased, still holding the gun, according to Wong’s report. It also indicated that Brenda’s laptop was at the foot of the bed, which police said contained a suicide note.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Family and friends of murder victim Brenda Leon leaving a preliminary hearing at the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to court documents, Wong later told a police detective that he’d found no gunshot residue on Brenda’s hands, which he considered odd; typically, when a person shoots themself, there would be some residue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leon’s two adult daughters told the detective they suspected their father was responsible, according to court filings. They described his mood swings and explosive temper, and said they believed he was capable of murder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most significantly, the detective discovered that the suicide note on Brenda’s laptop had been transferred there from a USB drive that was not found inside the house.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wong kept Brenda’s manner of death “unassigned” pending a forensic analysis of other electronics seized in the home, the coroner’s report said. But he closed the case while the analysis was underway and called it a suicide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, like all California sheriff-coroners, has the last word on the manner of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office declined KQED’s request for comment, as did Wong, who retired in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But a KQED review of Wong’s report shows that his determination contradicted two significant forensic findings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Arnold Josselson, the consulting forensic pathologist for the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner, confirmed that Brenda Leon died of a gunshot wound to the head. But in his report, he also noted a key detail: While most self-inflicted gunshots leave soot and tiny abrasions or burns, known as stippling, around the wound, Josselson wrote that there was “no soot or stippling.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105780\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt Guichard, an attorney representing Brenda Leon’s daughters in a wrongful death suit, attends a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against their father, Michael Leon, on Oct. 16, in Martinez. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That discovery, coupled with the lack of gunshot residue on Brenda’s hand, stood out to Matt Guichard, an attorney who Brenda’s daughters had contacted on the advice of a friend. Guichard had spent seven years as a deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County in charge of the homicide unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It didn’t add up,” Guichard told KQED. “If you put a gun to your head, you will have a circle where the barrel imprints itself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He subpoenaed police records, including the electronic evidence that investigators had gathered shortly after Brenda’s death, and shared his findings with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. The DA revived the case, and Michael Leon was arrested Jan. 22, nearly 11 years after Brenda’s death.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next court date is set for Nov. 2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg\" alt=\"Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepali at a preliminary hearing Oct. 16 for Micheal Leon to stand trial for the 2015 murder of his wife Brenda Leon.\" class=\"wp-image-12105261\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepalli (right) leaves a preliminary hearing on Oct. 16 in the case of Michael Leon, who faces charges for the 2015 murder of his wife, Brenda Leon. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The judge’s decision to move the case to trial was encouraging to Gael Strack, a former San Diego County prosecutor who founded Alliance for HOPE International, a nonprofit that advocates for domestic violence victims and their families. In 2022, Strack helped pass \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB989/id/3023396\">a state law\u003c/a> that requires law enforcement agencies to investigate further when a victim of domestic violence dies by an apparent suicide or accident. She and her colleagues identified roughly a dozen deaths in California that they believe were misclassified as suicides or accidents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strack said getting sheriff-coroners to reconsider closed cases has been especially challenging. “The laws do not protect family members as much as they protect sheriff-coroners,” she said. “They have total discretion on whether to investigate further or to change a death certificate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guichard echoed Strack’s concerns. “If not for reading the coroner’s report and seeing the electronics, this never would have been uncovered,” he said. “There are lots of questionable deaths that don’t get the thorough investigations they deserve.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Data Journalist Emily Zentner of The California Newsroom contributed data analysis to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was published with support from\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state with NPR as its national partner. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A man who once ran for mayor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/antioch\">Antioch\u003c/a> will stand trial for the murder of his wife more than a decade after he told police she killed herself.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At a preliminary hearing Oct. 16, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge H. Glenn Kim found there was probable cause to show that Michael Leon, 68, shot and killed Brenda Leon, 52, in 2015.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At a preliminary hearing Oct. 16, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge H. Glenn Kim found there was probable cause to show that Michael Leon, 68, shot and killed Brenda Leon, 52, in 2015.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Key evidence presented in court was found in electronics seized from the family home roughly two weeks after Brenda’s death. A suicide note found on Brenda’s computer was written on Michael’s laptop, then transferred to Brenda’s computer on the morning of her death, according to a forensic analysis by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Key evidence presented in court was found in electronics seized from the family home roughly two weeks after Brenda’s death. A suicide note found on Brenda’s computer was written on Michael’s laptop, then transferred to Brenda’s computer on the morning of her death, according to a forensic analysis by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael, who is in jail awaiting trial, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Matt Cuthbertson, said his client was “disappointed” in the judge’s decision and looks forward to a jury trial where he will be “afforded proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Michael, who is in jail awaiting trial, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Matt Cuthbertson, said his client was “disappointed” in the judge’s decision and looks forward to a jury trial where he will be “afforded proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the courtroom, Brenda and Michael Leon’s daughters appeared frail and shaken; both declined to comment. Matt Guichard, an attorney who is representing the daughters in a civil suit against Michael Leon, told KQED, “ You’re sitting in a courtroom discussing the death of your mother, and seeing your father, the accused, in the same courtroom. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the courtroom, Brenda and Michael Leon’s daughters appeared frail and shaken; both declined to comment. Matt Guichard, an attorney who is representing the daughters in a civil suit against Michael Leon, told KQED, “ You’re sitting in a courtroom discussing the death of your mother, and seeing your father, the accused, in the same courtroom. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105260\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loved ones of murder victim, Brenda Leon, outside the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105260\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loved ones of murder victim, Brenda Leon, outside the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That Michael Leon will stand trial for murder more than a decade after his wife died underscores an ongoing debate in California about the reliability of death investigations in counties such as Contra Costa, where the sheriff is also the coroner. Critics say the sheriff-coroner arrangement is prone to conflicts of interest and can — intentionally or otherwise — undercut the medical expertise that’s standard in other death-investigation systems. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That Michael Leon will stand trial for murder more than a decade after his wife died underscores an ongoing debate in California about the reliability of death investigations in counties such as Contra Costa, where the sheriff is also the coroner. Critics say the sheriff-coroner arrangement is prone to conflicts of interest and can — intentionally or otherwise — undercut the medical expertise that’s standard in other death-investigation systems. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In these counties, the sheriff-coroner must consult with a forensic pathologist on the medical cause of death — such as a gunshot wound or heart attack — in sudden, violent or unnatural cases. But the sheriff-coroner, who typically has no medical training, has the last word on the \u003cem>manner\u003c/em> of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined. In Brenda Leon’s case, the sheriff-coroner determined that the manner of her death was suicide.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In these counties, the sheriff-coroner must consult with a forensic pathologist on the medical cause of death — such as a gunshot wound or heart attack — in sudden, violent or unnatural cases. But the sheriff-coroner, who typically has no medical training, has the last word on the \u003cem>manner\u003c/em> of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined. In Brenda Leon’s case, the sheriff-coroner determined that the manner of her death was suicide.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An analysis by the California Newsroom found that 48 of the state’s 58 counties use a sheriff-coroner system. More than 19 million people — nearly half of California’s population — live under a combined sheriff-coroner office, according to the 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html\">American Community Survey\u003c/a> and other publicly available data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An analysis by the California Newsroom found that 48 of the state’s 58 counties use a sheriff-coroner system. More than 19 million people — nearly half of California’s population — live under a combined sheriff-coroner office, according to the 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html\">American Community Survey\u003c/a> and other publicly available data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That leaves just six counties — Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and Ventura — where a licensed physician and surgeon with board certification in pathology, known as a medical examiner, investigates the cause and manner of deaths. (The remaining four counties appoint or vote for their coroners, who don’t have to be medical professionals.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That leaves just six counties — Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and Ventura — where a licensed physician and surgeon with board certification in pathology, known as a medical examiner, investigates the cause and manner of deaths. (The remaining four counties appoint or vote for their coroners, who don’t have to be medical professionals.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California, along with Montana and Nevada, are the only three states where county officials can choose a sheriff-coroner system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California, along with Montana and Nevada, are the only three states where county officials can choose a sheriff-coroner system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/impacts-governing-agency-comparison-resources-patchwork-medicolegal-death\">A 2024 federal survey\u003c/a> of death investigation systems across the United States found that standalone medical examiners or coroners conduct the most efficient and high-quality investigations, in part because they can “make operating decisions without having to balance competing priorities or influences.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/impacts-governing-agency-comparison-resources-patchwork-medicolegal-death\">A 2024 federal survey\u003c/a> of death investigation systems across the United States found that standalone medical examiners or coroners conduct the most efficient and high-quality investigations, in part because they can “make operating decisions without having to balance competing priorities or influences.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Critics say there’s an inherent conflict of interest in having sheriffs determine the manner of deaths in the jails they run or when a civilian dies as a result of an officer’s actions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Critics say there’s an inherent conflict of interest in having sheriffs determine the manner of deaths in the jails they run or when a civilian dies as a result of an officer’s actions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11634689/autopsy-doctors-sheriff-overrode-death-findings-to-protect-law-enforcement\">two forensic pathologists accused\u003c/a> then-San Joaquin County Sheriff-Coroner Steve Moore of overriding their opinions in death investigations to shield himself and other law enforcement officers from prosecution. County supervisors later voted to replace the sheriff-coroner’s office with an independent medical examiner’s office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Riverside County jail deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened an investigation, which is ongoing. In the meantime, state legislators passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1379\">a law\u003c/a> this year to take coroner duties away from the Riverside County Sheriff’s department and install an independent medical examiner by next July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Riverside County jail deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened an investigation, which is ongoing. In the meantime, state legislators passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1379\">a law\u003c/a> this year to take coroner duties away from the Riverside County Sheriff’s department and install an independent medical examiner by next July. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1108/id/3209248\">new law\u003c/a>, prompted by a string of deputy-involved deaths in Santa Barbara County jails, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. It requires counties with sheriff-coroners to ask another county with a medical examiner or standalone coroner, or an independent forensic pathologist, to determine both cause and manner of in-custody deaths. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1108/id/3209248\">new law\u003c/a>, prompted by a string of deputy-involved deaths in Santa Barbara County jails, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. It requires counties with sheriff-coroners to ask another county with a medical examiner or standalone coroner, or an independent forensic pathologist, to determine both cause and manner of in-custody deaths. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Chad Bianco, who is also president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, told KQED that both bills, “[weren’t] about just getting it away from the jurisdiction of the place where the death occurred.” The bills were driven, he said, by liberal politicians “making sheriffs appear to be corrupt in the eyes of the public.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Chad Bianco, who is also president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, told KQED that both bills, “[weren’t] about just getting it away from the jurisdiction of the place where the death occurred.” The bills were driven, he said, by liberal politicians “making sheriffs appear to be corrupt in the eyes of the public.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Critics say there’s also the issue of who is qualified to manage forensic procedures such as autopsies and tissue analyses. While sheriff-coroners work with licensed physicians who draw conclusions based on science, skeptics are troubled that a sheriff-coroner has the final say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Critics say there’s also the issue of who is qualified to manage forensic procedures such as autopsies and tissue analyses. While sheriff-coroners work with licensed physicians who draw conclusions based on science, skeptics are troubled that a sheriff-coroner has the final say. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Having someone with no medical expertise running the show,” said Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist with the Center for Policing Equity at Yale, “How are they even going to judge whether or not their procedures are up to standard?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Having someone with no medical expertise running the show,” said Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist with the Center for Policing Equity at Yale, “How are they even going to judge whether or not their procedures are up to standard?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bianco bristled at the idea and suggested he’d defer to medical professionals. “If I didn’t have 100% confidence in my chief pathologist,” he said, “they wouldn’t be the chief pathologist.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bianco bristled at the idea and suggested he’d defer to medical professionals. “If I didn’t have 100% confidence in my chief pathologist,” he said, “they wouldn’t be the chief pathologist.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How a suspicious death investigation stalled \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The murder case against Michael Leon would not have wound up in court last week if not for the perseverance of Brenda’s family. Her parents and two daughters never believed she had killed herself and fought for more than a decade to prove it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The murder case against Michael Leon would not have wound up in court last week if not for the perseverance of Brenda’s family. Her parents and two daughters never believed she had killed herself and fought for more than a decade to prove it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Antioch Police Department denied KQED’s request for records or interviews, but a KQED analysis of the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner’s report, death certificates and court documents shows that evidence pointed to a homicide from the start. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Antioch Police Department denied KQED’s request for records or interviews, but a KQED analysis of the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner’s report, death certificates and court documents shows that evidence pointed to a homicide from the start. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deputy-Coroner Waimun Wong, with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, led the agency’s investigation of Brenda’s death. Michael Leon told Antioch police that he found his wife lying in bed deceased, still holding the gun, according to Wong’s report. It also indicated that Brenda’s laptop was at the foot of the bed, which police said contained a suicide note.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Deputy-Coroner Waimun Wong, with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, led the agency’s investigation of Brenda’s death. Michael Leon told Antioch police that he found his wife lying in bed deceased, still holding the gun, according to Wong’s report. It also indicated that Brenda’s laptop was at the foot of the bed, which police said contained a suicide note.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Family and friends of murder victim Brenda Leon leaving a preliminary hearing at the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105257\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Family and friends of murder victim Brenda Leon leaving a preliminary hearing at the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to court documents, Wong later told a police detective that he’d found no gunshot residue on Brenda’s hands, which he considered odd; typically, when a person shoots themself, there would be some residue.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to court documents, Wong later told a police detective that he’d found no gunshot residue on Brenda’s hands, which he considered odd; typically, when a person shoots themself, there would be some residue.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Leon’s two adult daughters told the detective they suspected their father was responsible, according to court filings. They described his mood swings and explosive temper, and said they believed he was capable of murder. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Leon’s two adult daughters told the detective they suspected their father was responsible, according to court filings. They described his mood swings and explosive temper, and said they believed he was capable of murder. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Most significantly, the detective discovered that the suicide note on Brenda’s laptop had been transferred there from a USB drive that was not found inside the house.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Most significantly, the detective discovered that the suicide note on Brenda’s laptop had been transferred there from a USB drive that was not found inside the house.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wong kept Brenda’s manner of death “unassigned” pending a forensic analysis of other electronics seized in the home, the coroner’s report said. But he closed the case while the analysis was underway and called it a suicide.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wong kept Brenda’s manner of death “unassigned” pending a forensic analysis of other electronics seized in the home, the coroner’s report said. But he closed the case while the analysis was underway and called it a suicide.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, like all California sheriff-coroners, has the last word on the manner of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105781\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, like all California sheriff-coroners, has the last word on the manner of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office declined KQED’s request for comment, as did Wong, who retired in 2025.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But a KQED review of Wong’s report shows that his determination contradicted two significant forensic findings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dr. Arnold Josselson, the consulting forensic pathologist for the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner, confirmed that Brenda Leon died of a gunshot wound to the head. But in his report, he also noted a key detail: While most self-inflicted gunshots leave soot and tiny abrasions or burns, known as stippling, around the wound, Josselson wrote that there was “no soot or stippling.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dr. Arnold Josselson, the consulting forensic pathologist for the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner, confirmed that Brenda Leon died of a gunshot wound to the head. But in his report, he also noted a key detail: While most self-inflicted gunshots leave soot and tiny abrasions or burns, known as stippling, around the wound, Josselson wrote that there was “no soot or stippling.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105780\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt Guichard, an attorney representing Brenda Leon’s daughters in a wrongful death suit, attends a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against their father, Michael Leon, on Oct. 16, in Martinez.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105780\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt Guichard, an attorney representing Brenda Leon’s daughters in a wrongful death suit, attends a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against their father, Michael Leon, on Oct. 16, in Martinez.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That discovery, coupled with the lack of gunshot residue on Brenda’s hand, stood out to Matt Guichard, an attorney who Brenda’s daughters had contacted on the advice of a friend. Guichard had spent seven years as a deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County in charge of the homicide unit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That discovery, coupled with the lack of gunshot residue on Brenda’s hand, stood out to Matt Guichard, an attorney who Brenda’s daughters had contacted on the advice of a friend. Guichard had spent seven years as a deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County in charge of the homicide unit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It didn’t add up,” Guichard told KQED. “If you put a gun to your head, you will have a circle where the barrel imprints itself.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It didn’t add up,” Guichard told KQED. “If you put a gun to your head, you will have a circle where the barrel imprints itself.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He subpoenaed police records, including the electronic evidence that investigators had gathered shortly after Brenda’s death, and shared his findings with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. The DA revived the case, and Michael Leon was arrested Jan. 22, nearly 11 years after Brenda’s death.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He subpoenaed police records, including the electronic evidence that investigators had gathered shortly after Brenda’s death, and shared his findings with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. The DA revived the case, and Michael Leon was arrested Jan. 22, nearly 11 years after Brenda’s death.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The next court date is set for Nov. 2.\u003c/p>\n",
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"alt": "Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepali at a preliminary hearing Oct. 16 for Micheal Leon to stand trial for the 2015 murder of his wife Brenda Leon.",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg\" alt=\"Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepali at a preliminary hearing Oct. 16 for Micheal Leon to stand trial for the 2015 murder of his wife Brenda Leon.\" class=\"wp-image-12105261\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepalli (right) leaves a preliminary hearing on Oct. 16 in the case of Michael Leon, who faces charges for the 2015 murder of his wife, Brenda Leon.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg\" alt=\"Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepali at a preliminary hearing Oct. 16 for Micheal Leon to stand trial for the 2015 murder of his wife Brenda Leon.\" class=\"wp-image-12105261\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepalli (right) leaves a preliminary hearing on Oct. 16 in the case of Michael Leon, who faces charges for the 2015 murder of his wife, Brenda Leon.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The judge’s decision to move the case to trial was encouraging to Gael Strack, a former San Diego County prosecutor who founded Alliance for HOPE International, a nonprofit that advocates for domestic violence victims and their families. In 2022, Strack helped pass \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB989/id/3023396\">a state law\u003c/a> that requires law enforcement agencies to investigate further when a victim of domestic violence dies by an apparent suicide or accident. She and her colleagues identified roughly a dozen deaths in California that they believe were misclassified as suicides or accidents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The judge’s decision to move the case to trial was encouraging to Gael Strack, a former San Diego County prosecutor who founded Alliance for HOPE International, a nonprofit that advocates for domestic violence victims and their families. In 2022, Strack helped pass \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB989/id/3023396\">a state law\u003c/a> that requires law enforcement agencies to investigate further when a victim of domestic violence dies by an apparent suicide or accident. She and her colleagues identified roughly a dozen deaths in California that they believe were misclassified as suicides or accidents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Strack said getting sheriff-coroners to reconsider closed cases has been especially challenging. “The laws do not protect family members as much as they protect sheriff-coroners,” she said. “They have total discretion on whether to investigate further or to change a death certificate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Strack said getting sheriff-coroners to reconsider closed cases has been especially challenging. “The laws do not protect family members as much as they protect sheriff-coroners,” she said. “They have total discretion on whether to investigate further or to change a death certificate.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Guichard echoed Strack’s concerns. “If not for reading the coroner’s report and seeing the electronics, this never would have been uncovered,” he said. “There are lots of questionable deaths that don’t get the thorough investigations they deserve.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Guichard echoed Strack’s concerns. “If not for reading the coroner’s report and seeing the electronics, this never would have been uncovered,” he said. “There are lots of questionable deaths that don’t get the thorough investigations they deserve.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Data Journalist Emily Zentner of The California Newsroom contributed data analysis to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was published with support from\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state with NPR as its national partner. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "More than a decade after Brenda Leon died, her husband will stand trial for her murder. The case underscores an ongoing debate about the reliability of death investigations in some California counties. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A man who once ran for mayor of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/antioch\">Antioch\u003c/a> will stand trial for the murder of his wife more than a decade after he told police she killed herself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a preliminary hearing Oct. 16, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge H. Glenn Kim found there was probable cause to show that Michael Leon, 68, shot and killed Brenda Leon, 52, in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key evidence presented in court was found in electronics seized from the family home roughly two weeks after Brenda’s death. A suicide note found on Brenda’s computer was written on Michael’s laptop, then transferred to Brenda’s computer on the morning of her death, according to a forensic analysis by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michael, who is in jail awaiting trial, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Matt Cuthbertson, said his client was “disappointed” in the judge’s decision and looks forward to a jury trial where he will be “afforded proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the courtroom, Brenda and Michael Leon’s daughters appeared frail and shaken; both declined to comment. Matt Guichard, an attorney who is representing the daughters in a civil suit against Michael Leon, told KQED, “ You’re sitting in a courtroom discussing the death of your mother, and seeing your father, the accused, in the same courtroom. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105260\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-12-MC-KQED-3f571583-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loved ones of murder victim, Brenda Leon, outside the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That Michael Leon will stand trial for murder more than a decade after his wife died underscores an ongoing debate in California about the reliability of death investigations in counties such as Contra Costa, where the sheriff is also the coroner. Critics say the sheriff-coroner arrangement is prone to conflicts of interest and can — intentionally or otherwise — undercut the medical expertise that’s standard in other death-investigation systems. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In these counties, the sheriff-coroner must consult with a forensic pathologist on the medical cause of death — such as a gunshot wound or heart attack — in sudden, violent or unnatural cases. But the sheriff-coroner, who typically has no medical training, has the last word on the \u003cem>manner\u003c/em> of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined. In Brenda Leon’s case, the sheriff-coroner determined that the manner of her death was suicide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An analysis by the California Newsroom found that 48 of the state’s 58 counties use a sheriff-coroner system. More than 19 million people — nearly half of California’s population — live under a combined sheriff-coroner office, according to the 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html\">American Community Survey\u003c/a> and other publicly available data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That leaves just six counties — Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and Ventura — where a licensed physician and surgeon with board certification in pathology, known as a medical examiner, investigates the cause and manner of deaths. (The remaining four counties appoint or vote for their coroners, who don’t have to be medical professionals.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yOWuq/3/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California, along with Montana and Nevada, are the only three states where county officials can choose a sheriff-coroner system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/impacts-governing-agency-comparison-resources-patchwork-medicolegal-death\">A 2024 federal survey\u003c/a> of death investigation systems across the United States found that standalone medical examiners or coroners conduct the most efficient and high-quality investigations, in part because they can “make operating decisions without having to balance competing priorities or influences.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics say there’s an inherent conflict of interest in having sheriffs determine the manner of deaths in the jails they run or when a civilian dies as a result of an officer’s actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11634689/autopsy-doctors-sheriff-overrode-death-findings-to-protect-law-enforcement\">two forensic pathologists accused\u003c/a> then-San Joaquin County Sheriff-Coroner Steve Moore of overriding their opinions in death investigations to shield himself and other law enforcement officers from prosecution. County supervisors later voted to replace the sheriff-coroner’s office with an independent medical examiner’s office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Riverside County jail deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened an investigation, which is ongoing. In the meantime, state legislators passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1379\">a law\u003c/a> this year to take coroner duties away from the Riverside County Sheriff’s department and install an independent medical examiner by next July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1108/id/3209248\">new law\u003c/a>, prompted by a string of deputy-involved deaths in Santa Barbara County jails, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. It requires counties with sheriff-coroners to ask another county with a medical examiner or standalone coroner, or an independent forensic pathologist, to determine both cause and manner of in-custody deaths. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Chad Bianco, who is also president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, told KQED that both bills, “[weren’t] about just getting it away from the jurisdiction of the place where the death occurred.” The bills were driven, he said, by liberal politicians “making sheriffs appear to be corrupt in the eyes of the public.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics say there’s also the issue of who is qualified to manage forensic procedures such as autopsies and tissue analyses. While sheriff-coroners work with licensed physicians who draw conclusions based on science, skeptics are troubled that a sheriff-coroner has the final say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Having someone with no medical expertise running the show,” said Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist with the Center for Policing Equity at Yale, “How are they even going to judge whether or not their procedures are up to standard?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bianco bristled at the idea and suggested he’d defer to medical professionals. “If I didn’t have 100% confidence in my chief pathologist,” he said, “they wouldn’t be the chief pathologist.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How a suspicious death investigation stalled \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The murder case against Michael Leon would not have wound up in court last week if not for the perseverance of Brenda’s family. Her parents and two daughters never believed she had killed herself and fought for more than a decade to prove it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Antioch Police Department denied KQED’s request for records or interviews, but a KQED analysis of the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner’s report, death certificates and court documents shows that evidence pointed to a homicide from the start. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deputy-Coroner Waimun Wong, with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, led the agency’s investigation of Brenda’s death. Michael Leon told Antioch police that he found his wife lying in bed deceased, still holding the gun, according to Wong’s report. It also indicated that Brenda’s laptop was at the foot of the bed, which police said contained a suicide note.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-11-MC-KQED-019a5aee-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Family and friends of murder victim Brenda Leon leaving a preliminary hearing at the A.F. Bray Courts Building on Oct. 16, 2026, in Martinez. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to court documents, Wong later told a police detective that he’d found no gunshot residue on Brenda’s hands, which he considered odd; typically, when a person shoots themself, there would be some residue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leon’s two adult daughters told the detective they suspected their father was responsible, according to court filings. They described his mood swings and explosive temper, and said they believed he was capable of murder. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most significantly, the detective discovered that the suicide note on Brenda’s laptop had been transferred there from a USB drive that was not found inside the house.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wong kept Brenda’s manner of death “unassigned” pending a forensic analysis of other electronics seized in the home, the coroner’s report said. But he closed the case while the analysis was underway and called it a suicide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105781\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-04-MC-KQED-eecc31d0-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, like all California sheriff-coroners, has the last word on the manner of death, whether natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office declined KQED’s request for comment, as did Wong, who retired in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But a KQED review of Wong’s report shows that his determination contradicted two significant forensic findings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Arnold Josselson, the consulting forensic pathologist for the Contra Costa County sheriff-coroner, confirmed that Brenda Leon died of a gunshot wound to the head. But in his report, he also noted a key detail: While most self-inflicted gunshots leave soot and tiny abrasions or burns, known as stippling, around the wound, Josselson wrote that there was “no soot or stippling.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105780\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-09-MC-KQED-fe63b5d6-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt Guichard, an attorney representing Brenda Leon’s daughters in a wrongful death suit, attends a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against their father, Michael Leon, on Oct. 16, in Martinez. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That discovery, coupled with the lack of gunshot residue on Brenda’s hand, stood out to Matt Guichard, an attorney who Brenda’s daughters had contacted on the advice of a friend. Guichard had spent seven years as a deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County in charge of the homicide unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It didn’t add up,” Guichard told KQED. “If you put a gun to your head, you will have a circle where the barrel imprints itself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He subpoenaed police records, including the electronic evidence that investigators had gathered shortly after Brenda’s death, and shared his findings with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. The DA revived the case, and Michael Leon was arrested Jan. 22, nearly 11 years after Brenda’s death.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next court date is set for Nov. 2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg\" alt=\"Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepali at a preliminary hearing Oct. 16 for Micheal Leon to stand trial for the 2015 murder of his wife Brenda Leon.\" class=\"wp-image-12105261\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101626-ANTIOCHMAYORCANDIDATEMURDERHEARING-19-MC-KQED-1-c816f730-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Contra Costa County prosecutor Satish Jallepalli (right) leaves a preliminary hearing on Oct. 16 in the case of Michael Leon, who faces charges for the 2015 murder of his wife, Brenda Leon. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The judge’s decision to move the case to trial was encouraging to Gael Strack, a former San Diego County prosecutor who founded Alliance for HOPE International, a nonprofit that advocates for domestic violence victims and their families. In 2022, Strack helped pass \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB989/id/3023396\">a state law\u003c/a> that requires law enforcement agencies to investigate further when a victim of domestic violence dies by an apparent suicide or accident. She and her colleagues identified roughly a dozen deaths in California that they believe were misclassified as suicides or accidents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strack said getting sheriff-coroners to reconsider closed cases has been especially challenging. “The laws do not protect family members as much as they protect sheriff-coroners,” she said. “They have total discretion on whether to investigate further or to change a death certificate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guichard echoed Strack’s concerns. “If not for reading the coroner’s report and seeing the electronics, this never would have been uncovered,” he said. “There are lots of questionable deaths that don’t get the thorough investigations they deserve.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Data Journalist Emily Zentner of The California Newsroom contributed data analysis to this reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was published with support from\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state with NPR as its national partner. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-corruption-trial-fbi-agent-expected-to-testify-on-backdoor-dealings-in-city-hall",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay described evidence the agency collected in its investigation of alleged public corruption in the criminal trial of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103071/as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf\">San José\u003c/a>’s independent police auditor said its office continues to be “kept in the dark” when it comes to receiving critical information in the immediate aftermath of police shootings, due to a city and police directive barring the auditor from shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a change since the beginning of the year, the auditor’s office has altogether stopped sending staff to the places where investigations are happening after officers have fired their weapons because their “presence at the scene provides no meaningful additional information,” Interim Independent Police Auditor Dwight White wrote in the office’s annual oversight report for 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/135483/639279531804930000\">annual report\u003c/a> was released this week, showing that complaints against officers steadily increased in 2024 and 2025 after dipping from 2021 through 2023, and that the number of times officers used force bumped up slightly over 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, which was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, includes a dozen recommendations from White’s office on how the San José Police Department should improve its work, all of which the department agreed with or partially agreed to implement. But near the top of the report, White reiterated concerns about the exclusion from police shooting scenes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The IPA is not granted access to the scene, nor does it have access to the briefing or walkthrough. The IPA is kept in the dark and completely out of the process,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240520-SJPD-SHOOTING-JG-02-48ab42e3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a press conference on May 20, 2024, one day after the city’s third police shooting of 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan and the whole council, along with Police Chief Paul Joseph, citing concerns about the integrity of police investigation scenes, rejected former auditor Eddie Aubrey’s recommendation to grant the office such access during an annual review last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">Aubrey\u003c/a> told the council that other major cities in the Bay Area and the state allow for that kind of real-time observation to ensure independent oversight is thorough, and told \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/22/san-jose-city-spurns-watchdogs-plea-for-more-access-to-police-shootings-force-cases/\">\u003cem>The Mercury News\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he considered the recommendation “low-hanging fruit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview this week, White said the lack of access means San José is “kind of lacking” in contrast to cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Long Beach, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I’m not sure why that isn’t the standard” in San José, White said. He said his office simply gets a phone briefing from police officials under current practice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If we can convince the City Council that it’s important to get access to the scene maybe next year or further down the road, we’ll definitely look into those options,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sean Allen, the president of the San José/Silicon Valley NAACP, and a former county correctional officer, told the council at the meeting they should reconsider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What we have now is not oversight. When we talk to the community groups, we’re not happy with what we presently have in terms of [White’s] access to things. So we’d appreciate it if you guys would relook at that kind of stuff. The access needs to be changed in terms of how we do oversight,” Allen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued lack of access to those scenes is coupled with what White said are frequent delays in police handing over completed internal investigations of other instances when officers seriously injure someone. In some cases, the completed investigations weren’t handed over at all, until the auditor discovered them and inquired with police. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collectively, the delays and inconsistent information sharing hamper the ability of the auditor’s office to closely review the “circumstances leading to the force, the actions of the officers and subject, or whether the investigation’s factual and policy conclusions are supported by the evidence,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the recommendations from White’s office are a call to implement a written policy requiring SJPD to provide the IPA’s office with every completed investigation stemming from police seriously injuring or shooting someone within 30 days after the department has completed its review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the recommendation, Police Chief Paul Joseph told the council the department recently switched from “paper copies” to new digital software for its internal affairs work, which has “sped up the processing of the information and the provision of that information to the IPA.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025 overall, the city’s police officers used force on people 598 times, an increase of about 5% over 2024, and the fourth consecutive annual increase after a low in 2021, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105771\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260122-SJPDSHOOT-JG-2_qed-61dfe3fa-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the San José City Council listen as San José Police Chief Paul Joseph speaks to the media during a Jan. 22, 2026, press conference about a police shooting downtown. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White’s report showed that officers received 499 complaints overall in 2025, including complaints from community members and those initiated by the department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of those complaints, 326 of them were from community members concerning an officer’s conduct, continuing an upward trend from 263 in 2024, after a recent low of 224 in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This recent uptick could reflect renewed public concern, increased willingness to report, or emerging challenges in police-community interactions that warrant closer attention,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A total of 370 officers on the force in 2025 received at least one complaint, or roughly 36% of active officers, which is an increase from 30% of officers in 2024 who received at least one complaint, and 27% who received a complaint in 2023. In 2022, about 33% of officers received at least one. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One officer led the department with seven separate complaints during 2025, the report said. Four other officers had five complaints, and nine others had four complaints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officers with two to six years of experience had the highest complaint rates, with more than 50% of those officers receiving a complaint, while about 23% of officers with 11 to 15 years of experience received complaints, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the office tracks complaints by calendar year, the cases it reviews and closes each year can contain complaints from differing years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases the office reviewed and closed in 2025, the IPA investigated 942 separate allegations of police misconduct, with about 11% of those allegations sustained, “confirming some wrongdoing or misconduct occurred.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large majority of the allegations, 74%, were characterized as “unfounded,” in which the evidence didn’t support the claim, or “exonerated,” meaning the conduct likely happened, “but the police officer’s actions were found to be within policy, highlighting the complexity of policing and the potential for misperception,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IPA’s report also recommended the department should “explicitly prohibit the use of profanity or disparaging language as a routine control tactic.” In four cases reviewed by the auditor’s office, “officers repeatedly used profanity, especially variations of ‘shut the fuck up’ as a method they described as ‘de-escalation’,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Officers defended this language as a tactic to ‘shock,’ ‘snap’ or reassert control over individuals who were argumentative or talkative. That rationale itself is problematic. Profanity and disparaging language should not be treated as legitimate control techniques, especially when they escalate tension or serve no clear operational purpose,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A police department memo said the current policy prohibits officers “from using coarse, profane or derogatory language with a very narrow exception for “when necessary to establish control during a violent or dangerous situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11989256\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/06/240424-SJPD-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San José Police Department squad car in San José on April 18, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph, in his comments to the council, said a new policy isn’t needed because officers can be and already are disciplined for foul language in the wrong circumstances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It is not an approved standard de-escalation technique. There are rare occasions. And look, if an officer’s going to swear at somebody and it’s going to prevent them from using force, then you know what, I’d rather have them do that,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joseph declined an interview request for this story. He told the council many of the policy changes based on the recommendations were already being made and should be complete by February. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re always trying to be better. We appreciate the IPA’s partnership in making us better and holding us accountable,” Joseph said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White took over as the interim auditor following Aubrey’s sudden and unexplained exit from the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey, who was hired as the city’s new IPA in May 2024, was placed on administrative leave with no explanation in August of this year. The city \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094999/san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly\">announced his retirement\u003c/a> the following week, without any statement from Aubrey, who also did not return calls or texts seeking comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey was lauded as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the City Council, which followed a period of tumult and staff turnover at the office, following the unexpected retirement of former auditor Shivaun Nurre in June 2023. She stepped down after getting into a verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-francisco-judge-denies-bail-to-engineer-accused-of-bugging-openai-hq",
"title": "San Francisco Judge Denies Bail to Engineer Accused of Bugging OpenAI HQ",
"publishDate": 1792513573,
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"headTitle": "San Francisco Judge Denies Bail to Engineer Accused of Bugging OpenAI HQ | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/open-ai\">OpenAI\u003c/a> engineer who was accused last week of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/technology/openai-worker-arrested-bugging.html\">planting a secret recording device\u003c/a> at the company’s San Francisco offices was ordered detained without bail pending trial Monday. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse said there is a “significant” risk he would flee, according to CNBC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tse’s order came at a San Francisco court hearing where he questioned an offer by the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles to back the full bond for Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tse reportedly said he found that offer “problematic,” and asked what confidence he should have that the Saudi government would protect the interests of the U.S. government.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a court filing Sunday, prosecutors argued that Alfozan was “mere days away from leaving the United States for Saudi Arabia when he was arrested.” Prosecutors also cited his Bay Area earnings, at least two Saudi bank accounts, and “what appears to be considerable support from a foreign government” with no U.S. extradition treaty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We respectfully disagree with the decision and will continue to fight for his release,” Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, wrote to KQED on Tuesday. “Mr. Alfozan is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with years of significant contributions and ties to his community, as well as science and technology. I believe firmly that perception of who he is will change once full facts come out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees gather at the OpenAI DevDay 2026 conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If he really was an agent of a foreign government, why wouldn’t he just abscond right away?” Pernik said, according to the Times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors said in their filing Sunday that Alfozan had been in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family who tried to recruit him to a new Saudi artificial intelligence initiative. In one message, prosecutors said, the Saudi royal family member wrote to Alfozan that “Saudi needs you more” than the US. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan’s response, according to prosecutors: “100.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Alfozan said he would not leave OpenAI until his stock vested. His new-hire equity grant was worth $2.2 million, according to the filing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a footnote, prosecutors pointed to a 2019 case in the same court, in which a Twitter employee accused of spying for Saudi Arabia left the U.S. the day after the company confronted him — a departure the U.S government says was coordinated with the Saudi consul general in Los Angeles. He has never returned to face charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The government’s filing cited the fact that Alfozan’s wife and their 3-month-old baby flew to Doha, Qatar, the day after his arrest on a business-class ticket booked and paid for by a Saudi military official. His wife now lives in Saudi Arabia, per the filing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan has been in jail since his arrest on a charge of using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. He faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison if convicted. OpenAI fired him after his arrest but has said it has no indication Alfozan improperly accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tse’s decision to deny Alfozan bail was “no surprise” to Rory Little, a professor at UC Law San Francisco, “given the one-way trip tickets and he’s not a citizen.” Little also told KQED he would be surprised if Alfozan’s lawyers seek an immediate appeal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan came to the U.S. in 2009, earned degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley, became a permanent resident in 2020 and joined OpenAI in July 2025, according to prosecutors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an Arabic \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Dq_g-d9XI\">podcast interview\u003c/a> last month, according to the Times, Alfozan said he and other Saudi tech professionals in Silicon Valley had formed a group that advised Saudi organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_9799_17143067-1792446196.pdf&type=application/pdf\">filing\u003c/a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California unsealed last week, prosecutors detailed how OpenAI’s security team had found a thumb-size recording device on Sept. 30, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into the back of a television in an executive conference room. Only executives and their assistants could reserve the room, which was used for leadership meetings and briefings with government officials, the criminal complaint said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OpenAI employees then placed a camera in the conference room, prosecutors said, and it recorded Alfozan checking behind the TV on Oct. 5. That day, security staff found a second device in a bag that Alfozan had left in a printer room, the complaint said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24134775174210-scaled-e1770337042768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11985952\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, a ChatGPT account linked to Alfozan’s wife was used to ask how to build a continuous audio recorder, add Wi-Fi connectivity, encrypt its memory card and hide its activity. Alfozan asked an AI tool to list meeting rooms in OpenAI’s offices and asked about locations for “leadership and exec,” prosecutors said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The case is a reminder of how much information chatbot companies like OpenAI retain.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Your chatbot conversations in general are less private than you might assume,” Riana Pfefferkorn at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI wrote KQED, adding that in a case where the company is also the alleged victim, it may be likelier to volunteer information rather than demand legal process for any information disclosure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nearly every company logs your IP address when you create an account and/or login,” said Jen King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, who has \u003ca href=\"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AIES/article/view/36646/38784\">researched\u003c/a> AI companies’ privacy policies. “If you are not deleting your chats, and not using a temporary chat window, the chats associated with your account in most cases are kept indefinitely,” she added in an email to KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote that whether Alfozan wanted to record meetings “to enrich himself by enhancing his own business prospects, or to provide aid [to] a foreign government, or both, his conduct is criminal.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OpenAI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Saudi Consulate General did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan is next due in court Nov. 6, for a status conference on the preliminary hearing — the same day Alfozan was scheduled for his U.S. citizenship interview, \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_60188_17143067-1792449015.pdf&type=application/pdf\">according to his lawyers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story was updated on Oct. 20 to add a new comment from William Pernik.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a court filing Sunday, prosecutors argued that Alfozan was “mere days away from leaving the United States for Saudi Arabia when he was arrested.” Prosecutors also cited his Bay Area earnings, at least two Saudi bank accounts, and “what appears to be considerable support from a foreign government” with no U.S. extradition treaty.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We respectfully disagree with the decision and will continue to fight for his release,” Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, wrote to KQED on Tuesday. “Mr. Alfozan is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with years of significant contributions and ties to his community, as well as science and technology. I believe firmly that perception of who he is will change once full facts come out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If he really was an agent of a foreign government, why wouldn’t he just abscond right away?” Pernik said, according to the Times. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors said in their filing Sunday that Alfozan had been in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family who tried to recruit him to a new Saudi artificial intelligence initiative. In one message, prosecutors said, the Saudi royal family member wrote to Alfozan that “Saudi needs you more” than the US. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alfozan’s response, according to prosecutors: “100.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Alfozan said he would not leave OpenAI until his stock vested. His new-hire equity grant was worth $2.2 million, according to the filing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a footnote, prosecutors pointed to a 2019 case in the same court, in which a Twitter employee accused of spying for Saudi Arabia left the U.S. the day after the company confronted him — a departure the U.S government says was coordinated with the Saudi consul general in Los Angeles. He has never returned to face charges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a footnote, prosecutors pointed to a 2019 case in the same court, in which a Twitter employee accused of spying for Saudi Arabia left the U.S. the day after the company confronted him — a departure the U.S government says was coordinated with the Saudi consul general in Los Angeles. He has never returned to face charges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The government’s filing cited the fact that Alfozan’s wife and their 3-month-old baby flew to Doha, Qatar, the day after his arrest on a business-class ticket booked and paid for by a Saudi military official. His wife now lives in Saudi Arabia, per the filing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alfozan has been in jail since his arrest on a charge of using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. He faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison if convicted. OpenAI fired him after his arrest but has said it has no indication Alfozan improperly accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tse’s decision to deny Alfozan bail was “no surprise” to Rory Little, a professor at UC Law San Francisco, “given the one-way trip tickets and he’s not a citizen.” Little also told KQED he would be surprised if Alfozan’s lawyers seek an immediate appeal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alfozan came to the U.S. in 2009, earned degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley, became a permanent resident in 2020 and joined OpenAI in July 2025, according to prosecutors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an Arabic \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Dq_g-d9XI\">podcast interview\u003c/a> last month, according to the Times, Alfozan said he and other Saudi tech professionals in Silicon Valley had formed a group that advised Saudi organizations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an Arabic \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Dq_g-d9XI\">podcast interview\u003c/a> last month, according to the Times, Alfozan said he and other Saudi tech professionals in Silicon Valley had formed a group that advised Saudi organizations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_9799_17143067-1792446196.pdf&type=application/pdf\">filing\u003c/a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California unsealed last week, prosecutors detailed how OpenAI’s security team had found a thumb-size recording device on Sept. 30, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into the back of a television in an executive conference room. Only executives and their assistants could reserve the room, which was used for leadership meetings and briefings with government officials, the criminal complaint said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_9799_17143067-1792446196.pdf&type=application/pdf\">filing\u003c/a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California unsealed last week, prosecutors detailed how OpenAI’s security team had found a thumb-size recording device on Sept. 30, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into the back of a television in an executive conference room. Only executives and their assistants could reserve the room, which was used for leadership meetings and briefings with government officials, the criminal complaint said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>OpenAI employees then placed a camera in the conference room, prosecutors said, and it recorded Alfozan checking behind the TV on Oct. 5. That day, security staff found a second device in a bag that Alfozan had left in a printer room, the complaint said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>OpenAI employees then placed a camera in the conference room, prosecutors said, and it recorded Alfozan checking behind the TV on Oct. 5. That day, security staff found a second device in a bag that Alfozan had left in a printer room, the complaint said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24134775174210-scaled-e1770337042768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11985952\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24134775174210-scaled-e1770337042768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11985952\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last month, a ChatGPT account linked to Alfozan’s wife was used to ask how to build a continuous audio recorder, add Wi-Fi connectivity, encrypt its memory card and hide its activity. Alfozan asked an AI tool to list meeting rooms in OpenAI’s offices and asked about locations for “leadership and exec,” prosecutors said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last month, a ChatGPT account linked to Alfozan’s wife was used to ask how to build a continuous audio recorder, add Wi-Fi connectivity, encrypt its memory card and hide its activity. Alfozan asked an AI tool to list meeting rooms in OpenAI’s offices and asked about locations for “leadership and exec,” prosecutors said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The case is a reminder of how much information chatbot companies like OpenAI retain.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Your chatbot conversations in general are less private than you might assume,” Riana Pfefferkorn at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI wrote KQED, adding that in a case where the company is also the alleged victim, it may be likelier to volunteer information rather than demand legal process for any information disclosure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Your chatbot conversations in general are less private than you might assume,” Riana Pfefferkorn at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI wrote KQED, adding that in a case where the company is also the alleged victim, it may be likelier to volunteer information rather than demand legal process for any information disclosure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Nearly every company logs your IP address when you create an account and/or login,” said Jen King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, who has \u003ca href=\"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AIES/article/view/36646/38784\">researched\u003c/a> AI companies’ privacy policies. “If you are not deleting your chats, and not using a temporary chat window, the chats associated with your account in most cases are kept indefinitely,” she added in an email to KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote that whether Alfozan wanted to record meetings “to enrich himself by enhancing his own business prospects, or to provide aid [to] a foreign government, or both, his conduct is criminal.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote that whether Alfozan wanted to record meetings “to enrich himself by enhancing his own business prospects, or to provide aid [to] a foreign government, or both, his conduct is criminal.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>OpenAI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Saudi Consulate General did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alfozan is next due in court Nov. 6, for a status conference on the preliminary hearing — the same day Alfozan was scheduled for his U.S. citizenship interview, \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_60188_17143067-1792449015.pdf&type=application/pdf\">according to his lawyers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story was updated on Oct. 20 to add a new comment from William Pernik.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Abdulrahman Alfozan, accused of hiding a recording device in a San Francisco conference room, will stay in jail until trial after a U.S. judge found the Saudi national posed a significant flight risk. \n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/open-ai\">OpenAI\u003c/a> engineer who was accused last week of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/technology/openai-worker-arrested-bugging.html\">planting a secret recording device\u003c/a> at the company’s San Francisco offices was ordered detained without bail pending trial Monday. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse said there is a “significant” risk he would flee, according to CNBC.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tse’s order came at a San Francisco court hearing where he questioned an offer by the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles to back the full bond for Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tse reportedly said he found that offer “problematic,” and asked what confidence he should have that the Saudi government would protect the interests of the U.S. government.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a court filing Sunday, prosecutors argued that Alfozan was “mere days away from leaving the United States for Saudi Arabia when he was arrested.” Prosecutors also cited his Bay Area earnings, at least two Saudi bank accounts, and “what appears to be considerable support from a foreign government” with no U.S. extradition treaty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We respectfully disagree with the decision and will continue to fight for his release,” Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, wrote to KQED on Tuesday. “Mr. Alfozan is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with years of significant contributions and ties to his community, as well as science and technology. I believe firmly that perception of who he is will change once full facts come out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104799\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/OpenAISFGetty-a0787728-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attendees gather at the OpenAI DevDay 2026 conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If he really was an agent of a foreign government, why wouldn’t he just abscond right away?” Pernik said, according to the Times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors said in their filing Sunday that Alfozan had been in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family who tried to recruit him to a new Saudi artificial intelligence initiative. In one message, prosecutors said, the Saudi royal family member wrote to Alfozan that “Saudi needs you more” than the US. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan’s response, according to prosecutors: “100.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Alfozan said he would not leave OpenAI until his stock vested. His new-hire equity grant was worth $2.2 million, according to the filing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a footnote, prosecutors pointed to a 2019 case in the same court, in which a Twitter employee accused of spying for Saudi Arabia left the U.S. the day after the company confronted him — a departure the U.S government says was coordinated with the Saudi consul general in Los Angeles. He has never returned to face charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The government’s filing cited the fact that Alfozan’s wife and their 3-month-old baby flew to Doha, Qatar, the day after his arrest on a business-class ticket booked and paid for by a Saudi military official. His wife now lives in Saudi Arabia, per the filing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan has been in jail since his arrest on a charge of using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. He faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison if convicted. OpenAI fired him after his arrest but has said it has no indication Alfozan improperly accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tse’s decision to deny Alfozan bail was “no surprise” to Rory Little, a professor at UC Law San Francisco, “given the one-way trip tickets and he’s not a citizen.” Little also told KQED he would be surprised if Alfozan’s lawyers seek an immediate appeal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan came to the U.S. in 2009, earned degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley, became a permanent resident in 2020 and joined OpenAI in July 2025, according to prosecutors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an Arabic \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Dq_g-d9XI\">podcast interview\u003c/a> last month, according to the Times, Alfozan said he and other Saudi tech professionals in Silicon Valley had formed a group that advised Saudi organizations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_9799_17143067-1792446196.pdf&type=application/pdf\">filing\u003c/a> in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California unsealed last week, prosecutors detailed how OpenAI’s security team had found a thumb-size recording device on Sept. 30, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into the back of a television in an executive conference room. Only executives and their assistants could reserve the room, which was used for leadership meetings and briefings with government officials, the criminal complaint said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OpenAI employees then placed a camera in the conference room, prosecutors said, and it recorded Alfozan checking behind the TV on Oct. 5. That day, security staff found a second device in a bag that Alfozan had left in a printer room, the complaint said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24134775174210-scaled-e1770337042768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11985952\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, a ChatGPT account linked to Alfozan’s wife was used to ask how to build a continuous audio recorder, add Wi-Fi connectivity, encrypt its memory card and hide its activity. Alfozan asked an AI tool to list meeting rooms in OpenAI’s offices and asked about locations for “leadership and exec,” prosecutors said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The case is a reminder of how much information chatbot companies like OpenAI retain.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Your chatbot conversations in general are less private than you might assume,” Riana Pfefferkorn at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI wrote KQED, adding that in a case where the company is also the alleged victim, it may be likelier to volunteer information rather than demand legal process for any information disclosure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nearly every company logs your IP address when you create an account and/or login,” said Jen King, a privacy and data policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, who has \u003ca href=\"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AIES/article/view/36646/38784\">researched\u003c/a> AI companies’ privacy policies. “If you are not deleting your chats, and not using a temporary chat window, the chats associated with your account in most cases are kept indefinitely,” she added in an email to KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote that whether Alfozan wanted to record meetings “to enrich himself by enhancing his own business prospects, or to provide aid [to] a foreign government, or both, his conduct is criminal.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>OpenAI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Saudi Consulate General did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alfozan is next due in court Nov. 6, for a status conference on the preliminary hearing — the same day Alfozan was scheduled for his U.S. citizenship interview, \u003ca href=\"https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=merged_60188_17143067-1792449015.pdf&type=application/pdf\">according to his lawyers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story was updated on Oct. 20 to add a new comment from William Pernik.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "According to an FBI investigator, an unpaid bill for negative campaign mailers and a tip from a citizen commission helped launch the federal investigation into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her three codefendants over allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "put-them-down-with-gas-kqed-investigation-finds-abuse-and-retaliation-at-chowchilla-prison",
"title": "‘Put Them Down With Gas’: KQED Investigation Finds Abuse and Retaliation at Chowchilla Prison",
"publishDate": 1792418400,
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"headTitle": "‘Put Them Down With Gas’: KQED Investigation Finds Abuse and Retaliation at Chowchilla Prison | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1213\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-1536x932.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104581\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout sits in her home office, surrounded by legal paperwork, on Aug. 19, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation reached a similar conclusion, finding an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons dating back more than two decades. CCWF is one of just two women’s penitentiaries in the state and is one of the largest women’s prisons in the world, with a population of more than 2,000 women, nonbinary and trans people held inside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104586\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104586\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104629\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Resources hang on the wall at the housing unit. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of the DOJ’s report, and as KQED neared publication of this investigation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">the warden at CCWF, Anissa De La Cruz, was demoted and transferred\u003c/a>, and multiple officers were put under investigation for sexual abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said the agency cannot comment on personnel decisions or the ongoing investigation. It said the agency is “fully committed to protecting victims of sexual assault.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the department conducted its own investigation into the events of Aug. 2, investigating 95 employees and disciplining 34 for their conduct, including firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Initially, the department moved to discipline 41 staff members, but that number dropped as correctional officers filed appeals, some of which are still pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/wZ89a/5/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said the case was the largest corrective action stemming from a single incident in its history. Yet, key questions about the operation’s connection to a rising tide of sexual assault complaints remain unanswered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s experience illuminates a pervasive culture of sexual abuse at CCWF, helps explain why women suddenly started coming forward in 2023, and reveals what the officers charged with keeping people safe in custody did in response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ali’s story\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He said, ‘You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,’” Prout told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three days later, an officer gave Prout a paper pass, known as a ducat, allowing her to move through the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But there was no attorney visit. Instead, she saw Rodriguez. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about what happened in that room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What really upset me was he didn’t use protection,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it was over, Prout said, Rodriguez warned her that if she told anyone, she could face disciplinary action, which could mean more time in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-1536x876.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault. (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104583\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104583\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) informational signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a yard on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR declined to make Arroyo available for an interview and did not respond to questions about this incident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘These bitches need to know’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to Operation Breakdown, then-Warden Anissa De La Cruz was not at the prison, so Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas was in charge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 1, 2024, acting Capt. Carlos Mendoza and Associate Warden Stephanie Torres came to Rojas about problems with prisoners smoking and being “disruptive” in a housing area called D Yard, according to internal affairs interviews that were leaked on YouTube and later taken down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need to gain control of that fucking unit,” Rojas said, according to one of those leaked tapes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104631\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. The R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas and her staff planned a massive search-and-seizure operation to look for contraband and enforce prison property limits for the entire unit. Under CDCR regulations, each incarcerated person’s state-issued and approved personal belongings must fit within 6 cubic feet of space — about the size of a mini-fridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres’ name was redacted in the investigation report, but KQED was able to identify her by comparing her statements to leaked internal affairs interviews and details about her role in the prison. She said the chief deputy warden gave her and Mendoza about a four-and-a-half-hour window to plan a search that would normally take days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres and Mendoza later told internal affairs investigators that they “questioned the reasoning and urgency” for the search, according to the report. The two senior staff members said that Rojas told them, “these bitches need to know who’s in control,” and that De La Cruz had directed her to “do what I know how to do.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza sent an email to De La Cruz, Rojas, Torres and other prison leaders late that Thursday afternoon, laying out the basics, including breaking the prisoners down to 6 cubic feet, using K-9 and searching the building.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Operation Breakdown was set for the next day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Fun, fun, fun, baby’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 2, Torres described a “skeleton crew of managerial staff” on site. Prison officials had to bring in officers who were still in training, according to the report. Two trainees said it was their first day working inside a prison. And despite initiating and planning Operation Breakdown, Rojas was also not at work that day. But when the acting captain of D Yard called her around midday, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Boss, we just went code three,” Mendoza said, according to Rojas’ leaked interview with internal affairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the fuck? What do you mean we went code three?” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cafeteria at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The 159 incarcerated women on D Yard had been taken out of their cells and crowded into the dining hall first thing that morning. As the morning wore on, the scope of the search became apparent, according to a dozen women who were there that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They watched through the windows of the chow hall as their pillows, shoes, clothing, TVs and even some mattresses were taken or thrown away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After more than four hours in the sweltering Central Valley heat without food, water or medication, the people being held in the dining hall were frustrated, according to at least a dozen women who were there. They shouted at the officers. They banged on the tables and windows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she pointed to Arroyo and then to herself, trying to signal that she wanted to speak with him. He did not acknowledge her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza handed Arroyo a chemical blast grenade and instructed him to “put ’em down with the gas,” according to internal disciplinary documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza was recorded on body camera directing officers to “go gas” and placing chemical grenades in the hands of subordinates, according to disciplinary documents. He later told them he “took the initiative to be the response supervisor” at the dining hall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scrimmage line unleashed chemical blast grenades and pepper spray on the crowd of incarcerated people, sending them scrambling toward the back of the room, surveillance video reviewed by KQED showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to a leaked internal affairs interview, correctional officer Jordan R. Chavira told another officer that he had entered the dining hall and “started dumping it, dude,” referring to chemical agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIU0P9TO2-w&t=37s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One by one, the women’s hands were zip-tied behind their backs and eventually were walked outside to the yard, surveillance footage showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey assumed the officers were going to start letting them go back into their housing unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, as the incarcerated people sat under the baking sun in 90-degree weather, the officers formed a half circle around them, according to surveillance footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the assault died down, multiple women were carried off the field on stretchers. According to leaked internal affairs tapes, Chavira was captured on his body-worn camera approaching another officer and saying, “Fun, fun, fun, baby.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-1536x974.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chavira told investigators he made those remarks in “the heat of the moment” and that he was being sarcastic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED was unable to reach Mendoza. Multiple attempts to reach Chavira were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To me, if you can openly spray people as if they’re rats or roaches, like they’re not human, you completely disregard their humanity,” said Lozano, who was there on Aug. 2. “You’re sadistic. You’re an abuser.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two investigations, different questions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR’s internal investigation focused on the conduct of individual employees during the operation: who gave orders, who followed them and whether the force they used complied with department policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But newly disclosed documents obtained by KQED reveal that the operation was plagued by staffing shortages, lack of planning and oversight failures. Vital questions about why this operation was rushed out were never answered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman wearing a spit hood through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026 (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Administrator Angela Kent is retired now, but at the time she served as the associate director of Female Offender Programs and Services. In her 27 years in law enforcement, she had never seen anything like the use of force on Aug. 2, she told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not that I recall,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anna Sussman contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-1536x932.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation reached a similar conclusion, finding an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons dating back more than two decades. CCWF is one of just two women’s penitentiaries in the state and is one of the largest women’s prisons in the world, with a population of more than 2,000 women, nonbinary and trans people held inside.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of the DOJ’s report, and as KQED neared publication of this investigation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">the warden at CCWF, Anissa De La Cruz, was demoted and transferred\u003c/a>, and multiple officers were put under investigation for sexual abuse. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said the agency cannot comment on personnel decisions or the ongoing investigation. It said the agency is “fully committed to protecting victims of sexual assault.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the department conducted its own investigation into the events of Aug. 2, investigating 95 employees and disciplining 34 for their conduct, including firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Initially, the department moved to discipline 41 staff members, but that number dropped as correctional officers filed appeals, some of which are still pending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR said the case was the largest corrective action stemming from a single incident in its history. Yet, key questions about the operation’s connection to a rising tide of sexual assault complaints remain unanswered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout’s experience illuminates a pervasive culture of sexual abuse at CCWF, helps explain why women suddenly started coming forward in 2023, and reveals what the officers charged with keeping people safe in custody did in response.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He said, ‘You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,’” Prout told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Three days later, an officer gave Prout a paper pass, known as a ducat, allowing her to move through the prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But there was no attorney visit. Instead, she saw Rodriguez. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about what happened in that room. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What really upset me was he didn’t use protection,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it was over, Prout said, Rodriguez warned her that if she told anyone, she could face disciplinary action, which could mean more time in prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-1536x876.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Ripple effects",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to Operation Breakdown, then-Warden Anissa De La Cruz was not at the prison, so Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas was in charge.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza sent an email to De La Cruz, Rojas, Torres and other prison leaders late that Thursday afternoon, laying out the basics, including breaking the prisoners down to 6 cubic feet, using K-9 and searching the building.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Aug. 2, Torres described a “skeleton crew of managerial staff” on site. Prison officials had to bring in officers who were still in training, according to the report. Two trainees said it was their first day working inside a prison. And despite initiating and planning Operation Breakdown, Rojas was also not at work that day. But when the acting captain of D Yard called her around midday, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Boss, we just went code three,” Mendoza said, according to Rojas’ leaked interview with internal affairs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey said she pointed to Arroyo and then to herself, trying to signal that she wanted to speak with him. He did not acknowledge her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza handed Arroyo a chemical blast grenade and instructed him to “put ’em down with the gas,” according to internal disciplinary documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey assumed the officers were going to start letting them go back into their housing unit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, as the incarcerated people sat under the baking sun in 90-degree weather, the officers formed a half circle around them, according to surveillance footage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the assault died down, multiple women were carried off the field on stretchers. According to leaked internal affairs tapes, Chavira was captured on his body-worn camera approaching another officer and saying, “Fun, fun, fun, baby.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-1536x974.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chavira told investigators he made those remarks in “the heat of the moment” and that he was being sarcastic.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED was unable to reach Mendoza. Multiple attempts to reach Chavira were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“To me, if you can openly spray people as if they’re rats or roaches, like they’re not human, you completely disregard their humanity,” said Lozano, who was there on Aug. 2. “You’re sadistic. You’re an abuser.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR’s internal investigation focused on the conduct of individual employees during the operation: who gave orders, who followed them and whether the force they used complied with department policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But newly disclosed documents obtained by KQED reveal that the operation was plagued by staffing shortages, lack of planning and oversight failures. Vital questions about why this operation was rushed out were never answered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman wearing a spit hood through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR Administrator Angela Kent is retired now, but at the time she served as the associate director of Female Offender Programs and Services. In her 27 years in law enforcement, she had never seen anything like the use of force on Aug. 2, she told KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>CDCR Administrator Angela Kent is retired now, but at the time she served as the associate director of Female Offender Programs and Services. In her 27 years in law enforcement, she had never seen anything like the use of force on Aug. 2, she told KQED. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Not that I recall,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anna Sussman contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "More than a dozen current and formerly incarcerated women spoke to KQED about a pattern of sexual abuse and retaliation that persists at the largest women’s prison in California.",
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"title": "‘Put Them Down With Gas’: KQED Investigation Finds Abuse and Retaliation at Chowchilla Prison | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1213\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-1536x932.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104581\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout sits in her home office, surrounded by legal paperwork, on Aug. 19, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation reached a similar conclusion, finding an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons dating back more than two decades. CCWF is one of just two women’s penitentiaries in the state and is one of the largest women’s prisons in the world, with a population of more than 2,000 women, nonbinary and trans people held inside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104586\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104586\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104629\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Resources hang on the wall at the housing unit. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of the DOJ’s report, and as KQED neared publication of this investigation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">the warden at CCWF, Anissa De La Cruz, was demoted and transferred\u003c/a>, and multiple officers were put under investigation for sexual abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said the agency cannot comment on personnel decisions or the ongoing investigation. It said the agency is “fully committed to protecting victims of sexual assault.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the department conducted its own investigation into the events of Aug. 2, investigating 95 employees and disciplining 34 for their conduct, including firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Initially, the department moved to discipline 41 staff members, but that number dropped as correctional officers filed appeals, some of which are still pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/wZ89a/5/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said the case was the largest corrective action stemming from a single incident in its history. Yet, key questions about the operation’s connection to a rising tide of sexual assault complaints remain unanswered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s experience illuminates a pervasive culture of sexual abuse at CCWF, helps explain why women suddenly started coming forward in 2023, and reveals what the officers charged with keeping people safe in custody did in response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ali’s story\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He said, ‘You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,’” Prout told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three days later, an officer gave Prout a paper pass, known as a ducat, allowing her to move through the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But there was no attorney visit. Instead, she saw Rodriguez. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about what happened in that room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What really upset me was he didn’t use protection,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it was over, Prout said, Rodriguez warned her that if she told anyone, she could face disciplinary action, which could mean more time in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-1536x876.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault. (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104583\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104583\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) informational signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a yard on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR declined to make Arroyo available for an interview and did not respond to questions about this incident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘These bitches need to know’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to Operation Breakdown, then-Warden Anissa De La Cruz was not at the prison, so Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas was in charge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 1, 2024, acting Capt. Carlos Mendoza and Associate Warden Stephanie Torres came to Rojas about problems with prisoners smoking and being “disruptive” in a housing area called D Yard, according to internal affairs interviews that were leaked on YouTube and later taken down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need to gain control of that fucking unit,” Rojas said, according to one of those leaked tapes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104631\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. The R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas and her staff planned a massive search-and-seizure operation to look for contraband and enforce prison property limits for the entire unit. Under CDCR regulations, each incarcerated person’s state-issued and approved personal belongings must fit within 6 cubic feet of space — about the size of a mini-fridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres’ name was redacted in the investigation report, but KQED was able to identify her by comparing her statements to leaked internal affairs interviews and details about her role in the prison. She said the chief deputy warden gave her and Mendoza about a four-and-a-half-hour window to plan a search that would normally take days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres and Mendoza later told internal affairs investigators that they “questioned the reasoning and urgency” for the search, according to the report. The two senior staff members said that Rojas told them, “these bitches need to know who’s in control,” and that De La Cruz had directed her to “do what I know how to do.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza sent an email to De La Cruz, Rojas, Torres and other prison leaders late that Thursday afternoon, laying out the basics, including breaking the prisoners down to 6 cubic feet, using K-9 and searching the building.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Operation Breakdown was set for the next day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Fun, fun, fun, baby’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 2, Torres described a “skeleton crew of managerial staff” on site. Prison officials had to bring in officers who were still in training, according to the report. Two trainees said it was their first day working inside a prison. And despite initiating and planning Operation Breakdown, Rojas was also not at work that day. But when the acting captain of D Yard called her around midday, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Boss, we just went code three,” Mendoza said, according to Rojas’ leaked interview with internal affairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the fuck? What do you mean we went code three?” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cafeteria at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The 159 incarcerated women on D Yard had been taken out of their cells and crowded into the dining hall first thing that morning. As the morning wore on, the scope of the search became apparent, according to a dozen women who were there that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They watched through the windows of the chow hall as their pillows, shoes, clothing, TVs and even some mattresses were taken or thrown away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After more than four hours in the sweltering Central Valley heat without food, water or medication, the people being held in the dining hall were frustrated, according to at least a dozen women who were there. They shouted at the officers. They banged on the tables and windows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she pointed to Arroyo and then to herself, trying to signal that she wanted to speak with him. He did not acknowledge her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza handed Arroyo a chemical blast grenade and instructed him to “put ’em down with the gas,” according to internal disciplinary documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza was recorded on body camera directing officers to “go gas” and placing chemical grenades in the hands of subordinates, according to disciplinary documents. He later told them he “took the initiative to be the response supervisor” at the dining hall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scrimmage line unleashed chemical blast grenades and pepper spray on the crowd of incarcerated people, sending them scrambling toward the back of the room, surveillance video reviewed by KQED showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to a leaked internal affairs interview, correctional officer Jordan R. Chavira told another officer that he had entered the dining hall and “started dumping it, dude,” referring to chemical agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/pIU0P9TO2-w'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/pIU0P9TO2-w'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One by one, the women’s hands were zip-tied behind their backs and eventually were walked outside to the yard, surveillance footage showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey assumed the officers were going to start letting them go back into their housing unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, as the incarcerated people sat under the baking sun in 90-degree weather, the officers formed a half circle around them, according to surveillance footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the assault died down, multiple women were carried off the field on stretchers. According to leaked internal affairs tapes, Chavira was captured on his body-worn camera approaching another officer and saying, “Fun, fun, fun, baby.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-1536x974.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chavira told investigators he made those remarks in “the heat of the moment” and that he was being sarcastic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED was unable to reach Mendoza. Multiple attempts to reach Chavira were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To me, if you can openly spray people as if they’re rats or roaches, like they’re not human, you completely disregard their humanity,” said Lozano, who was there on Aug. 2. “You’re sadistic. You’re an abuser.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two investigations, different questions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR’s internal investigation focused on the conduct of individual employees during the operation: who gave orders, who followed them and whether the force they used complied with department policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But newly disclosed documents obtained by KQED reveal that the operation was plagued by staffing shortages, lack of planning and oversight failures. Vital questions about why this operation was rushed out were never answered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman wearing a spit hood through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026 (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Administrator Angela Kent is retired now, but at the time she served as the associate director of Female Offender Programs and Services. In her 27 years in law enforcement, she had never seen anything like the use of force on Aug. 2, she told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not that I recall,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anna Sussman contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip",
"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip",
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"headTitle": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "During the first day of testimony in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her former chief of staff also testified about her concerns over the role Thao’s romantic partner held in her office and criticisms of her staffing picks. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus",
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Sheng Thao was not for sale",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Andre Jones had a ‘real job’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "David Duong: A normal businessman",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, prosecutors claimed Thao put her political power up for sale, while defense attorneys attempted to impeach the government’s star witness. ",
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"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "suspects-in-shooting-of-san-francisco-49er-keion-white-make-first-court-appearance",
"title": "Suspects in Shooting of San Francisco 49ers Player Keion White Make First Court Appearance",
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"headTitle": "Suspects in Shooting of San Francisco 49ers Player Keion White Make First Court Appearance | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Two suspects in a shooting earlier this year that injured \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-49ers\">San Francisco 49ers\u003c/a> defensive lineman Keion White made their first appearance in court on Wednesday at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Curtis Green, an Irvine resident, and Gregory Walker, a Mountain House resident, are two of four suspects San Francisco police have identified in a Mission District shooting in February during a Super Bowl party at nightclub Dahlia Lounge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walker is being charged with assault with a semi-automatic weapon, and Green with brandishing a firearm. The court ordered Green released from custody due to the fact that his charges are misdemeanors, while Walker, who faces felony charges, is being held without bail. They both postponed entering a plea and will return to court for arraignment on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police Chief Derrick Lew said the investigation “expanded rapidly,” with other agencies in Stockton, Los Angeles, Irvine and Atlanta, Georgia, assisting the investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Police Department Chief Derrick Lew speaks at a press conference outside the Warfield in San Francisco on Oct. 7, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It involved over 50 search warrants and assistance from over 250 law enforcement personnel,” Lew said at a press conference at SFPD headquarters on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lew said Atlanta police arrested 38-year-old Marquis Davis in his house and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office arrested 36-year-old Antoine Washington in Stockton on the morning of Oct. 7. Later that day, 35-year-old Green was arrested in Irvine. On Oct. 9, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested 36-year-old Walker.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Walker faces allegations that he shot his firearm at White. Walker’s private attorney, Jeff Wozniak, said he plans to get Walker released.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mr. Walker is a family man, a longshoreman, a union member,” Wozniak said. “We’re gonna show that he’s innocent, get him back to his family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Photos of guns and piles of packaged drugs and cash were on display for the press on Wednesday at SFPD headquarters. Officials said three firearms, nearly $7,000 and 15 pounds of drugs — 800 grams of MDMA, 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, 1,000 grams of cocaine,120 Oxycodone pills and 4,000 grams of fentanyl — were seized throughout the investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Officials said the department is working with other jurisdictions to arrange for Davis and Washington to be brought to San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The February shooting reportedly followed a dispute between the NFL player and rapper Dominique Jones, also known as Lil Baby. White was shot in the ankle while he was hosting a private party in the VIP area of the lounge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We will not tolerate any type of violence in our city, but certainly not gun violence,” Jenkins said. “We had a great and amazing Super Bowl weekend that ended with this incident. And I am just so thankful to the San Francisco police that we are being able to hold those accountable who sadly chose violence on that night.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court ordered Walker and Green not to possess weapons of any kind.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said their investigation is ongoing and they have not found a connection between the rapper and the suspects.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two suspects in a shooting earlier this year that injured \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-49ers\">San Francisco 49ers\u003c/a> defensive lineman Keion White made their first appearance in court on Wednesday at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Curtis Green, an Irvine resident, and Gregory Walker, a Mountain House resident, are two of four suspects San Francisco police have identified in a Mission District shooting in February during a Super Bowl party at nightclub Dahlia Lounge. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Walker is being charged with assault with a semi-automatic weapon, and Green with brandishing a firearm. The court ordered Green released from custody due to the fact that his charges are misdemeanors, while Walker, who faces felony charges, is being held without bail. They both postponed entering a plea and will return to court for arraignment on Monday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Walker is being charged with assault with a semi-automatic weapon, and Green with brandishing a firearm. The court ordered Green released from custody due to the fact that his charges are misdemeanors, while Walker, who faces felony charges, is being held without bail. They both postponed entering a plea and will return to court for arraignment on Monday.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police Chief Derrick Lew said the investigation “expanded rapidly,” with other agencies in Stockton, Los Angeles, Irvine and Atlanta, Georgia, assisting the investigation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It involved over 50 search warrants and assistance from over 250 law enforcement personnel,” Lew said at a press conference at SFPD headquarters on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lew said Atlanta police arrested 38-year-old Marquis Davis in his house and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office arrested 36-year-old Antoine Washington in Stockton on the morning of Oct. 7. Later that day, 35-year-old Green was arrested in Irvine. On Oct. 9, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested 36-year-old Walker.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Walker faces allegations that he shot his firearm at White. Walker’s private attorney, Jeff Wozniak, said he plans to get Walker released.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Mr. Walker is a family man, a longshoreman, a union member,” Wozniak said. “We’re gonna show that he’s innocent, get him back to his family.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Photos of guns and piles of packaged drugs and cash were on display for the press on Wednesday at SFPD headquarters. Officials said three firearms, nearly $7,000 and 15 pounds of drugs — 800 grams of MDMA, 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, 1,000 grams of cocaine,120 Oxycodone pills and 4,000 grams of fentanyl — were seized throughout the investigation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Officials said the department is working with other jurisdictions to arrange for Davis and Washington to be brought to San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The February shooting reportedly followed a dispute between the NFL player and rapper Dominique Jones, also known as Lil Baby. White was shot in the ankle while he was hosting a private party in the VIP area of the lounge.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We will not tolerate any type of violence in our city, but certainly not gun violence,” Jenkins said. “We had a great and amazing Super Bowl weekend that ended with this incident. And I am just so thankful to the San Francisco police that we are being able to hold those accountable who sadly chose violence on that night.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Gregory Walker and Curtis Green are two of four suspects identified by police in a Mission District shooting earlier this year. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Two suspects in a shooting earlier this year that injured \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-49ers\">San Francisco 49ers\u003c/a> defensive lineman Keion White made their first appearance in court on Wednesday at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Curtis Green, an Irvine resident, and Gregory Walker, a Mountain House resident, are two of four suspects San Francisco police have identified in a Mission District shooting in February during a Super Bowl party at nightclub Dahlia Lounge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Walker is being charged with assault with a semi-automatic weapon, and Green with brandishing a firearm. The court ordered Green released from custody due to the fact that his charges are misdemeanors, while Walker, who faces felony charges, is being held without bail. They both postponed entering a plea and will return to court for arraignment on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police Chief Derrick Lew said the investigation “expanded rapidly,” with other agencies in Stockton, Los Angeles, Irvine and Atlanta, Georgia, assisting the investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261007-SFDACONFERENCE-NG-5_QED-KQED-1-057279c0-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Police Department Chief Derrick Lew speaks at a press conference outside the Warfield in San Francisco on Oct. 7, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It involved over 50 search warrants and assistance from over 250 law enforcement personnel,” Lew said at a press conference at SFPD headquarters on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lew said Atlanta police arrested 38-year-old Marquis Davis in his house and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office arrested 36-year-old Antoine Washington in Stockton on the morning of Oct. 7. Later that day, 35-year-old Green was arrested in Irvine. On Oct. 9, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested 36-year-old Walker.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Walker faces allegations that he shot his firearm at White. Walker’s private attorney, Jeff Wozniak, said he plans to get Walker released.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Mr. Walker is a family man, a longshoreman, a union member,” Wozniak said. “We’re gonna show that he’s innocent, get him back to his family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Photos of guns and piles of packaged drugs and cash were on display for the press on Wednesday at SFPD headquarters. Officials said three firearms, nearly $7,000 and 15 pounds of drugs — 800 grams of MDMA, 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, 1,000 grams of cocaine,120 Oxycodone pills and 4,000 grams of fentanyl — were seized throughout the investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Officials said the department is working with other jurisdictions to arrange for Davis and Washington to be brought to San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The February shooting reportedly followed a dispute between the NFL player and rapper Dominique Jones, also known as Lil Baby. White was shot in the ankle while he was hosting a private party in the VIP area of the lounge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We will not tolerate any type of violence in our city, but certainly not gun violence,” Jenkins said. “We had a great and amazing Super Bowl weekend that ended with this incident. And I am just so thankful to the San Francisco police that we are being able to hold those accountable who sadly chose violence on that night.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court ordered Walker and Green not to possess weapons of any kind.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said their investigation is ongoing and they have not found a connection between the rapper and the suspects.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San José Parents Charged With Neglect in 8-Year-Old’s Death",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of the tragic death of another child involved in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County \u003c/a>child welfare system, two parents have been charged with criminal neglect, and the district attorney is proposing a new approach to keeping vulnerable kids safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-1536x1048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabrielle Hanson wipes her eye as she talks with Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews at her arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. Hanson has been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Santa Clara County District Attorney is calling for a new approach to keeping kids safe.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In the wake of the tragic death of another child involved in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara-county\">Santa Clara County \u003c/a>child welfare system, two parents have been charged with criminal neglect, and the district attorney is proposing a new approach to keeping vulnerable kids safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gabrielle Hanson and Jacob Randolph, the mother and stepfather of 8-year-old Aurora Williams, were arraigned in a San José courtroom Tuesday afternoon on felony charges of child neglect that resulted in her death, along with several other child endangerment misdemeanor charges related to the well-being of six other children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora, who died in May following an asthma attack, is the latest of several children to die while their safety was being monitored and evaluated by the county’s embattled Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has faced intense scrutiny and state intervention due to the spate of deaths in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another child in the home was reportedly sexually assaulted while she was between ages 11 and 15 by Hanson’s brother, Jonathan Hanson, who was charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor in court Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This little asthmatic girl and her brothers and sisters were living in a home filled with roaches, mold, animal feces and two parents who were not providing enough care or food for their children, along with a sexual predator,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said about Aurora and her siblings at a press conference held immediately after the court hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-4-KQED-2d748458-1536x1048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gabrielle Hanson wipes her eye as she talks with Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews at her arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. Hanson has been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Why is this happening when we have a system that is supposed to save children from abuse, from drugs and from neglect?” Rosen said. “Of course, this is a complex problem, but public servants are supposed to solve complex and difficult problems. These children’s deaths have been met with reports and remorse and promises of reforms. And yet, here we are again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aurora’s death is “another urgent warning” about kids who are in danger in Santa Clara County, Rosen said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said his office is looking into a new blueprint in which the DA’s office and other county officials “play a more direct, tangible and collaborative role in these fraud, children and family matters” to better protect kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This in general is a plan that creates a team of high-ranking specialists from different agencies who would jointly address the safety of our county’s most vulnerable, like Aurora,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county’s child welfare system has been under state oversight by the California Department of Social Services since 2023, following the overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who was living in a home with addicted parents, and the stabbing death of 6-year-old Jordan Walker at the hands of his uncle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state oversight might have wrapped up if not for the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez this April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon, a special needs toddler, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080197/south-bay-toddler-dies-in-foster-care-after-alleged-sexual-assault\">died in a hospital\u003c/a> after authorities said he was repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted by his relative’s son, after he was placed in that home by the county child welfare department despite several red flags and disqualifying factors, including a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080399/south-bay-toddler-placed-with-woman-convicted-of-child-endangerment-before-death\">child endangerment conviction\u003c/a> on his relative’s record. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jaxon’s death prompted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089481/santa-clara-county-plans-to-fire-social-workers-after-foster-care-toddler-death\">firing of several social workers\u003c/a>, further internal reviews and tightening of control in the department, pointed criticism from county supervisors and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081114/state-oversight-expanded-for-child-welfare-agency-after-toddler-death\">another round\u003c/a> of state review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100598/santa-clara-county-placed-children-in-foster-care-without-safety-checks\">report from the state\u003c/a> last month, investigators with the California Department of Social Services found “significant systemic gaps in documentation and timeliness across required emergency placement procedures,” and that only 10% of emergency placements made by the county complied with state law. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State officials also found roughly half the background checks to determine if foster parents were safe caretakers for children in need were conducted only after the children were placed in their care, and that social workers often didn’t include evidence of criminal records when reviewing potential foster parents and extended family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Aurora’s case, police officers and detectives who searched the East San José home on Lancelot Lane in May said they “found every room was unkempt and in disarray, with a severe cockroach and insect infestation, a pungent acidic odor of urine and animal fecal matter, and visible mold throughout the residence,” a police investigative summary said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Police said there were 12 reports to the child welfare department dating back to 2022, “indicating that school personnel and medical providers had repeatedly expressed concerns involving unsanitary living conditions, inadequate supervision, irregular school attendance and inconsistent medical follow-up.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104313\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/SJM-L-AURORA-1014-5-KQED-1019f793-1536x1010.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jacob Randolph, left, and Gabrielle Hanson, second from right, talk to their lawyers as they are arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San José on Oct. 13, 2026. They have been criminally charged in the alleged neglect death of 8-year-old Aurora Williams. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, DFCS records obtained from the county show that in at least four different instances since September 2023, social workers visiting the home and interviewing the parents and Aurora concluded that reports of neglect or abuse were unfounded or inconclusive, with several other similar determinations made regarding other children in the home since that time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, the county’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Michelle Jorden, ruled Aurora’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to severe asthma, and said in a statement that “medical neglect was determined to be a significant condition in her death.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While prosecutors asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul to keep Randolph and Gabrielle Hanson in custody, Paul allowed them both to be released after court Tuesday, with criminal protective orders not to see their children, who were removed from their home after Aurora’s death, and requirements that they not supervise or care for any other children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jonathan Hanson was kept in custody with no option for bail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the court hearing, Gabrielle Hanson was seen crying and shaking her head as Deputy District Attorney Morgan Willis, in an argument to keep Hanson in custody, alleged that she showed “continual disregard” for Aurora. Willis said Hanson also “callously ignored” a plea from her stepdaughter who told Hanson that she was experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Hanson.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s attorney, Chief Alternate Defender Brian Matthews, said prosecutors were “preying on emotion in a very serious and tragic case,” but that she should be released while the case moves forward. The pair are expected back in court on Nov. 20. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I will strongly object to the idea that she callously ignored anything,” Matthews said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/bkrans\">Brian Krans\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "family-mourns-sfpd-vet-slain-by-husband-and-their-daughter-in-suspected-double-murder-suicide",
"title": "Family Mourns SFPD Vet, Slain by Husband, and Their Daughter in Suspected Double Murder-Suicide",
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"headTitle": "Family Mourns SFPD Vet, Slain by Husband, and Their Daughter in Suspected Double Murder-Suicide | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A note, accompanying a bouquet of flowers on the front gate of a home on Strawberry Circle, thanks \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104022/2-retired-sfpd-officers-and-their-daughter-found-dead-in-mill-valley-home\">Ann Mannix\u003c/a> for being a loving mother. More bouquets are on the ground, with a pair of tennis balls bearing messages in black ink. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sunday evening, inside the brown, shingled home just east of Mill Valley, Mannix’s 68-year-old estranged husband — retired San Francisco Police Sgt. Kevin Mannix — shot and killed Ann, 65, and their 24-year-old daughter, Katie, before turning the gun on himself. Another one of their children escaped the home alive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mannix, a retired SFPD deputy chief herself, is being remembered for her longtime service to SFPD, but also as a mother who cared deeply for her children and a sister who acted as a good role model. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104213\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A memorial for victims Ann Mannix, former SFPD deputy chief, and her 24-year-old daughter, Katherine Mannix, is displayed at the Mannix home in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. Authorities say former SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix shot and killed his estranged wife and daughter in a suspected double murder-suicide. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Ann’s brother, Richard Corriea — also retired SFPD — said he had been helping Ann navigate the end of her marriage, during which she was mostly concerned about her three adult kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If her decision-making about protecting herself as her marriage was coming to an end, I think that it might have been protectiveness towards her children also, and wanting to keep their lives intact, so to speak,” Corriea told KQED in a phone interview on Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corriea said one of his first memories in life was when his parents brought Ann, the youngest of five, home from the hospital. He even remembers the crimped lead binder of the bracelet on her ankle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“From the beginning, she was so special,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite Ann being three and a half years younger than him, Corriea said he still looked up to her. “She was just great at so many things,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corriea recalled when they both were still young in their working lives. Ann was working at Toys ‘R’ Us, he said, when he told his sister about how much he made working for SFPD compared with the hours he put in. She took the hint and followed in the family’s long line of service in SFPD. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unlike Corriea, she took a keen interest in the department’s culture, rising up the ranks and becoming the first woman to join the SWAT team, and then its leader, along with both the Field Operations and Special Operations Bureaus.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia remembered a time when his sister was doing undercover narcotics work in the Haight, and she chased a suspect into an older apartment building, where he knocked down a door. Ann followed through a family’s apartment, where the suspect jumped out a window onto the roof of a garage. Ann pursued the suspect until he jumped off that roof, injuring himself when he hit the ground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t know many people that would do all that, the running through apartments,” Correia said. “It was like a scene out of something like Serpico. She was brave, very brave.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When she was done chasing suspects at work, Correia said, Ann was a dedicated mother, whose three children followed her around like little ducklings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia said Katie, the youngest, took after her mother and grew up to be a strong, independent and outspoken young woman. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Strawberry Cir neighborhood in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could get five people agreeing on something around a table, and Katie, if she felt strongly about it, would be glad to bring up another perspective,” he said. “She loved her home and her family, but could take off and drive to Southern California to visit friends on a moment’s notice.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Katie Mannix was a second-year nursing student at the College of Marin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the other adult Mannix children out of respect for their privacy, as they mourn the loss of three family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia said the family remains in shock over the shooting, cycling between periods of feeling numb or crying. But he is thankful for the support people have been showing by visiting or simply leaving food on their doorsteps, including the woman who dropped off four large bags from Costco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Marin County Sheriff’s office in San Rafael on Oct. 13, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going to be getting heavy around here, if we ever start eating,” he said. “If you spend your life serving and helping people, it is so hard when it’s your turn.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia called the tragedy that has struck his family a mix of “guns, mental illness and marital strife,” and said that it takes more effort to change a lightbulb than it does to pick up a gun and take someone’s life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he would have done more sooner if there was violence in his sister’s marriage, but that there wasn’t any known physical violence before Sunday. He said he even double-checked with his niece to make sure there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about their situation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was no violence, but here we end up with a catastrophic level of violence without a history of it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A memorial for victim Ann Mannix, former SFPD deputy chief, is displayed at the Mannix home in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. Authorities say former SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix shot and killed his estranged wife and daughter in a suspected double murder-suicide. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia said he checked his phone on Monday and realized that he had spoken with Ann on a daily basis as she started navigating the next chapter of her life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I miss my sister. We talked almost daily. I had lunch and dinner with her both in the last two and a half weeks. I’m blessed with good memories, but I’m lost for words.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Family and friends are gathering at Correia’s San Francisco home this week to support one another and sort out funeral details, but he said he keeps forgetting that not everyone will be there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I keep miscounting the number of people in my family,” he said. “Like, I go, ‘They’re all here. Where are they all going to sleep?’”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“And I go, ‘Oh my God, we’re three short now.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104213\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A memorial for victims Ann Mannix, former SFPD deputy chief, and her 24-year-old daughter, Katherine Mannix, is displayed at the Mannix home in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. Authorities say former SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix shot and killed his estranged wife and daughter in a suspected double murder-suicide.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Corriea recalled when they both were still young in their working lives. Ann was working at Toys ‘R’ Us, he said, when he told his sister about how much he made working for SFPD compared with the hours he put in. She took the hint and followed in the family’s long line of service in SFPD. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Unlike Corriea, she took a keen interest in the department’s culture, rising up the ranks and becoming the first woman to join the SWAT team, and then its leader, along with both the Field Operations and Special Operations Bureaus.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Correia remembered a time when his sister was doing undercover narcotics work in the Haight, and she chased a suspect into an older apartment building, where he knocked down a door. Ann followed through a family’s apartment, where the suspect jumped out a window onto the roof of a garage. Ann pursued the suspect until he jumped off that roof, injuring himself when he hit the ground. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Correia remembered a time when his sister was doing undercover narcotics work in the Haight, and she chased a suspect into an older apartment building, where he knocked down a door. Ann followed through a family’s apartment, where the suspect jumped out a window onto the roof of a garage. Ann pursued the suspect until he jumped off that roof, injuring himself when he hit the ground. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t know many people that would do all that, the running through apartments,” Correia said. “It was like a scene out of something like Serpico. She was brave, very brave.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When she was done chasing suspects at work, Correia said, Ann was a dedicated mother, whose three children followed her around like little ducklings. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could get five people agreeing on something around a table, and Katie, if she felt strongly about it, would be glad to bring up another perspective,” he said. “She loved her home and her family, but could take off and drive to Southern California to visit friends on a moment’s notice.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the other adult Mannix children out of respect for their privacy, as they mourn the loss of three family members. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Correia said the family remains in shock over the shooting, cycling between periods of feeling numb or crying. But he is thankful for the support people have been showing by visiting or simply leaving food on their doorsteps, including the woman who dropped off four large bags from Costco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re going to be getting heavy around here, if we ever start eating,” he said. “If you spend your life serving and helping people, it is so hard when it’s your turn.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Correia called the tragedy that has struck his family a mix of “guns, mental illness and marital strife,” and said that it takes more effort to change a lightbulb than it does to pick up a gun and take someone’s life. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Correia called the tragedy that has struck his family a mix of “guns, mental illness and marital strife,” and said that it takes more effort to change a lightbulb than it does to pick up a gun and take someone’s life. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he would have done more sooner if there was violence in his sister’s marriage, but that there wasn’t any known physical violence before Sunday. He said he even double-checked with his niece to make sure there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about their situation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was no violence, but here we end up with a catastrophic level of violence without a history of it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A memorial for victim Ann Mannix, former SFPD deputy chief, is displayed at the Mannix home in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. Authorities say former SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix shot and killed his estranged wife and daughter in a suspected double murder-suicide.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Correia said he checked his phone on Monday and realized that he had spoken with Ann on a daily basis as she started navigating the next chapter of her life. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I miss my sister. We talked almost daily. I had lunch and dinner with her both in the last two and a half weeks. I’m blessed with good memories, but I’m lost for words.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Family and friends are gathering at Correia’s San Francisco home this week to support one another and sort out funeral details, but he said he keeps forgetting that not everyone will be there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A note, accompanying a bouquet of flowers on the front gate of a home on Strawberry Circle, thanks \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104022/2-retired-sfpd-officers-and-their-daughter-found-dead-in-mill-valley-home\">Ann Mannix\u003c/a> for being a loving mother. More bouquets are on the ground, with a pair of tennis balls bearing messages in black ink. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sunday evening, inside the brown, shingled home just east of Mill Valley, Mannix’s 68-year-old estranged husband — retired San Francisco Police Sgt. Kevin Mannix — shot and killed Ann, 65, and their 24-year-old daughter, Katie, before turning the gun on himself. Another one of their children escaped the home alive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mannix, a retired SFPD deputy chief herself, is being remembered for her longtime service to SFPD, but also as a mother who cared deeply for her children and a sister who acted as a good role model. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104213\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-1-KQED-8dd62c2a-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A memorial for victims Ann Mannix, former SFPD deputy chief, and her 24-year-old daughter, Katherine Mannix, is displayed at the Mannix home in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. Authorities say former SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix shot and killed his estranged wife and daughter in a suspected double murder-suicide. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Ann’s brother, Richard Corriea — also retired SFPD — said he had been helping Ann navigate the end of her marriage, during which she was mostly concerned about her three adult kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If her decision-making about protecting herself as her marriage was coming to an end, I think that it might have been protectiveness towards her children also, and wanting to keep their lives intact, so to speak,” Corriea told KQED in a phone interview on Tuesday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corriea said one of his first memories in life was when his parents brought Ann, the youngest of five, home from the hospital. He even remembers the crimped lead binder of the bracelet on her ankle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“From the beginning, she was so special,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite Ann being three and a half years younger than him, Corriea said he still looked up to her. “She was just great at so many things,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corriea recalled when they both were still young in their working lives. Ann was working at Toys ‘R’ Us, he said, when he told his sister about how much he made working for SFPD compared with the hours he put in. She took the hint and followed in the family’s long line of service in SFPD. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unlike Corriea, she took a keen interest in the department’s culture, rising up the ranks and becoming the first woman to join the SWAT team, and then its leader, along with both the Field Operations and Special Operations Bureaus.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia remembered a time when his sister was doing undercover narcotics work in the Haight, and she chased a suspect into an older apartment building, where he knocked down a door. Ann followed through a family’s apartment, where the suspect jumped out a window onto the roof of a garage. Ann pursued the suspect until he jumped off that roof, injuring himself when he hit the ground. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t know many people that would do all that, the running through apartments,” Correia said. “It was like a scene out of something like Serpico. She was brave, very brave.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When she was done chasing suspects at work, Correia said, Ann was a dedicated mother, whose three children followed her around like little ducklings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia said Katie, the youngest, took after her mother and grew up to be a strong, independent and outspoken young woman. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-9-KQED-5c7e9dfe-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Strawberry Cir neighborhood in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could get five people agreeing on something around a table, and Katie, if she felt strongly about it, would be glad to bring up another perspective,” he said. “She loved her home and her family, but could take off and drive to Southern California to visit friends on a moment’s notice.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Katie Mannix was a second-year nursing student at the College of Marin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED is not naming the other adult Mannix children out of respect for their privacy, as they mourn the loss of three family members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia said the family remains in shock over the shooting, cycling between periods of feeling numb or crying. But he is thankful for the support people have been showing by visiting or simply leaving food on their doorsteps, including the woman who dropped off four large bags from Costco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-17-KQED-d2c9d4da-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Marin County Sheriff’s office in San Rafael on Oct. 13, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going to be getting heavy around here, if we ever start eating,” he said. “If you spend your life serving and helping people, it is so hard when it’s your turn.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia called the tragedy that has struck his family a mix of “guns, mental illness and marital strife,” and said that it takes more effort to change a lightbulb than it does to pick up a gun and take someone’s life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he would have done more sooner if there was violence in his sister’s marriage, but that there wasn’t any known physical violence before Sunday. He said he even double-checked with his niece to make sure there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about their situation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was no violence, but here we end up with a catastrophic level of violence without a history of it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/20261013_MillValleyDeathsFolo_GC-2-KQED-30abad71-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A memorial for victim Ann Mannix, former SFPD deputy chief, is displayed at the Mannix home in Strawberry (unincorporated Marin County) on Oct. 13, 2026. Authorities say former SFPD Sgt. Kevin Mannix shot and killed his estranged wife and daughter in a suspected double murder-suicide. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Correia said he checked his phone on Monday and realized that he had spoken with Ann on a daily basis as she started navigating the next chapter of her life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I miss my sister. We talked almost daily. I had lunch and dinner with her both in the last two and a half weeks. I’m blessed with good memories, but I’m lost for words.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Family and friends are gathering at Correia’s San Francisco home this week to support one another and sort out funeral details, but he said he keeps forgetting that not everyone will be there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I keep miscounting the number of people in my family,” he said. “Like, I go, ‘They’re all here. Where are they all going to sleep?’”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“And I go, ‘Oh my God, we’re three short now.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"onourwatch": {
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
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"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
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