The 71-year-old, once incarcerated for decades, has repeatedly made the long drive from Orange County to Sacramento to press state lawmakers to pass a bill she believes would give other survivors of domestic violence a fairer chance when they face criminal charges.

Each time, legislators appeared receptive — only to quietly shelve the measure before it reached the finish line.

Bustamante is hoping this fourth attempt turns out differently.

She is once again backing legislation, opposed by law enforcement and prosecutors, that would allow survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual abuse to raise their history of victimization as a legal defense when charged with violent crimes — with an exception for most murder cases.

People already convicted would also be allowed to ask a judge to vacate their convictions. If approved, their arrests and convictions would be treated as though they never happened. Records would be sealed and destroyed, and any outstanding fines or victim restitution tied to the case would be forgiven.

“I’m willing to fight for the people who aren’t in the position I’m in right now, so I can use my voice… and fight for this,” Bustamante told CalMatters in an interview Friday.

Bustamante was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1987. Prosecutors argued she had hired her brother to kill her husband, Steven Bustamante, and helped dispose of his body in exchange for a $100,000 life insurance payout she split with her sibling.

Bustamante says that during her two-day trial, she was never allowed to tell jurors about the repeated beatings and death threats she says she endured from her husband. She maintains she only asked her brother for help.

“It never crossed my mind that he could kill Steven,” she told lawmakers last month. “Afterward, he called to tell me Steven was dead. He threatened to call the police and say I had planned it. He blackmailed me into giving him Steven’s insurance money. I was afraid I’d lose my daughters, so I gave in.”

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown commuted Bustamante’s sentence in 2017 after learning her story and reviewing her clean record behind bars. She was released the following year, after three decades in prison.

Bustamante said she would not qualify to have her own case overturned under the bill she is now championing.

California law already allows defendants to testify about abuse they suffered and to bring in expert witnesses who can explain how that trauma shaped their actions. Judges may also weigh a defendant’s history of trafficking or domestic abuse during sentencing. This bill would go further, allowing survivors to use that history as an actual legal defense against violent crime charges.

State law already lets people convicted of nonviolent offenses seek similar relief through the courts.

Budget committees have quietly killed the bill before

Since her release, Bustamante has worked with nonprofit organizations that help survivors of abuse and incarceration rebuild their lives after leaving prison.

She first testified before the Legislature about the need for this bill back in 2023.

In each year since, at least one of the Legislature’s two public safety committees has advanced similar legislation, only for one of the two budget-focused appropriations committees to quietly kill it.

Twice a year, those appropriations committees convene to swiftly reject hundreds of bills, often without debate or explanation.

As CalMatters has previously reported, powerful interest groups, the governor’s office and state agencies frequently lobby behind closed doors to get committees to shelve certain bills. Legislative leaders also use the committees to block politically sensitive measures they’d rather not have members vote on publicly.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to take up the latest version of the bill, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, an Oakland Democrat, next month.

State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, a Riverside Democrat who now chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Why prosecutors and police are pushing back

Law enforcement groups worry that Assembly Bill 910 could open the door for violent offenders — including rapists, kidnappers and child abusers — to flood California’s already overburdened court system with petitions seeking to overturn their convictions.

Opponents describe it as a troubling example of progressive Democrats continuing to soften consequences for dangerous offenders while giving too little consideration to victims.

“Allowing them to essentially walk away from a violent crime is bad policy,” said Greg Totten, a former Ventura County district attorney who now leads the state’s district attorneys association.

Totten noted that defendants already have the right to raise abuse or trafficking history during sentencing hearings.

Bonta did not respond to a request for comment, but told the Senate Public Safety Committee last month that “AB 910 is a second-chance bill — a dignity bill.”

“Survivors shouldn’t spend their whole lives paying for the abuse they suffered,” she said.

According to the CalMatters Digital Democracy database, at least 17 organizations — including ACLU California Action and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office — support the bill.

Supporters argue that virtually no one convicted of a violent crime would actually qualify for relief under the proposal.

For the small number who might, backers say it would be far less costly to let survivors reintegrate into society without a criminal record working against them as they search for jobs, housing and other support.

“If even one person gets help because of this bill, it will have paid for itself,” said Leigh LaChapelle, director of policy and advocacy for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking.

Original source: CalMatters

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The 71-year-old Orange County woman, once sentenced to life in prison, has traveled repeatedly to the state Capitol to press lawmakers to pass legislation she believes could offer relief to other domestic violence survivors ensnared in the criminal justice system. Each of the past three years, the bill has cleared initial committee hurdles before quietly dying behind closed doors.

This year, Bustamante is hoping for a different outcome.

The proposal, opposed by police and prosecutor groups statewide, would let survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner abuse or sexual violence introduce their history of victimization as a legal defense when charged with violent crimes — with an exception for most homicide cases. People already convicted of qualifying offenses could also ask a judge to throw out their convictions entirely. If granted, the arrest and conviction would be wiped from the record, court files sealed and destroyed, and any outstanding fines or restitution forgiven.

“I’m willing to fight for those who are not in the position that I am right now to be able to open my mouth and … fight for this,” Bustamante said in an interview last week.

Her own case illustrates why she’s become such a persistent advocate. In 1987, Bustamante was sentenced to life without parole after prosecutors accused her of hiring her brother to kill her husband, Steven Bustamante, and helping conceal his death in exchange for a $100,000 life insurance payout split between the siblings. She said she was never permitted to tell the jury, during a trial that lasted only two days, that her husband had repeatedly beaten her and threatened her life.

“The idea that he would kill Steven never occurred to me,” Bustamante told state lawmakers last month. “Later, he called me to say that Steven was dead. He threatened to call the police and say I planned it. He blackmailed me for Steven’s insurance. I was afraid of having my daughters taken from me, so I gave in.”

Then-Gov. Jerry Brown commuted her sentence in 2017 after reviewing her case and her clean disciplinary record behind bars. She was released the following year, after three decades in prison. Notably, Bustamante said she would not even qualify for relief under the bill she’s championing — she’s pushing for it purely on behalf of others.

Current California law already permits defendants to present evidence of past abuse and call expert witnesses to explain its psychological effects, and judges may weigh a defendant’s history of trafficking or domestic violence at sentencing. The new measure would go further, allowing that history to serve as an actual defense against violent crime charges. State law already extends similar post-conviction relief to people convicted of nonviolent offenses.

Since Bustamante first testified in Sacramento in 2023, versions of the bill have cleared one of the Legislature’s two public safety committees each year, only to be quietly shelved by one of the chamber’s appropriations committees — panels that meet twice yearly to dispose of hundreds of bills without public debate. As CalMatters has previously reported, these committees are often where powerful interest groups, the governor’s office and state agencies exert influence behind the scenes, and where legislative leaders sometimes bury bills they’d rather not oppose publicly.

This year’s version, Assembly Bill 910, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, an Oakland Democrat, is scheduled to go before the Senate Appropriations Committee next month. The panel’s new chairperson, Sen. Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside, declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Law enforcement groups remain firmly opposed. They warn the bill could open the door for violent offenders — including those convicted of rape, kidnapping and child molestation — to flood California’s already strained courts with petitions seeking to erase their convictions. Critics see it as another example of what they describe as a broader push by progressive lawmakers to soften consequences for serious crimes, often, they argue, at victims’ expense.

“To basically allow them to walk away from a violent crime in terms of accountability is just absurd policy,” said Greg Totten, former Ventura County district attorney and current head of the California District Attorneys Association. Totten pointed out that defendants already have avenues to raise abuse claims during sentencing.

Bonta did not respond to a request for comment, but told the Senate Public Safety Committee last month that the bill represents “a second chance… a dignity bill,” adding, “Survivors should not spend their lives paying for abuse they endured.”

At least 17 organizations have backed the measure, including ACLU California Action and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, according to CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database. Supporters contend that very few people convicted of violent offenses would actually meet the bill’s narrow qualifying criteria, and that for the handful who do, helping them shed felony records that hinder employment and housing would ultimately save taxpayer money.

“If even one person is granted relief under this bill, it will pay for itself,” said Leigh LaChapelle, director of policy and advocacy for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking.

Whether the measure survives this year’s appropriations process — where it has died three times before — remains uncertain. But for Bustamante, the fight isn’t over.

Original source: CalMatters

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Michael Gordon, 40, was reported to the SBSD just before 3:30 a.m. Wednesday for allegedly “beating a female and dragging her inside a residence in the 17800 block of Taylor Avenue,” officials said in a news release.

When deputies arrived, the door was open, and they “identified themselves and carefully entered the home under exigent circumstances,” officials added.

Inside, deputies spotted Gordon and a woman hiding under a blanket.

“Gordon was holding the female victim against her will and concealing a massive head injury,” the release said. “Gordon was also attempting to cover up a large amount of blood gushing from the back of her head.”

That woman was then rendered medical aid and taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for “a severe head wound and other serious injuries.” She remains hospitalized.

A witness informed deputies that Gordon had assaulted the woman earlier that morning as well, this time in front of a home in the 10100 block of Alder Avenue.

“She was struck in the back of the head with a metal pole which resulted in a serious head injury,” the release said. “Gordon was able to lure the female victim to the secondary location where he assaulted her again outside and eventually drug her inside the residence until deputies arrived.”

Inside the home, Gordon tried to cover up the wounds, forcing the woman to shower to wash away blood and hiding her blood-soaked clothing, investigators said.

Gordon was booked into the West Valley Detention Center. Jail records indicate he faces charges of aggravated mayhem, kidnapping, making threats with the intent to terrorize and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm.

His bail is set at $1 million, and he’s due to appear in Rancho Superior Court on Friday.

Anyone with information is asked to call 909-356-6767.

To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or visit wetip.com.

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Rebecca Marodi, 49, was found Monday at a residence on Rancho Villa Road in Ramona, according to a San Diego Sheriff’s Office news release. Deputies responded around 8:58 p.m. to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and found Marodi with multiple stab wounds.

Marodi was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Homicide detectives are investigating the killing as a potential domestic violence incident and think Marodi knew her killer. The circumstances and motivation of the killing are unknown. Anyone with more information has been asked to contact the San Diego Sheriff’s Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330 or after hours at 858-868-3200.

Marodi started as a volunteer firefighter in 1993 in Moreno Valley and worked as a seasonal firefighter in Riverside and San Bernardino counties from 1994 to 2000, according to Cal Fire and the Riverside County Fire Department. Marodi was a fire apparatus engineer in 2007 and promoted to captain in 2022.

Marodi was among the many firefighters who helped battle the deadly Eaton fire last month, according to an Instagram post.

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Adam Slater, 53, is charged with felony counts of murder, attempted murder, assault on a child under 8 years old resulting in death, assault with a deadly weapon and child concealing, and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

He also faces a special circumstance allegation of committing a murder during the commission of a kidnapping, which makes him eligible for the death penalty if the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office decides to pursue it, and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a knife in the commission of a murder.

The defendant’s trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 24, according to case records.

Slater was arrested May 7, 2020 in connection with a spate of alleged crimes the previous day that culminated in a rollover crash on Highway 74 near Pinyon Crest, where he allegedly threw his daughter over “a steep cliff into a ravine,” according to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez.

Slater remains jailed without bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facilty in Banning.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the series of events on May 6, 2020, began about 14 miles from the crash site in the 41000 block of Washington Street, outside the Southwest Community Church in Indian Wells, where deputies responded to a stabbing call at about 8:30 a.m. that was described as a “domestic violence incident.”

Deputies located an injured woman who was taken to a hospital with multiple stab wounds.
Slater and the woman — who was six months pregnant at the time of the attack — were married, and the year-old daughter was theirs together, officials said.

Following the attack, Slater allegedly sped away in a vehicle with the child. Deputies learned soon afterward that a rollover crash reported on Highway 74 around six miles south of Palm Desert could be connected to the original call.

According to sheriff’s officials, passing motorists attempted to help Slater and his daughter escape the wreckage, but he allegedly stabbed one man attempting to help rescue his daughter.

“The suspect then took the girl from the arms of the male he stabbed. Multiple witnesses saw the suspect take the child and throw her over a steep cliff into a ravine,” according to a sheriff’s department statement.

California Highway Patrol Officer Graham Aanestad testified during a preliminary hearing that he searched the area at the bottom of the cliff and saw hair peaking out from a pile of rocks. The child was found there, and pronounced dead at the scene.

It was unclear if she was already dead prior to being thrown off the cliff. But Investigator Dario Hernandez with the sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit testified that an autopsy determined her cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the chest.

“The injuries to the chest were consistent with an injury possibly from a knife or some sort of object,” Hernandez said.

After allegedly throwing the girl, Slater ran down into a canyon, where deputies detained him after a short foot chase, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries connected to the crash, authorities said. Slater was discharged from the hospital the next day and arrested shortly afterward.

It was unclear if the man he allegedly stabbed required medical treatment.

Slater was in violation of the terms of his parole, according to California’s Megan’s Law website.

He was convicted in 1995 of sexually penetrating a victim with a foreign object by force and served about two years in state prison before being released in 1997.

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A Riverside jury deliberated less than two days before finding Eduardo Avalos Escoto guilty of the 2019 slaying of 42-year-old Brandie Frazier.

The jury went behind closed doors Thursday afternoon to weigh evidence from the two-week trial. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Valerie Navarro gave the panel Friday off going into the holiday weekend, and jurors returned to the Riverside Hall of Justice on Tuesday, deliberating most of the day before announcing verdicts.

Along with the murder count, Escoto was convicted of sentence- enhancing allegations of inflicting great bodily injury, using sophistication in perpetrating a crime and taking advantage of a position of trust.

The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 10. Escoto, who is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, is facing 30 years to life in state prison.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, the defendant and Frazier met while he was working as a handyman around her and her mother’s property in the 17000 block of Palm Road, near California Citrus State Historic Park, in 2018.

Escoto and the victim began dating, culminating in his moving in with her and living in one of two residential dwellings on the property, occupied by Frazier and her two young children, while her mother, identified only as “L.B.,” resided in the adjacent house, the brief said.

The defendant, a Mexican national, exhibited a “clear pattern of violence against women” with whom he became romantically involved, but that was unknown to the victim and her mother, according to the brief. The narrative said that in a prior relationship with a woman in Mexico, he had beaten her and threatened her life.

Exactly what happened between Escoto and Frazier on the night of Aug. 31, 2019, is uncertain, but according to court papers, the defendant turned “extremely violent.”

The prosecution described the attack as a “gruesome murder,” noting that not only was Frazier “beaten violently,” but her “neck was broken, and the defendant went so far as to bite her face,” according to the brief.

“The manner in which the murder was committed was not only violent, but extremely intimate and personal,” the document stated.

On the morning of Sept. 1, 2019, L.B. became concerned when she didn’t see her daughter and walked over to the victim’s house.

“She found her grandchildren crying and went looking for her daughter … whom she found brutally beaten and showing no signs of life in her bed,” according to the brief.

Escoto had fled and immediately became the prime suspect. Court papers said he stole Frazier’s “jewelry and other valuables,” which he quickly hocked at a pawn shop.

The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, whose members include D.A.’s office investigators, discovered Escoto went to Mexico. Mexican law enforcement agencies were asked to assist in finding him. However, in June 2022, authorities learned he had returned to the U.S. and was in Washington state before heading to Texas, where he was arrested in July 2022 by Mitchell County sheriff’s deputies at a gas station in Colorado City.

He was extradited to California weeks later.

Escoto had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

The post Jury Convicts Handyman Of Murder In Girlfriend’s Brutal RivCo Killing appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

“We hope to have this project completed by the end of the year,” VRS Executive Director Javier H. Lopez said. “It’s been a long process but we’re looking forward to completing it soon.”

A Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) with the county is helping the nonprofit organization with the costs associated with this necessary project.

“We need to keep our families safe, including the children and seniors that we serve,” Lopez said. “Also, there are many times when we shelter women experiencing domestic violence and having a fence will help deter anyone from trying to walk in and cause trouble.”

He said that there have been recent thefts with items stolen from the property in broad daylight since the parking lot is currently accessible from a public street. Lopez said they are hoping to install more security cameras in the near future as funding becomes available.

Bids will be accepted until noon on Nov. 15, 2024. A bid package that must be submitted with each bid can be picked up at 200 E. Menlo St. in Hemet by contacting Chet Kassotis, who is handling questions and bid walks. He can be reached at 909-725-3489. Text is the preferred method of communication.

For more information about VRS, please visit www.valleyrestartshelter.org.

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File # MV231960117

Details:

On July 15, 2023, deputies from the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to the 15000 block of Moreno Beach Drive, Moreno Valley, regarding a domestic violence incident. Upon arriving, deputies met with the victim and immediately noticed injuries consistent with an assault. The victim stated she was assaulted on July 14, 2023, and sustained significant injuries to her head which resulted in the loss of consciousness. The victim was ultimately able to escape and notify law enforcement.

On July 17, 2023, the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Investigations Bureau identified the suspect as a 16-year-old resident of Moreno Valley. A search warrant was served at the suspect’s residence, where he was located, and placed under arrest without incident. The suspect was transported and booked into Riverside County Juvenile Hall for attempted homicide and domestic violence.

This is an ongoing investigation no further information will be released. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Corporal Shamhart at the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station at (951) 486-6700.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

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File # MG231600007

Details:

On June 9, 2023, approximately 11:56 PM, Cabazon Sheriff’s Station deputies were dispatched to a domestic violence call in the 11600 block of Mathews Road, Banning. The suspect, Terry Jon Presley, a 61-year-old resident of Banning, assaulted the victim and fled the location. While deputies were on scene, they saw several firearms and ammunition belonging to Presley. Prior to their departure, Presley returned to the location and refused to exit his vehicle when instructed to do so. After negotiating with Presley, he eventually complied and was taken into custody. Presley has previously been convicted of domestic violence, preventing him from being in possession of any firearms. Presley was booked at Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on domestic violence charges.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Deputy Constantin at the Cabazon Sheriff’s Station at 951-922-7100.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File # TE230900213

Details:

On Friday, March 31, 2023, at 6:47 PM, deputies from the Sheriff’s Southwest Station, assigned to the Metro Team, responded to the 28600 block of Old Town Front Street, Temecula, regarding a suspect who strangled his spouse during a domestic violence incident. Prior to deputies arriving, the suspect left the location on his motorcycle to an unknown location. Deputies located the victim, who was transported to a local hospital and treated for moderate non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies positively identified the suspect as Ty Rivers, a 39-year-old resident of Menifee. Information gathered during the investigation revealed Ty Rivers was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang and was known to carry firearms. Deputies, with assistance from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Team and Aviation Unit, checked several locations related to Ty Rivers, but he was not located. A Ramey arrest warrant for Ty Rivers was sought and granted by a judge at a local courthouse.

On Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 3:37 PM, the information about Ty Rivers was given to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant Enforcement Team (FWET), who located and arrested Ty Rivers in the 38100 block of Silver Fox Court, Murrieta. Ty Rivers was booked into custody at Cois Byrd Detention Center for Domestic Violence and Strangulation. A bail enhancement was sought and granted in the amount of $500,000.

If you have any information about this crime, please contact the Sheriff’s Southwest Station-Metro Team Deputy Weber at (951) 696-3000.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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