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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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez were assigned to immigration inspection booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. They were charged after investigators found phone evidence showing they had exchanged messages with human traffickers in Mexico and discovered unexplained cash deposits into their bank accounts, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.

Surveillance video showed at least one instance in which a vehicle with a driver and a passenger stopped at a checkpoint but only the driver was documented as having entered the country, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the officers waved dozens of vehicles carrying people without documents. They said both men were paid thousands for each vehicle they waved through.

It wasn’t immediately known if Almonte has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. The National Border Patrol Council, the union representing Border Patrol officers, didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment.

Rodriguez’s attorney, Michael Hawkins, said the case was still in the “infant stages” and that Rodriguez has the presumption of innocence.

“We look forward to working through the current situation,” Hawkins said in an email in which he described Rodriguez as hardworking and loyal.

The investigation on Almonte and Rodriguez started after three migrant smugglers who were arrested last year told federal investigators they had been working with U.S. border inspectors, federal prosecutors said.

While Almonte was in custody, investigators allegedly seized nearly $70,000 in cash they believe his romantic partner was trying to move to Tijuana. Prosecutors wrote in a court filing that Almonte is potentially facing additional charges for money laundering and obstruction of justice, The San Diego Union Tribune reported.

“Any Customs and Border Protection agent who aids or turns a blind eye to smugglers bringing undocumented immigrants into the U.S. is betraying their oath and endangering our national security,” Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden told the newspaper in a statement.

There have been five U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the San Diego area to face similar corruption charges in the last two years.

Last year, former U.S. border inspector Leonard Darnell George was sentenced to 23 years in prison for taking bribes to allow people and drug-laden vehicles to enter the country through the San Ysidro border crossing. Two other former border officers at the Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry were charged last year with similar charges. They are expected to go on trial this summer.

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“Prostitution is a criminal offense, and those who seek these illegal activities contribute to an illicit underground economy both locally and throughout the State of California,” according to a department statement.

The operation focused on rescuing victims of sexual slavery and human trafficking, identifying and arresting their captors, and disrupting demand for these vulnerable victims, they said.

During the Murrieta operation, one female was identified as a human trafficking victim and accepted outreach and diversion services. Her name was removed from the below list. She was one of the 177 victims rescued in the California statewide law enforcement operation where547 were arrested and 177 people were freed from sex slavery.

Additionally, nine males were arrested for solicitation of prostitution and one male was arrested for pimping.

Arrested during the operation for solicitation of prostitution were:

• Marco Antonio Cota, 42, of Murrieta
• Angel Llano-Trinidad, 42, of Riverside
• Brian Huff, 45, of Menifee
• Charles Hoffman Polhamus III, 37, of Murrieta
• Alexandre Daniel Bogdan, 22, of Fullerton
• Mauro Martinez, 22, of Temecula
• Jeremiah Castaneda Arapeles, 45, of Murrieta
• Christopher James Funk, 29, of Norco
• Matthew Deshawn Edmonston, 29, of San Bernardino, arrested for pimping

“Prostitution is not a “victimless” crime. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world,” according to a Murrieta Police Department spokesperson. “Ninety-five percent of sex trafficking victims are women or children. Those victimized by commercial sexual exploitation frequently have long histories of emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse or trauma in their backgrounds.

“The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported are likely victims of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking victims are often subjected to severe forms of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their trafficker. Still, they are also frequently physically and sexually assaulted by those who solicit them for prostitution.”

The post 9 Arrested Amid Murrieta Anti-Human Trafficking Sting, 1 Woman Freed appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station Special Enforcement Team, assisted by the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, executed a search warrant Tuesday in the 45000 block of San Pablo Avenue stemming from an anonymous tip regarding possible illegal activities at a massage parlor, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators located 58-year-old Victorville resident Haiwei Donkersgoed at the business, where he was taken into custody and later booked on suspicion of maintaining a brothel.

“Two additional females were located at the business and identified as possible victims of human trafficking. The females were provided resources and in-person advocacy services,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement.

Anyone with information regarding the case was encouraged to contact Sgt. Hammond and the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force at HT@riversidesheriff.org. Victims of human trafficking or tipsters with additional information should contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 888-373-7888 or local law enforcement.

The post Arrest In Palm Desert Brothel Bust: Sheriff Seeks More Victims appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

File # D230960010

Details:

On Wednesday, April 6, 2023, at 10:31 p.m., deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a runaway/missing juvenile girl in the unincorporated area of Hemet. During their investigation, deputies learned the underaged girl had been picked up by an unknown subject. Later, deputies located and detained an adult male who picked up the underaged girl. During their investigation, deputies determined the suspect, Frankie Frias, a 39-year-old Hispanic male and resident of Hemet, had sexually assaulted the underaged girl. The Sheriff’s Anti Human Trafficking Task Force and investigators from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded to assist with the investigation.

Frias was booked at the Cois Byrd Detention Center for the following charges: Human trafficking, rape of an intoxicated person, unlawful sexual contact with a minor, committing a lewd act upon a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and placing a tattoo upon the person of a minor.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Sergeant Anthony Pelato at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station by calling (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 # D230910002

Details:

On Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 1:36 a.m., deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of runaway/missing juvenile girls in the unincorporated area of Hemet. During their investigation, deputies learned the underaged girls had been picked up by an unknown subject. Later that morning, deputies located and detained an adult male who picked up the underaged girls. During their investigation, deputies determined the suspect, Isaiah D’Andre Jamal Sutton, a 26-year-old black male and resident of Porter Ranch, had sexually assaulted the underaged girls.

The Sheriff’s Anti Human Trafficking Task Force and investigators from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded to assist with the investigation. Sutton was booked at the Cois Byrd Detention Center for the following charges: committing lewd acts on a 14 -15 year-old juvenile being more than ten years older, and unlawful sexual contact with a minor under the age of sixteen.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Sergeant Anthony Pelato at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station by calling (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

The post Human Trafficking, Lewd Act with A Minor Investigation appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

File # R222550007

Details:

On October 19, 2022, at 6:45 PM, the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) conducted a human trafficking investigation at a location in the 24600 block of Sunnymead Blvd in the city of Moreno Valley. During the investigation, it was learned a female minor was posting ads on an adult website. RCAHT, with the assistance of the Moreno Valley Problem Oriented Policing Team and Moreno Valley Homeless Outreach Team, conducted an operation to locate and recover the juvenile.

The minor arrived at the location with Joshua Anderson, a 26-year-old male resident of Anaheim. Anderson was arrested and transported to the county jail where he was booked for human trafficking and pimping. The female victim was safely recovered.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force is asking anyone with additional information regarding this investigation to contact RCAHT Task Force Investigator Bridgette Recksiek at (951) 955–1700 or call anonymously at (760) 341-STOP (7867) and reference incident #R222550007.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formed in 2010 and the eastern Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formed in 2020. Both address crimes involving the exploitation of victims via force, fraud, or coercion. These cases often involve the commercial sex trafficking of children, as well as incidents of forced labor, indentured servitude, debt bondage, or slavery. The RCAHT Task Force is a multidisciplinary task force that combines the investigative resources of both local and federal law enforcement. The RCAHT Task Force also provides victim services and education/outreach through partnerships with the non-profit groups Operation SafeHouse, Rebirth Homes, Run 2 Rescue, and Million Kids.

The law enforcement component of RCAHT is currently composed of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Riverside County Probation Department, along with part-time participation of the Hemet Police Department, Riverside Police Department, and Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

Anyone can report Human Trafficking activity or tips to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888.

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 # R220190009

Details:

In January 2022, the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) conducted a human trafficking investigation that occurred in Riverside and Los Angeles County, Las Vegas and Seattle. During the investigation, RCAHT members learned Loyd Turner, 29 of Riverside, was involved in human trafficking.

On June 28, 2022, RCAHT with the assistance of the Special Enforcement Bureau served a search warrant at 3500 block of Lemon Street, Riverside. During the service of the search warrant, a stolen AK-47, magazines and ammunition was located inside the location. Turner was arrested and transported to the county jail for human trafficking, pimping, pandering, possession of an assault weapon and possession of stolen property.

Report Human Trafficking activity or tips to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force is asking anyone with additional information to contact RCAHT Task Force Deputy Mario Chavez at (951) 955-1700 or call anonymously at (760) 341-STOP (7867) and reference incident # R220190009.

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formed in 2010 and the eastern Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formed in 2020. Both address crimes involving the exploitation of victims via force, fraud, or coercion. These cases often involve the commercial sex trafficking of children, as well as incidents of forced labor, indentured servitude, debt bondage, or slavery. The RCAHT Task Force is a multidisciplinary task force that combines the investigative resources of both local and federal law enforcement. The RCAHT Task Force also provides victim services and education/outreach through partnerships with the non-profit groups Operation SafeHouse, Rebirth Homes, Run 2 Rescue, and Million Kids.

The law enforcement component of RCAHT is currently composed of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Riverside County Probation Department, along with part-time participation of the Hemet Police Department, Riverside Police Department, and Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

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

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

The post Human Trafficking, Pimping and Pandering Arrest appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

File # R220630004

Details:

On March 4, 2022, the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) conducted a sex trafficking investigation that occurred in the cities of Palm Desert, Indio and Desert Hot Springs. During the investigation, seven victims were identified which were all minors. RCAHT members learned Dewayne Williams, a 32-year-old resident of Indio, was involved in human trafficking of a minor.

On April 21, 2022, the U.S Marshall Service Pacific South West Task Force arrested Williams at the San Ysidro crossing port in San Diego County for human trafficking of a minor, pandering of minor, lewd acts with a minor, inducing a minor to consume narcotics (Fentanyl). Williams was transported to the Central Jail in San Diego County.

RCAHT reminds parents/legal guardians to monitor their children’s online activity, social media/gaming platforms and who they are communicating with in the different online platforms.

Report Human Trafficking activity or tips to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at (888) 373-7888

The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force is asking anyone with additional information to contact RCAHT Task Force Investigator Damen Butvidas at (760) 836-1600 or call anonymously at (760) 341-STOP (7867) and reference incident # R22 063 0004.

The eastern Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force was formed in March 2020 to address crimes involving the exploitation of victims via force, fraud, or coercion in the eastern half of the Coachella Valley. These cases often involve the commercial sex trafficking of children, as well as incidents of forced labor, indentured servitude, debt bondage, or slavery. The RCAHT Task Force is a multidisciplinary task force that combines the investigative resources of both local and federal law enforcement. The RCAHT Task Force also provides victim services and education/outreach through partnerships with the non-profit groups Operation Safe House, Rebirth Homes, and Million Kids.

The law enforcement component of RCAHT is currently composed of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Riverside County Probation Department, along with part-time participation of the Hemet Police Department, Riverside Police Department, and Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

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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