Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price Announces the Conviction of Oakland-based Towing Company That Illegally Towed Thousands of County Residents’ Vehicles October 31, 2024 Oakland, CA—On Thursday, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced the conviction of former Oakland-based towing company Private Property Impound, Inc. (also known as PPI), Wayne Daniel Russo, Jr. (37), and Stephanie Marie Gipson (36). Earlier this week, Defendant PPI pled no contest and was sentenced for one count of felony tax evasion, and all three defendants pled no contest and were sentenced to one misdemeanor count of illegally towing vehicles from private properties. As part of the plea deal and resolution, the defendants have agreed to pay nearly $500,000 to finance a restitution fund to repay victims whose cars they illegally towed. The defendants also agreed to pay $75,000 to cover the costs of hiring the professional claims administration firm…

Court Excoriates Defendants for Delaying Prosecution’s Case for the August 2023 Fire at Radius Recycling, Inc. in West Oakland October 30, 2024 OAKLAND, CA—District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30, 2024, in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel Defendants involving a two-day fire at the West Oakland facility on August 9th and 10th, 2023. Radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers were indicted by the Alameda County criminal Grand Jury in June 2024. Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel Defendants in court for causing delays in the People’s prosecution of this case. Since the Defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date. The Court made it clear that the Defendants will not receive any more extensions on their arraignment and plea. Alameda County District Attorney…

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price Announces Organized Retail Theft Felony Charges Against Oakland Coliseum Flea Market Vendors October 30, 2024 OAKLAND, CA — Today, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced her office charged Octavio Ambriz Valle (52), Devora Ambriz Valle (49), and Felipe Del Toro Trejo (54) in connection with multiple organized retail theft crimes stemming from a sophisticated criminal enterprise operating at the Oakland Coliseum Flea Market from March 26, 2023, through April 17, 2024. The charges against Mr. Ambriz Valle, Ms. Ambriz Valle, and Mr. Trejo include multiple felony counts of possessing stolen property and organized retail theft in concert. It is alleged the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from 10 different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully competed and received a $2…

Son Charged with Murder of Father in Deadly Domestic Violence Shooting in Hayward Defendant Faces 35 Years-to Life Sentence, Charges Include Enhancements October 29, 2024 Oakland, CA—District Attorney Pamela Price has charged David Sanchez (25) of Hayward for the deadly shooting of his Father Hector Sanchez. The defendant, David Sanchez is charged with murder with an enhancement for use of a firearm and an additional enhancement has for great bodily injury. The criminal complaint alleges that on or about October 23, 2024, Mr. Sanchez allegedly used a gun to kill his father in their home in Hayward. Police performed a welfare check on the residence and found evidence of the deadly shooting. Mr. Sanchez was arrested the next day in the city of Oakland after allegedly committing an unrelated non-violent crime. “This tragic taking of a life mirrors research that shows the presence of a…

DA Pamela Price Announces Deputy DA Jennifer Kassan as New Director of Community Support Bureau October 28, 2024 Oakland, CA—Today, District Attorney Pamela Price announced Deputy DA (DDA) Jennifer Kassan as the new Director of the Community Support Bureau. DDA Kassan has over 25 years of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises including benefit corporations, low-profit limited liability companies, nonprofits, cooperatives, hybrid organizations, investment funds, and purpose trusts. Working in the DA’s new administration since 2023, DDA Kassan was most recently assigned to the Organized Retail Theft Prosecution team. DDA Kassan has a Masters Degree in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She received a National Science Foundation Fellowship from Yale Law School, and graduated from Yale Law School in 1995. She earned her  B.A. in Psychology with a minor emphasis in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley. DDA Kassan’s education,…