January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month January 16, 2025 Oakland, CA— Today, in recognition of January being National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office Human Exploitation Assistance and Response Team (H.E.A.R.T.) led a public awareness walk, community forum, and resource fair in the Little Saigon Neighborhood, bringing attention to the problem of human trafficking in the area. The first annual event, entitled “Breaking the Chains,” opened with a walk through the community, beginning at International Boulevard and 7th Avenue and continuing into the surrounding area. Informational flyers were handed out to people in the neighborhood—a part of town widely known as a frequent human trafficking hub, commonly referred to as “the Blade.” The event included a panel discussion at the Clinton Community Center featuring personal testimonials and stories of survival, information about resources available for those in need of help,…

January 15, 2025 Dublin, CA – The Alameda District Attorney’s Office has charged Florentina Salai (24) and Alexandra Caldararu (20) with grand theft for allegedly stealing clothing and jewelry from a Hayward JC Penney. Both defendants are charged with one count of grand theft of personal property, a felony. It is further alleged that the way the crime was carried out indicates planning, sophistication, or professionalism. The criminal complaint alleges that on or around January 11, 2025, Ms. Salai and Ms. Caldararu entered the Hayward store and unlawfully took personal property of value from JC Penney in the form of clothing and jewelry exceeding Nine Hundred Fifty Dollars ($950). The two defendants were detained by the store’s loss prevention staff after bypassing all points of sale with the unpaid-for merchandise. Florentina Salai and Alexandra Caldararu were arraigned on January 15, 2025, in Department 702 at…

January 13, 2025 Oakland, CA— The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has charged Nathaniel Porter (22) with multiple felonies for allegedly participating in a string of commercial burglaries targeting multiple businesses in Union City. Mr. Porter is charged with 8 counts of second-degree burglary. It is further alleged that the defendant committed these burglaries while on probation for a previous conviction. The criminal complaint alleges that on or around March 21, 2024, Mr. Porter unlawfully entered 8 different businesses with the intent to commit larceny in a Union City strip mall while these businesses were closed. Investigators developed a lead placing the defendant at the location during the burglaries. Nathaniel Porter was recently arraigned for the commercial burglary charges and is scheduled to appear for a plea hearing February 10, 2025, in Department 702 at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin. Mr. Porter…

January 7, 2025 Dublin, CA— The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has charged three co-defendants, Mate Catalin (34), Dennis Ionescu (42), and Maria Tudor (29), with multiple felonies for an alleged large-scale fraud operation using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to withdraw thousands of dollars from the accounts of at least ten victims. The three co-defendants are charged with one count of fraudulent possession of personal information, one count of grand theft, and one count of theft by fraudulent access card, all felonies. It is further alleged that the manner in which the crime was carried out indicates planning, sophistication, or professionalism. The complaint also alleges the three defendants did with intent to defraud use for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, services, and anything else of value, an access card and access card account information that had been altered, obtained, and retained, and an…