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Tag Archives: Dale Galipo

Mayor Sarmiento’s family wants $20M from the Anaheim Police for the killing of a criminal

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Lawyers, Santa Ana, SAPD, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment
Santa Ana City Councilman Hernandez is touting the anti-police lawsuit on his Facebook page

Santa Ana Mayor Vince Sarmiento’s sister, Vicky, and her husband, Dale Galipo, both attorneys, announced today that they are seeking $20 million in damages from the Anaheim Police Department for the killing of criminal Brandon Lopez.

The attorneys said they are still looking into the Santa Ana Police Department’s role in the shooting and standoff, according to the O.C. Register.

Unfortunately for the City of Santa Ana our own Mayor has spent weeks badmouthing the police for the killing of Lopez, who led the police on a dangerous high speed pursuit through several cities before the car he stole got stuck on the train tracks under construction in Santa Ana.

Lopez was seen on police videos smoking what looked like narcotics for four hours while the police begged him to leave the stolen vehicle. When he finally did get out he was carrying an object that looked like a gun and the police were left with no choice but to open fire.

Lopez’ cousin, Santa Ana City Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez keeps insisting that Lopez was having a mental crisis that day but Lopez had a long history of criminal activities. And while he turned out not to be armed that was not the point. He was shot because of his actions, period.

If Mayor Sarmiento’s family ends up suing the City of Santa Ana as well he will be responsible for any money we end up losing due to his big mouth and defense of criminals.

We have to wonder if Mayor Sarmiento tipped his sister and brother-in-law about the Lopez case? WIll he get a commission if they win the lawsuit? Will he use that money to run for the O.C. Board of Supervisors?

Mayor Sarmiento’s cuñado has been retained by the family of a dead criminal and may sue our city

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, Lawyers, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Dale Galipo, the husband of Santa Ana Mayor Vince Sarmiento’s sister, Vicki Sarmiento, has apparently been retained by the family of Brandon Lopez, the cousin of Santa Ana City Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez. ABC News reported that “Galipo is joined by attorney Vicki Sarmiento as they explore options for the Lopez family in the aftermath of the fatal shooting.” Both Vicki and her husband have a long history of suing city police departments.

One has to wonder how Mayor Sarmiento’s relatives came to be representing the Lopez family as Vicki and Dale are based in the San Gabriel Valley.

Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento publicly questioned why Santa Ana police gave up their jurisdictional authority to a neighboring city’s police force, according to the Voice of OC. In doing so he opened up the City of Santa Ana to significant liability. But he did not stop there! Here are the rest of his very damaging comments to the media:

  • Sarmiento also questioned why no mental health professionals were called to the scene, and why Anaheim police used a flashbang to get Lopez out of his car and then killed him in what he described as a “firing squad” manner.
  • “Why make a provocative decision to fire a flash grenade into a vehicle rather than simply wait? Why was there a forced evacuation of a vehicle? Why was that met with lethal force? It really does appear to be a firing squad,” Sarmiento said.
  • Sarmiento also appeared to take issue with how Santa Ana police treated Lopez’s family on the scene of the standoff and killing that night: “My question to our department is how we treat family members who are present?”

It should be noted that Mayor Sarmiento is a lawyer but he does not specialize in civil rights or criminal defense. He is a bankruptcy lawyer and he has also been paid to advice cities on how to develop their legal marijuana sales ordinances.

We should also bear in mind the fact that the Sarmiento family made their fortune by owning and operating bars and dance halls that have been crime magnets in our city.

It is also a little know fact that Arthur Andrew Andrade, Jr., the son of Mayor Sarmiento’s other sister Daisy, shot and killed his estranged wife Esperanza on March 16, 2013. Deputy District Attorney Pallavi Dhawan called the shooting an “ambush” and an “execution.” He was was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison, according to the O.C. Register. You can read the appeal judgement here. Of course his family argued that Andrade was having mental health issues!

It is unbelievable that the Mayor of Santa Ana’s own brother-in-law is most likely going to be suing the SAPD and the City of Santa Ana. Clearly Mayor Sarmiento and Councilman Hernandez will need to recuse themselves from any Closed Sessions of the Santa Ana City Council that touch on the Lopez killing or any related litigation.

If Mayor Sarmiento had any doubts about what happened to Lopez he should have shared those with the SAPD Police Chief and our City Manager – not with the press. His grandstanding might end up costing our city a small fortune in legal fees and court costs not to mention future settlements.