SAN JOSE — The mom and sister of a San Jose Police Division officer who died abruptly final month have been charged Wednesday with robbing and burglarizing a relative at a senior dwelling advanced over the weekend, in accordance with prosecutors and courtroom paperwork.
In saying the Monday arrest of 52-year-old Sonya Steptoe, San Jose police didn't point out that her daughter, Deja Packer, 32, was additionally arrested and booked in reference to the alleged crime.
Packer’s arrest surfaced in a prison grievance filed Wednesday by the Santa Clara County District Legal professional’s Workplace, which charged Steptoe and Packer with first-degree theft, first-degree housebreaking, and each battery and false imprisonment of an elder grownup. The costs are available reference to a break-in and theft reported Sunday afternoon on the Mirador Senior Flats on Coleman Highway off Almaden Expressway.
Police have been fast to emphasise that the arrest of Steptoe was not linked to the demise of her son, 24-year-old De’Jon Packer, a rookie SJPD officer and former San Jose State College soccer standout who died abruptly March 13 on the similar house.
An official reason for demise continues to be pending, in accordance with the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Workplace. De’Jon Packer was warmly remembered in a memorial service final month attended by a number of hundred folks.
Each ladies have been arraigned Wednesday in a San Jose courtroom. Choose Shelyna Brown expressed sturdy concern concerning the nature of the alleged crimes, through which she revealed that the reporting sufferer is a relative of Steptoe for whom she had beforehand labored as a caregiver.
“The allegation of going to somebody’s house and kicking the door in, the actual fact the gents is aged … essentially the most disturbing truth is Ms. Steptoe is alleged to have been a caregiver for this gentleman who's susceptible,” Brown mentioned Wednesday.
Investigators say Steptoe — who was recognized as Packer in a police account and jail information however is listed as Steptoe within the grievance — and her daughter pressured their method into the house of Steptoe’s relative “and took a number of digital objects, a telephone, and his debit card.”
The resident of the condominium unit, described within the prison grievance as a 74-year-old man, reportedly instructed police that Steptoe was answerable for the thefts.
However in distinction to the preliminary police account, prosecutors solely charged the pair with robbing a mobile phone from the person, in accordance with the prison grievance. The theft and housebreaking prices carry potential sentencing enhancements based mostly on the reported sufferer being over 65 years outdated. The housebreaking cost additionally accommodates potential sentencing enhancements based mostly on so-called “sizzling prowl” allegations, as a result of the person was house on the time of the alleged intrusion.
Deja Packer’s lawyer famous that her shopper has no prison historical past and requested for supervised launch with digital monitoring. Brown rescinded Packer’s cash bail, which had been initially set at $150,000, and ordered the discharge circumstances and a no-contact order for the reported sufferer.
Brown was much less versatile for Steptoe: She rejected Deputy Public Defender Meghan Piano’s request to drastically lower or eradicate her shopper’s bail, which had been initially set at $200,000. Piano echoed an announcement she gave Tuesday about Steptoe, telling Brown that “the heartbreak and trauma they’ve skilled up to now three weeks little question had bearing on this.”
In her earlier assertion, Piano mentioned the one that referred to as police on Steptoe was “exploiting her.” On Wednesday she sought to advance that concept with out going into full element, and added that the household relationship makes the state of affairs extra sophisticated than the fees point out.
“Whereas the complaining witness is older, he's not a susceptible sufferer,” Piano mentioned. “It is a actually distinctive case that has a very distinctive set of circumstances.”
Brown agreed concerning the uncommon nature of the case, however mentioned she “can’t settle for” the assertion “that a 70-year-old man in an assisted dwelling facility is just not susceptible,” and that the household relationship meant Steptoe was in “a place of belief.”
Piano mentioned Steptoe had little potential to publish bail, and that preserving the established bail was the equal of remanding Steptoe to jail. Finally, Brown introduced Steptoe’s bail quantity to $75,000 and ordered house detention, digital monitoring, psychological counseling and a no-contact order relating to the person who reported her to police.
Piano voiced doubt that Steptoe may afford to publish bail, and mentioned in courtroom that “a part of why this household doesn’t have any cash for bail is that three weeks in the past they buried their son.”
Brown mentioned she was sympathetic to the household however that she an obligation to make sure a secure association for the entire events.
A pre-plea evaluation and listening to, through which Steptoe’s household and supporters are anticipated to have a chance to deal with the courtroom, was set for April 15, adopted by a bail listening to to revisit Steptoe’s launch circumstances on April 27.