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San Diego Homicide Detective Angela Tsuida Named California Homicide Investigators Association’s 2010 CHIA Investigator of the Year Written by Kay Ochi
Angela Tsuida, Homicide Detective from San Diego, was named California Homicide Investigators Association’s 2010 CHIA Investigator of the Year at their annual conference in Las Vegas in March. A nineteen-year veteran of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, Tsuida, a yonsei originally from Chula Vista, has worked in the Homicide Unit for the last four years.The award is a result of her work on the homicide case of Charles Schoeneman. On April 14, 2009, the victim, Charles Schoeneman, a Navy sailor was found stabbed multiple times in his home. A knife was located within the crime scene. A typewritten letter was located stating, “…all my belongings will go to Jeff Dunn and he will take care of my bills.”’Detective Tsuida was assigned as lead detective for the case and coordinated resources with the San Diego Sheriff’sDepartment, California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence (BII) San Diego and Fresno RegionalOffices, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), San Diego Fugitive Task Force, San Diego Sheriff’s Crime Lab, DOJCrime Lab, and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office.Dunn, a Korean American, was interviewed in Kingsburg, CA and indicated that he had known Schoeneman for a few months. He admitted to meeting him in person along with a friend, Robert “Bobby” Navarro. A search warrant for cell phonerecords was obtained that revealed calls hitting cell towers consistent with the phone traveling from Fresno to San Diego andback. A rental car was identified and linked to Jeff Dunn; the car was seized pursuant to a search warrant and processed forevidence. The San Diego Sheriff’s Crime Lab determined that Schoeneman was a DNA contributor to the blood found on the sea tbelt in the rental car. An unknown person’s DNA profile was obtained from the knife. Dunn’s DNA profile was excluded.Search warrants for pen registers/trap and traces on Dunn and Navarro’s cell phones were initiated. A DNA sample from Navarro was obtained without making him suspicious. The Sheriff’s Crime Lab matched the unknown DNA profile on theknife to Navarro. A wiretap was requested. No wiretap had ever been conducted from the East County Branch of the SanDiego District Attorney’s Office. Law enforcement officers consisting of San Diego Sheriff’s deputies, DOJ/BII specialagents, and NCIS special agents converged on Fresno to conduct the wiretap and surveillance operation. After this surveillance, Jeffrey Dunn and Robert Navarro were arrested and charged for Murder with Special Circumstances.During this investigation, Detective Tsuida and her team authored and executed over 70 search warrants pertaining to phonerecords, internet accounts, bank records, residences, vehicles, along with pen registers and a wire tap affidavit.Department of Justice supervisor, Tyler Burtis, stated, “Detective Tsuida was able to overcome logistical and politicaladversity in order to bring those responsible for the murder of Charles Schoeneman to justice.” Dunn and Navarro are currently awaiting trial.Tsuida’s previous supervisor, San Diego Sheriffs Department’s Lt. James Bovet praised her by saying, “Angie has a real thoroughness about her work; she leaves no stone unturned. She is dedicated to the Department and to the job- to do the right thing for the victims and the community. She has the great skill of keeping all of the juggled balls up in the air. It wasparticularly difficult to do between two cities, San Diego and Kingsburg (Fresno County).”Lt. Bovet added, “Everyone has to prove themselves to their partner and the Department. She is known as someone who canget things done and that you can trust.” Of her work in a male-dominated profession, Tsuida commented, “Brains go a lotfarther than brawn in the law enforcement field, especially for women. This is a challenging career and a constant uphillbattle for women. It is very difficult, but not impossible for a woman to be successful in a male-dominated workplace if they‘play the game’ right. Also, it’s important for men and women alike not to let the job consume or change them and for females not to lose their femininity.”Tsuida has also served on the San Diego Sheriff Department’s Honor Guard Color Guard for almost 15 years. This volunteergroup represents the Department at funerals and memorials services for active and retired law enforcement personnel.Detective Tsuida is the daughter of Carolyn Tsuida and the late Mark Tsuida and is the granddaughter of Grace and MasTsuida and the late Ichiye and Akiji Ochi- all of San Diego.
Is that enough background for you? ... lol.
