DA O'Malley and the Alameda County Family Justice Center hosted the 12th Annual Day of Remembrance. Elected officials and community members gathered together at the County Administration Plaza to honor the many lives taken as a result of domestic violence. The event incorporated art exhibits depicting the harsh realities of domestic violence, and the ceremonial ringing of the Memorial Bell. The bell rung each time the name of a domestic violence homicide victim was read aloud.


On October 28, 2014, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors proclaimed October as Domestic violence Awareness month. DA O'Malley received the proclamation from Supervisor Richard Valle.

The DA's Office partnered with the Oakland Athletics and launched a public awareness campaign to stop domestic violence.

The following local law enforcement officers are this year's recipients of the District Attorney's Officer Recognition Awards. These awards honor the outstanding work of sworn peace officers, whose individual investigative achievements lead to the successful prosecution of criminals in Alameda County.

for their bravery in People v Byron Williams, the apprehension of a would-be assassin, who was on his way to San Francisco to execute employees at a non-profit organization. The car stop turned into an 18 minute gun battle with the body armored defendant on the Interstate 580 ramp in Oakland. These officers had recently graduated from the academy and had just finished their field training program.

for their work involving numerous surveillance and undercover operations in "Operation Turning Off the H.E.A.T.," an investigation that lasted over eight months and revealed the existence of five criminal organizations operating in massage parlors throughout the county.

for his tireless work in investigating People v. Jeffrey Garratt; the brutal kidnapping and rape of mentally developed challenged woman who was walking home in Emeryville in October 1998.

for their investigation and efforts in People v. Alandis Brunson, assuring the safety of a reluctant 17 year old runaway human trafficking victim.

for his dogged pursuit in People v. Bryan Davis, a murder investigation from 2002. He re-interviewed witnesses, carefully sifted through collected evidence, and developed a time-line and graph that packaged the evidence in a way so that a trier of fact could weigh, evaluate, and determine the facts. 

The District Attorney's Office participated in the 2014 Alameda County Stone Soup Food Drive, hosted by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator's Office. The Alameda County Community Food Bank is now serving 1 in 5 Alameda County residents and nearly two-thirds of them are children and seniors. The canned foods collected throughout the entire county will be donated to the community food bank, just in time for the holiday season.

Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O'Malley announced that a jury found Steven Carlson, 46, guilty of first degree murder for the brutal 1984 killing of 14 year old Tina Faelz.

On April 5, 1984, the mutilated body of fourteen-year-old Tina Faelz was found in a ditch along Interstate 680, behind Foothill High School in Pleasanton. She had been stabbed forty-four times. Her schoolbooks were scattered beside her body, and her purse had been thrown into some shrubbery behind her. In 1986, police interviewed Steven Carlson because of rumors that he had confessed to the murder. Carlson had lived across the street from where the murder occurred, and had been in the same freshman class as Tina. In 1986, Carlson admitted to detectives that he had told people he'd killed Tina, but claimed he was just joking.

Over many years, analysis of numerous items of crime scene evidence yielded no suspect information. In 2008, Detective Dana Stout requested that Tina's purse be analyzed. Biologists with the FBI found four bloodstains on Tina's purse; one stain was Tina's blood, and the other three were Steven Carlson's blood. In a statement to detectives in 2011, Carlson laughed nervously, calling it a "cold case," and then claimed to have no memory of the murder.

"This verdict is the result of decades of committed and diligent work on the part of the Pleasanton Police Department, and unwavering dedication by all involved to bringing justice to Tina Faelz and her family. Advancements in technology clearly illustrate the power of DNA evidence in solving crimes and convicting violent criminals," stated DA O'Malley.

"I would like to thank the numerous dedicated Pleasanton detectives who worked this case over the decades, and the FBI for solving the case through the DNA analysis of the purse. I hope that today's verdict brings a sense of justice to Tina's family and friends," stated Deputy District Attorney Stacie Pettigrew, the trial prosecutor.

The sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2015.

For a full description of all felony and misdemeanor verdicts,  please visit
our website.

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