SAN JOSE – Domestic Violence in San Jose has spiked through the years as the population of younger adults has increased, with the number of arrests ranging from individuals as young as 18 and as old as persons in their early 50’s. The number of alcohol and drug related arrests have also increased steadily through the years, with more than 16 arrests experienced during an average work day.
As a snapshot of a typical day, the total number of arrests for being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol that occurred in San Jose on Sunday, August 16, was a total of 25 persons. The youngest of the adults arrested was aged 19, with the average age of those arrested being 40 years.
Men are often thought to be the ones that are typically caught drinking and driving, or being under the influence, but the numbers reflect situations in which women are also charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and or under the influence of an unknown controlled substance.
But the variety of crimes can be interchangeable with varied results based on gender, age and/or mental fitness of the suspect. According to SJPD arrest records six different individuals were arrested on that Sunday, August 16, for felony PC 273.5, inflicting of corporal injury on spouse or cohabitant. The ages of those suspects ranged from 29-years of age to 55-years of age. There were two women and four men arrested.
The domestic violence incident occurred at a home on Spinnaker Drive.
On one such previous occasion, the San Jose Police reported the arrest of Deija Dechante Kenya Turner on August 10 for PC 273.5, often referred to as domestic abuse, and PC 455, arson on property located at the 5400 block of Spinnaker Walkway in San Jose.
An argument had broken out between the two lovers who had been living together for more than two years, but had been separated for more than a year-and-a-half when Turner had come to visit. The female victim stated that after her ex-lover had come over she started demanding that the victim give her back a large sum of money that had supposedly went missing from her home. She entered the ex-girlfriend’s room searching through her things, when the situation became heated between them.
After searching through her things and not finding the money, she began to argue that she knew she had taken it, and demanded that she give the money back. They began to fight near the stairway when Turner grabbed her by the legs and pulled her down the stairs, pouring gasoline over her. It was then thought that Turner had poured gasoline throughout the residence during the search. She had poured gasoline throughout the garage area and kitchen, and then intended to ignite the gasoline by using the electric stovetop.
Turning on of the electric stovetop was believed to have been an attempt by Turner to ignite the fumes in the room and burn the residence. Fortunately, with five roommates in jeopardy of being burned by the fire, the stovetop was turned off and the fire department called to help de-escalate the situation. According to court records, Turner stated “Violence happens all the time.” Turner said she had fought with her ex-girlfriend on numerous occasions. She had also stated that she was taking sex-change/reassignment medication and illegal drugs at the time of the incident.
The female victim stated that Turner had come to her home that day and had refused to leave after being asked several times. During the incident, Turner admitted that she was near a gas can that did not have a lid on it, and had accidentally spilled the gasoline, but did not spread it around the home. She also stated that she did not turn on the stove-top.
Turner says she had never stated that she was going to burn the house down. The female victim said that her rent money was missing and that is why she came to the residence and harassed her. At one time she had put her hands around her neck and demanded the rent money, but no other altercation occurred between the victim and suspect Turner, as a witness stepped in to break up the fighting.
The fire department reported that gasoline was spilled in the garage, but the garage was ventilated, however the gas may have spread to other areas of the residence. The San Jose Fire Department also reported that a stove top had been left on during the incident.
Turner was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for the incident and was later released under a Searchable Order Protective Release by the court. Her next court date has been scheduled for August 28, 2015 in Dept 43 at 9:00 AM.
