Los Angeles County’s district attorney is streamlining the filing of charges, especially if they involve family violence and sexual assault, according to a staff memo.
As part of his pledge to prioritize public safety, District Attorney Nathan Hochman has sought to streamline case processing at every level to ensure speedy justice without sacrificing the office’s standards, according to an office spokesperson.
“This common-sense approach is consistent with the district attorney’s determination to reduce the number of cases that piled up under the previous administration despite the staffing challenges the office currently faces,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.
Hochman is “ensuring that sex crimes and crimes involving domestic violence are given the highest attention,” the spokesperson added.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Steven Katz announced the new directive May 1 in a memo provided to The Epoch Times.
Starting May 5, office staff on every level—from filing deputies to support staff—have been directed to file felony complaints that involve family violence or a sex crime within one business day of notification by a deputy district attorney who has evaluated the charges.
Any delays in filing a warrant will be reported to a supervisor, according to the memo.
“The filing and subsequent prosecution of a criminal case is a collaborative effort,” Katz wrote in the memo. “[Deputy district attorneys], law enforcement personnel, and support staff must work together to ensure that cases are processed and filed with the court in a timely manner, especially in matters that directly impact public safety.”
The coach had been under investigation in the sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy in February 2024 but was never arrested or charged, Hochman told reporters last month.
According to officials, Garcia-Aquino is suspected of killing Oscar “Omar” Hernandez after the boy took a train to Lancaster to stay with him on March 28. His family reported him missing two days later.
The boy’s body was found by sheriff’s deputies off a road near Leo Carrillo State Beach in Ventura County, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Garcia-Aquino was charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child.
The special circumstance makes him eligible for the death penalty if found guilty, according to Hochman.
The investigation into the 2024 claims against Garcia-Aquino occurred during former District Attorney George Gascón’s term.
