📼 visit from OC Sheriff
Transcript
Deputy 1: [00:00:00] Hey, Martin, this
Logan M Isaac: is Deputy- No! How you doing? Quiet, Yogi. Hi. How you doing today, sir? Fine. I'm Deputy Silva with the sheriff department. This is my partner, Deputy Kruger, and our other partner here, Topher. How's it going? Um, we didn't get a call on you or anything like that. Okay. You're not in trouble. We're just here to follow up, um-
Topher: On a letter, I guess, that was sent, an email that was sent to the VFW.
Logan M Isaac: Probably.
Topher: Yeah, by your wife, Laura.
Logan M Isaac: Sure.
Topher: Uh, Laura had said that there was some concerns, I guess, she, uh, addressed to the VFW regarding, um, a recent contact you had with them, uh, referencing, I guess you were at a meeting and there was a book that you were, you had published.
Logan M Isaac: Okay.
Topher: Uh, and then they had told you you couldn't talk about the book or something, and I guess Laura had some concerns about, you know, your, um, your interaction with them.
Logan M Isaac: What does that have to do with the police?
Topher: So the reas- so the reason why we're actually here is, uh, we're actually part of the Behavioral Health Bureau with the sheriff's department. So it's a new bureau that they created, uh, regarding mental health status and, uh, mental health concerns that [00:01:00] people have.
So we just wanna come talk to you and see how everything's going, see if there's anything we can help with.
Logan M Isaac: Quiet The mental health. So how did you get a hold of it?
Topher: So the VFW-
Logan M Isaac: Yeah ...
Topher: received a letter from Laura.
Logan M Isaac: In Dana Point?
Logan M Isaac: Is that why it's the sheriff instead of the police?
Topher: Correct, yeah.
Mm-hmm. Uh, 'cause we, we control pretty much all the-
Logan M Isaac: So VFW forwarded my wife's email to the sheriff's department?
Topher: Yes. They were concerned.
Topher: The VFW was. So they- Who? I don't know who the ... I'm guessing-
Logan M Isaac: Who'd you get the letter from?
Topher: Uh, Mr. Haddagy was the, uh- Ricky? ... letter addressed to. I don't know his first name.
Logan M Isaac: So Ricky forwarded you an email.
Topher: Yes, sir.
Logan M Isaac: And what's the concern?
Topher: I guess just that, uh, Laura had some concerns with regards to, uh, the way you were treated by the VFW.
Logan M Isaac: Uh-huh.
Topher: Um, so we, we came out, we wanted to come out and just talk to you and see how everything's going, see kind of if you need anything.
Logan M Isaac: Just to check on your wellbeing, sir. If you need anything, any kind of resources or anything like that. That's all. Uh, and you're plainclothes. I'm [00:02:00] confused.
Deputy 1: I'm not law enforcement, so it's a team with the behavioral-
Logan M Isaac: But what are you? ... mental health. Or who are you?
Deputy 1: I'm a therapist, so I work with Orange County Healthcare Agency.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. And so- And you were referred to as a deputy, is that correct?
Deputy 1: I'm sorry?
Logan M Isaac: Were you referred to as a deputy?
Deputy 1: No, sir. No, sir.
Logan M Isaac: Oh, okay. I must have misheard.
Deputy 1: We are two, we're deputies. He's a therapist that we ride with, a part of the- Sure ... uh, psychiatric emergency response
Topher: team.
Logan M Isaac: What's the emergency?
Topher: There is no emergency.
Logan M Isaac: But Ricky thought that there was an emergency, so he s- forwarded my wife's email to the sheriff's. There is
Deputy 1: no emergency. No, sir. No.
Logan M Isaac: I, okay.
Deputy 1: I think our, your wife alluded to she had concerns with how VFW handles, like, because they mention a lot about suicide awareness and things like that.
Logan M Isaac: VFW does?
Deputy 1: Correct. And so she felt the way that they handled the situation was insensitive. Tangentially-
Logan M Isaac: So why are you here instead of VFW?
Deputy 1: I'm sorry?
Logan M Isaac: So what are you doing here?
Deputy 1: So again, so tangentially she's saying that the behavior, the way that they ... You are a veteran, and so the way that they behaved is insensitive to veterans, and she says those kind of things potentially lead [00:03:00] to suicidal whatever.
So if someone makes statements like that, that they have a concern, then we, we will come out like, "Hey, is there a concern? Do you really think that this is a legitimate thing?"
Logan M Isaac: Okay. "
Deputy 1: Did this, did this interaction really affect you in a way that, hey, you know, emotionally I need, I could use some support because I, I don't appreciate the way you handled?"
Then we can link you up to services or things like that. So I think he had to react to the content of the lever, the letter and what she wrote in there. So if anyone uses this terminology, they can't just ignore that. They have to say, like-
Logan M Isaac: What terminology?
Deputy 1: So if she, using the word suicide and suicidal ideation- Oh, okay
suicidal thoughts, then that's a concern. Okay. So if she's implying that, "Hey, my husband may be at risk, and you guys are, are, are, are treating him poorly," then that would be a concern.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. Um, and just so I know who I'm talking with, does anybody here have any military service?
Topher: No. Do, do we personally? No. No.
Logan M Isaac: Okay So [00:04:00] do y'all, does anybody have a sense of how this might be kind of weird?
Topher: I understand, sir. I, I, I think us police officers showing up at anyone's house obviously is usually a concern for people. Uh, but we wanted to kind of follow up with you and see how you're doing. That's all it is.
Logan M Isaac: Okay.
Topher: If you would like, we can get someone else down here who has military record and service.
Logan M Isaac: No, I'm just curious because the, when you talk about sensitivity-
Topher: Mm-hmm.
Logan M Isaac: I can't find it. I know she sent an email. Um-
So you're here to check on me because- To
Deputy 1: offer services if you need them. Or what? So the, the letter is not clear on what your wife wrote, so I don't know what her intent was- Okay.
Logan M Isaac: I know. I have it in here ...
Deputy 1: and what exact she used, so I don't know what her intent was. Okay. Anytime anyone uses those words, they wanna make sure that, hey, we're putting an effort out there, we're reaching out in the event that there is a need and that you do have...
you would like some additional services, then we're more than happy to offer that [00:05:00] to you.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. I don't know why it's not pulling up on my phone. Okay. No worries. Yeah. My wife sent an email because Rick... I asked a question, and he didn't like my answer and was making all kind of weird comments about, like...
Yeah, it was really weird.
Logan M Isaac: But the topic of sensitivity is interesting to me because it's weird that you're coming to a veteran's home, nobody here has military service, you've got weapons, and that doesn't seem like it might be a problem?
Deputy 1: That's what
Logan M Isaac: we're, that's what we're here to determine. So- Okay. No, it,
it is a problem-
Deputy 1: Okay ...
Logan M Isaac: for the military spouse to write to a commander of the VFW in Dana Point. That commander forwarded an email to the police to send armed officers to that veteran's home making [00:06:00] suggestions about their mental health.
Deputy 1: So they're sending, what they're sending is me. So they're sending a therapist.
I don't travel without deputies because I work with them, and that's for my safety. Usually I'm doing 50/50 assessments- Do
Logan M Isaac: you feel unsafe? ...
Deputy 1: those sorts of things. So it's not a matter I don't know you. So anytime I'm making contact with someone I don't know, I have my deputies with me. So they're not here to threaten, intimidate, or any of that.
They're just here to support me to make sure-
Logan M Isaac: Right. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Has anybody else heard that one?
Deputy 1: Sure. Sure.
Logan M Isaac: So you're behind two people with firearms, and I'm supposed to what?
Deputy 1: You're
Logan M Isaac: just- Like, what, how do these visits usually go? I'm just kinda curious.
Deputy 1: Well, usually we're offering someone services and saying like, "Hey, do we need, do you need any services?
Is there anything we can offer you?" Your wife sort of obtusely alluded to the fact that, hey, maybe my husband might have a concern, maybe he's at some kind of risk or not. We're just here to determine whether that's true or not because her letter wasn't clear. So it never said-
Logan M Isaac: What did Rick send?
Deputy 1: I'm [00:07:00] sorry?
Logan M Isaac: What did Rick send? 'Cause it, it went through- He just forwarded that email He just forwarded to
Topher: that ...
Logan M Isaac: with nothing.
Topher: Well, he just told us that there might be some concern, so if you would like to go talk to him. So that's why we're here.
Logan M Isaac: I don't intend to talk to Rick because he's kind of a douchebag.
Topher: Okay.
Mm-hmm. That, that's why- Fair enough ... that's why Rick forwarded the information on.
Logan M Isaac: Is any of this public record? No. Can anybody look this up?
Topher: No.
Logan M Isaac: So there's no record of making an armed visit to a veteran's home about mental health?
Topher: No. No.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. I would love some services. I'd love to see a journalist.
Deputy 1: A journalist?
Deputy 1: Okay. I can help you with social work services, mental health services.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. Sure. I didn't ask for that, and I don't think my wife did either.
Deputy 1: Okay.
Topher: So did you wanna try and get, talk to, speak with a journalist? Is that what you're trying to get at?
Logan M Isaac: Sure, yeah.
Topher: So my recommendation is we can't help with that.
You can contact, like, the local news agenc- news agency or even, like, the Orange County Register or something and then talk to them.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. Should I tell them that there are police officers at my door-
Topher: Sure ...
Logan M Isaac: asking about my mental health?
Topher: Yeah. You're more than welcome to. Yeah.
Logan M Isaac: Okay. Let [00:08:00] me make sure I-
Logan M Isaac: So just to repeat, my wife sent an email to VFW Commander Rick Toregi Yes, sir ... commenting about how his comments were really inappropriate and borderline... Well, I won't say borderline anything. And then Rick, VFW Commander at Dana Point, forwarded an email to law enforcement, which then sent armed officers and a therapist to my house.
Deputy 1: Yes, sir. Like we told you, we're a part of the psychiatric emergency response team, and that's why we're here. Yeah. And I psychiatrically cannot avoid the fact that you each have firearms and you're standing behind two armed people. So that's just the way we're dressed, sir. It, it's just part of our uniform.
Part of our uniform, sir. Yeah. Yeah. You don't see how that might be a problem? Not really, sir And again, none of you have military service? No, sir. No, sir. So it might be lost on everybody but me, who spent six years in the Army, how ridiculous it is that another [00:09:00] military person sent an email to law enforcement.
Logan M Isaac: Law enforcement, right? Or was there some other department that Rick Jauregui sent it to? No, sir. Law enforcement. Okay. So he sent it to law enforcement, who then forwarded it to y'all, and y'all came out here. Yes, sir. Just to check up on you to see kinda how you're doing, see if there's any additional resources or services that we can try and provide.
Deputy 1: You addressed that you wanted to speak with a journalist, and I told you that you can contact those you registered with- But yeah, they'll, they'll be interested now that they sent... that Rick Jauregui sent armed officers to my house. Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. Did you need any assistance or resources? No, that wasn't what I was asking.
Logan M Isaac: If I could pull up the email, I would, but I will for the re- the register, I guess. Okay. All right, sir. Sounds good. Um, all right. Did you want us to give you a card with regards to an- any resources that you, if you have later down the road, uh, did you want us to give you a card with that information on it?
Deputy 1: Sure. And can I FOIA the body cam footage so I can get the longer video of all this? These are all public records, sir. Cool. So you're more than- If you could [00:10:00] indicate how I can get that body cam footage, that would be helpful. Sure
I'm just gonna ask for the last question
Logan M Isaac: How many vets do you think are in, uh, law enforcement? Uh, we have quite a few, sir. We have the name on the card, and then PERT is the, is the acronym for the team that I work with for the- Okay ... psychiatric emergency response. How many emails like this do you get from Rick? I don't know who Rick is. Would that be public information?
Topher: No. 2692 Ross Rodriguez. If any information that comes, so anything, like, uh, from my understanding, what, when he's, uh, giving the information to the sheriff's department, he's giving it specifically to their behavioral health unit. 2692 Ross Rodriguez. Okay. It's not to, like, the officers. It's going directly to a behavioral health, um, bureau because this, because of the verbiage that was used.
Logan M Isaac: Well, hold on. Let me, let me-
Deputy 1: Last one there, sir. He was just [00:11:00] forwarding a possible concern, and that's all we're doing. We're following up on the concern Did you hear in, in what I read, do you hear any, any suggestion that I might be at risk? So again, there was just three words mentioned of suicide, and that's why we're just following up to make sure that if, if anyone that you know of or yourself- I know.
Logan M Isaac: I'll ask any three of you. Did any of you hear in those three mentions of suicide that I, my spouse's partner, was at risk for suicide? It's un-- That's what I'm saying. It's unclear what the intent was in that letter when they made, when she made the statement Can you help me understand how a reasonable person would have read that, thought Logan is at risk for suicide such that he sends law enforcement to my house?
This does seem to be harassment. Unless a reasonable person could have heard from that, "My husband is going to kill himself
You're silent. So silence is assent. You do not, or I can reasonably infer that you don't or you didn't hear anything that seems to [00:12:00] suggest that I'm at risk for suicide. So it begs the question, why is Rick Jauregui calling law enforcement officers out for something that I just read to you? There is nothing in the letter that said either way.
Topher: That's why I'm saying that the letter was obtuse. So there was no direction saying, never said directly, "My husband's feeling suicidal." So why did you come? Why didn't you tell Rick or ask Rick for more information? There's, that's why we come directly to you. Did you go to Rick? She read the letter, she had a concern.
Logan M Isaac: Did you go to Rick? And she's saying that. Why would we go to Rick about that? He's the one that sent you the letter Your wife wrote the letter. We're responding to what your wife wrote in the letter. Right. So what did she wr- wrote, write... What did she write that allowed or implied that I was at risk? She implied that there was increased risk because of the poor behavior of the VA, that it was insensitive, and she mentioned a suicide risk.
Topher: So our concern is, why are we mentioning this suicide risk for whatever this issue is- So it's now like the new- ... if someone calls- ... cancel culture. Like, a word can get police officers called to my house. It's [00:13:00] not a cancel culture issue, but it is- Well, it's an analogy ... that we wanna make sure that we are being sensitive if someone's raising- Okay.
Logan M Isaac: I'm telling you, you're not being sensitive. Okay. I don't know, and you all haven't told me, how and what I just read to you inferred that I was at risk. I- So instead of, like, say, calling me or calling Rick to ask him where he thought that might have been... He didn't like what I had to say on a phone call.
Right. So he sent an email to law enforcement. That is harassment. Sir, he just sent the, he just forwarded the email that your wife sent over, and that was it. So who's, who's at fault? Because at some point, you actually have to deal with the content of the letter. Is that correct? Yes or no. That's why we're here.
And maybe that's a no. Is that a yes or a no? And that's why we're here, sir. Yeah. The content of the letter is why we're here. So no, no intellectual activity at all. It's just there's a letter that has seven characters in it. We're gonna go to his house with two armed officers. It's a letter that him- Do you understa-
called us back. Do you hear how ridiculous that is? Do you hear how [00:14:00] incredibly harassing that comes off as? I hear that you feel harassed and you feel it's very difficult. That I definitely, I definitely hear. We hear that, and it's unfortunate, and we take that in, and we can definitely bear that in mind in the future that you're saying, "Hey, this was really insensitive.
Topher: I'm a veteran. If you guys have never been in this situation before, maybe there's things that you can consider." And we'll definitely consider that going forward, that, hey, the gentleman's a veteran. Maybe there's some concerns that we need to, to take into account. Our, our, like you said, how do these things usually go?
Usually we just say, "Hey, this is my name. Here's a card. Here's some resources if you need them." And people generally are fairly appreciative that, hey, someone's at least looking out for me and concerned about my behavior. It sounds like there's some additional concerns that you have, gentleman, and there's some other stuff going on in the background.
If someone calls 911 and hangs up and does it repeatedly, is there a crime? Yeah. Yes, there is. So- What's the crime? It's 653 Mike. What's that? Misuse of 911. Misuse? Yes, sir. So again- [00:15:00] He called 911. He's instituted an action from law enforcement He
did not call you- Nobody emailed. Whatever it was, it was his action, and then no consideration between that forwarded email to showing up at my door armed. Okay. So us being here is probably not helping the situation anymore. Yeah, it probably could have- Let's just have some sort of- That, that could have been a, a, a conclusion that could have been drawn had someone asked, say, a veteran.
So you have our card now, so you have access to those services in the event that you did need those services. Yeah. And your wife has that card. I do not intend to use them because of how you've handled it so far. Okay. Okay. If you had a concern- We understand that ... or if that letter actually triggered a concern, that should have been...
Logan M Isaac: Something should have happened between some schmuck forwarding an email and showing up at someone's house with your fucking weapons, right? All right. All right. Would you like us to leave? Yeah , you shouldn't have come in the first place. You should have asked Rick. All right. All right. Yes, sir. Sounds good.
Topher: Well, then you have a good rest of your day, okay? Have a good day, sir. Thank you. Sure. Maybe next time send [00:16:00] some veterans who might know better. Sounds
