As the son of Mexican immigrants who was raised in City Heights during a time when gang violence was at its peak, and having led a bi-national lifestyle, San Diego County’s Community Partnership Prosecutor Agustin Peña saw many injustices and gained a unique perspective of the world.
“Growing up in that community, you see a lot of injustices and a lot of things that you want to fix or help address, but it is too complex to conceptualize a young age,” Peña said. “Being across border residents, you see even more things so you, you get this significant, profound perspective of the world”.
Peña was the first in his family to attend college, having graduated from San Diego State University. Upon teaching at the Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS), Peña noticed the impact he had and returned as a mentor for youth in City Heights.
His life changed in August 2007, when his fourteen-year-old brother was murdered by gang members. Life continued for Peña despite this tragedy, as he graduated in 2009 and began attending California Western School of Law that year.
During this period, Peña observed the same principles he was studying in law school come into life during a court hearing involving his brother’s murder. He graduated from law school and became a San Diego County Deputy District Attorney, where he has been representing the people and advocating for victims since 2013.
As a Deputy District Attorney, Peña worked on several assignments, including the Hall of Justice, Juvenile Division, East County Division, and South County Division. These assignments led him to prosecute violent crimes throughout the county and the most recently prosecuted cases in the Family Protection Division involving domestic violence and elder abuse.
Late last year, Peña was selected to be one of four Community Partnership Prosecutors (CPP) in the county and was assigned the South County Division. With this new role, Peña is tasked to not only represent the San Diego County DA’s office at various community events but work alongside law enforcement partners, local governments, community leaders, residents, and non-profit organizations to address quality of life issues.
Peña's new role will also help identify public safety issues and help create strategic solutions. He will organize community presentations, including forums on various criminal justice-related topics in the community.
One of the biggest initiatives launched through the CPPs is a new mentorship program with several elementary schools across the county designed to help disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
“My focus is a reflection of the community needs," Peña said. "It is through understanding those needs, having a pulse for what the community wants, and being able to address those issues,” he said.
His upbringing cultivated a passion for addressing gang violence, as many close friends “remain in that world and have been in-and-out of prison as a result."
"That is something close to me, something that I perceive as a problem is something that I want to continue addressing," he said.
According to Peña, violence in the South Bay community is another focus, particularly domestic violence, which has gone underreported. Communities of color in the South Bay often endure more domestic violence or elder abuse, according to Peña.
“That is an issue that I want to handle from the community perspective side. I've handled it from the prosecution side, now it's time to do work on the awareness and the visit prevention," he said.
There has been an increase of reports reflected in the South Bay, though it is believed increased reports stem from an increased awareness of resources and options for victims, according to Peña.
“My personal goal is to see that to see a reduction in crime statistics. It is also to spread awareness, so if someone is ever a victim of a crime, or if they have a question, even though it's not relating to criminal law, they know of resources, and how to get it. It's often-times those little things and making resources available to communities that will often lead to more significant change down the road,” Peña said.
