SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, September 30, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office that a jury reached five guilty verdicts in a misdemeanor domestic violence trail against Anthony Macias. The jury convicted on all five counts including one count of Domestic Battery (PC 243(e)(1)) and four counts of Violating a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (PC 273.6(a)). The victim did not cooperate with the prosecution in the case–and instead testified for the defense–the jury heard independent evidence that established Macias’s guilt, and convicted him accordingly.
“Our obligation to promote public safety means we must–and will– hold accountable those whom we know committed domestic violence,” said District Attorney Chesa Boudin. “Domestic violence cases can often be challenging and emotional, and it is especially painful when victims protect their abusers. Here, the independent evidence–including eye witnesses; the 911 call; and Mr. Macias’s own admissions over the phone–established that he committed domestic violence. I commend my team’s hard work in securing this conviction in spite of the challenges.”
The case involved a November 19, 2020 incident where Macias struck the victim multiple times in the head and subsequently made phone calls to the victim from jail in violation of a court order.
A neighbor testified he witnessed the crime, after hearing screaming, he looked outside of his apartment window and saw a man later identified as Anthony Macias striking a woman at least three times in the head with a closed fist. The neighbor approached the couple and told Macias to stop, but he remained aggressive. Upon learning the neighbor called 911, the defendant turned to the victim and said, “Look, [victim] see what you made me do?” as the victim apologized.
During the 911 call, the neighbor described what he saw, some of which were contemporaneous. The District Attorney’s Office introduced that 911 at the trial.
The victim told inconsistent accounts to authorities, first denying that Macias was violent and then claimed he had only pushed her.
The SFDA’s Office introduced evidence of the defendant’s subsequent calls from the jail, in which he repeatedly contacted the victim in violation of a court order. In one of he calls, he asked the victim, “Did anyone see me hit you?” and in another he asks, “Did I hit you in front of him?”
Inspector Tony Flores from San Francisco’s Police Department’s SVU testified as an expert to the behavior of domestic violence victims and why they may recant, minimize, or lie to protect their abuser.
Assistant District Attorney Paige Zielinski prosecuted this case with support from law clerk Alexis Noel and paralegals Loretta Luu and Lena Ku.
“This was an emotional trial because the victim clearly wanted to protect Mr. Macias, despite the overwhelming evidence of his guilt,” said Assistant District Attorney Paige Zielinski. “I commend the jury for their thoughtfulness and attentiveness in evaluating each piece of that evidence and ultimately holding Mr. Macias accountable.”
