Sheriff brings Aenlle into HQ along with urinating puppy

Employees of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office felt intimidated yesterday when the sheriff’s former chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, returned to the department’s headquarters in Redwood City, according to an email a sheriff’s captain sent to employees today.

Many of those employees had cooperated in an investigation of Aenlle and Sheriff Christina Corpus.

Capt. Mark Myers said in an email (below) that it appeared Aenlle was carrying a gun. Myers also said that the sheriff’s puppy repeatedly urinated during the visit.

The county Board of Supervisors terminated Aenlle’s job on Nov. 13 and County Manager Mike Callagy banned him from entering any county facilities that aren’t open to the public. Aenlle no longer receives a paycheck from the county.

But employees weren’t aware that Aenlle could return to the sheriff’s headquarters on the Fifth Floor of 330 Bradford St. if he was accompanied by Sheriff Corpus.

Things are tense in the sheriff’s office right now because the county Board of Supervisors has put a charter amendment on the March 4 ballot that would give them the power to remove Corpus from office. An independent investigation by retired Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell found a pattern of “lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest and abuse of authority” by the sheriff.

Capt. Myers sent the following email to sheriff’s employees today:

“I want to address the situation that occurred yesterday involving Victor entering the HQ building and accessing the fifth floor. What has caused the most concern among staff is the lack of communication regarding this ‘exception,’ where the Sheriff can invite Victor in as long as she escorts him. This incident has raised significant concerns, particularly among our female civilian staff members who cooperated with the investigation and work on the fifth floor.”

“Some of our female staff felt intimidated by Victor’s presence and requested to leave the office early due to concerns for their personal safety. This situation has had a noticeable impact on morale and the sense of security and safety within the workplace.”

“Additionally, I want to draw attention to the first black-and-white photograph (above) where you can clearly see an imprint of an object on the left side of Victor’s jacket near his waist. This appears to be the imprint of a firearm being worn on his left hip. As you may know, Victor is left-handed (see photo with former Acting Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox below). I was also informed that Victor was allowed to bypass the metal detectors on the ground floor and proceed to the fifth floor accompanied by the Sheriff, her puppy, and contractor Manjit Sappal.”

“This raises an important question: What is the County’s policy on allowing individuals with CCW (carrying a concealed weapon) permits to carry firearms into County buildings? I believe it is inappropriate and potentially dangerous to allow Victor to carry a firearm onto County property, especially given that he does not have a legitimate business reason to be present. Would it be possible for the County to explore obtaining a restraining order on behalf of employees to prevent Victor from entering County buildings in the future? Or is this something that we as a group of concerned employees need to explore on our own?”

“Another issue worth examining is Mr. Sappal’s contract. As seen in the attached video, Victor appears to give him a ‘bro’ hug, suggesting that they may know each other personally. Additionally, the contract’s value $199,999 raises questions. I recommend a thorough review of this contract to ensure transparency and compliance with County policies.”

“Finally, I would like to address the issue of the Sheriff bringing her puppy into the building. Staff and janitors have reported that the puppy has urinated on the floor multiple times, resulting in stains and an unpleasant odor on the fifth floor. This is not only unprofessional but also impacts the workplace environment.”