BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors rejected a claim from a fired correctional officer hired by former Sheriff Christina Corpus who alleged she was let go because of her disability after being involved in a high-speed crash.
Jasmine De La Cruz, a trainee at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, requested the board to cover her lost wages, benefits and damaged reputation, but supervisors denied her request on Tuesday. De La Cruz’s attorney, Ryan Kraft from the Venardi Aurada firm, submitted the claim on Oct 29, alleging that she was discriminated against for not accommodating her disability.
Kraft and De La Cruz did not respond to the Post’s inquiries for comment.
Deadly high-speed crash
De La Cruz, a trainee at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, was a passenger in a white Cadillac sedan going 120 mph in Burlingame on April 19 at 3:30 a.m., according to a CHP statement. The car had two passengers, one of them being De La Cruz, CHP Officer Jovita Ojeda previously told the Post.
CHP officers tried to stop the car, but driver Armando Jose Lopez kept going, leading to a pursuit. Lopez was driving the car southbound on Highway 101 and exited at Marsh Road, lost control of the car and overturned.
Lopez, 21, of South San Francisco, had major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. One passenger tried to run away but was arrested, Ojeda said at the time. De La Cruz was injured and taken to the hospital.
The Marsh Road off-ramp from southbound 101 was closed for investigation, where an illegal gun was found in the car, Ojeda said.
Wanted to take a leave
De La Cruz was injured and a relative set up a Gofundme page to raise money to cover her “bills, medical expenses, therapy and everyday needs.” She notified the sheriff’s office of her inability to work and asked to use her benefits and leave, according to the claim.
The sheriff’s office fired her on May 6 because of her injury and denied her benefits, the claim states.
De La Cruz was originally hired by the Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 2, 2024, according to spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker.
The decision by the supervisors to reject her claim means she is now free to sue the county in Superior Court.
Other trainee issues
De La Cruz’s incident was one of a series of issues related to trainees hired under former Sheriff Corpus, who was trying to fill vacancies that occurred early after she took office in 2023.
In March, trainee Maxwell Rauen-buehler, who had only been on the job for a month and was working overtime, discovered a dead inmate.
In October 2024, the Post reported that a jail deputy trainee left a gun in a fanny pack at Crepevine at 1310 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame.
On Dec. 2, 2024, an alleged sexual assault between a male and female inmate happened due to a trainee transporting inmates incorrectly, according to emails between judges Stephanie Garratt and Elizabeth Lee to Corpus.
Usually, being involved in a high speed chase trying to evade the police, and having an illegal gun in the car, is a career-killer for anyone in law enforcement.
Del La Cruz is following in Corpus and Victor’s foot steps by filling a lawsuit against the County despite concerns about her own conduct during her time at the Sheriff’s Office. De La Cruz is now the third Corpus hire to be let go this year. There are additional Corpus era hires whose actions have raised concerns and it’s likely more of Corpus’ hires will be let go. Remember kids, what happens in the darkness always comes to light.
How did she ever get a job in the Sheriff’s Office in the first place? [Portion of comment removed because of a Terms of Use violation. If you have proof of the fact you’re asserting, contact us at the Daily Post and we’ll look into it.]