Client
I filed a California Public Records Act request after being harassed and detained by Costa Mesa Police while charging my Tesla at a Shell Recharge station. My battery was at 0%. It was 5:40 AM. The Shell app clearly says the chargers are open 24/7, and other EVs were charging next to me. But CMPD showed up with four patrol cars, told me the chargers were "closed," and threatened me with trespass -- for using an EV charger that is literally advertised as always open. This wasn't a misunderstanding. I explained everything. They didn't care. And they didn't treat everyone the same. I saw other EVs allowed to charge overnight -- because they were mall employees or city staff. CMPD has decided who gets to use the chargers after hours. And they're enforcing a private mall policy as if it were law, while these chargers are taxpayer funded. So I filed a records request to understand how this happened. Who gave the order? How did CMPD identify me? I never gave them my name or ID. One officer just called me by name and said "AI cameras" found me. I wanted to know if they used facial recognition, license plate scanning, or internal communications with mall security. My request included: * Exact dates and times (Dec 9, 2024 at 5:40 AM; Jan 14, 2025 at ~3 PM) * Exact locations: Shell EV charger near Bloomingdale's, outside the Apple Store * List of known personnel: 2 CMPD officers, 1 South Coast Plaza security "sergeant" * Specific records requested: body cam footage, CAD logs, LPR hits, emails, trespass reports * Transcript and timeline of incident, including officer misconduct In response, the City of Costa Mesa outsourced my request to a private law firm -- Jones & Mayer LLP -- who sent a letter stating: "Your many requests do not target a specific record... Without such detail it is impossible to locate such records." That's a lie. There is no ambiguity in what I requested. They're pretending not to understand in order to avoid releasing the footage and internal documentation. To make matters worse, the letter was signed by someone named "Sherie Mata," a name with no public legal record, no bar registration, and no searchable legal presence. Is the city using fictitious lawyers now? Meanwhile, I remain wrongfully trespassed from South Coast Plaza, without ever signing anything. One officer spent nearly an hour escalating the situation, mocking me, and ultimately forced a trespass paper into my hand under threat. At no point was I accused of breaking any law, just told I had been "previously trespassed" with no documentation. CMPD is acting as hired muscle for South Coast Plaza -- using taxpayer-funded officers and surveillance to keep the public away from infrastructure we all paid for. These EV chargers have no signage, no gate, no posted hours. They were built in part with state incentives for public use, but CMPD is helping the mall keep them private for employee use only -- likely in exchange for political favors, backdoor deals, or budgetary perks. This is theft of public utility access. It's an abuse of power. And when asked for records, the city lies, conceals, and gaslights the people asking questions. If you visit Costa Mesa or charge your EV near South Coast Plaza, understand this: your rights end where the mall's influence begins. You could be profiled by AI, identified by license plate, and removed from public property -- not for breaking any law, but because a private company told police to remove you. I have the video. I have the transcripts. And I won't stop until there is accountability. EDIT: I received this email from CMPD watch commander Grimmon: "I am writing to inform you that, following recent discussions with South Coast Plaza security personnel, the decision has been made to rescind the previously issued trespass warning concerning your presence on South Coast Plaza property." I am still unable to obtain the documents I have been requesting for months, and it appears the trespass was never filed with superior court. What a clown show.