SAN DIEGO — Relatives of 45-year-old Connie Dadkhah, who was found dead inside her Rancho Penasquitos condominium on June 15, 2022, say San Diego Police failed to perform even the most basic steps to prevent her murder, according to a legal claim submitted to the city of San Diego and obtained by CBS 8.
Dadkhah's death was "preventable had [San Diego Police] responded in a reasonable time and manner," says the legal claim - which is considered a precursor to a lawsuit.
In fact, according to attorneys for Dadkhah's estate, the police had all of the information they needed to stop her murder from happening. They had calls from neighbors about a man banging on Dadkhah's front door. Those calls were followed by more calls reporting that the man had broken a glass door and gained access to Dadkhah's condo. Dispatchers and police, according to the claim, were told by neighbors that they even heard fighting inside Dadkhah's home. Despite that, when police did finally arrive, nearly two hours later, attorneys say officers knocked on Dadkhah's door and left when no one answered.
The following day, they discovered Dadkhah's body inside.
Connie Dadkhah's Murder and the 911 Calls
On June 14, 2022, just before 7 pm, San Diego Police dispatchers received a call from residents at a condominium complex on Twin Trails Drive near Black Mountain Road in Rancho Penasquitos.
The neighbors, according to the December 12 filed legal claim, told police that a man was violently banging on 45-year-old Connie Dadkhah's front door. The man was carrying a bottle and was visibly agitated.
An hour later, around 8 pm, attorneys for the Estate of Connie Dadkhah say a neighbor called San Diego Police Department again, this time to report that the man broke into Dadkhah's condo. The neighbor, according to the legal claim, told dispatch that they heard fighting inside the condo.
"Dispatch upgraded the priority of the call," reads the claim. "Neighbors and other third parties believed and relied upon the police department and dispatch's representation that help was on the way, and thus did not try to intervene themselves."
Instead of acting on the calls, attorneys, say police took their time to respond, arriving at Dadkhah's condo at 8:47 pm, nearly two hours after the first 911 call.
And, when they did arrive, reads the claim, officers failed to take any action to get to the bottom of the disturbance.
"[P]olice knocked on [Dadkhah's] door and tried to call her, but were unable to make contact," reads the claim. "[Police] decided to leave instead of entering [Dadkhah's] residence to ensure she was okay."
It wasn't until the following morning when a neighbor called the police again to report that a man, later identified as Parrish Chambers, was seen leaving the condo and on his way out told the neighbor to call the police because Dadkhah was dead.
"[San Diego Police] are liable to Connie Dadkhah's estate for failing to timely respond to multiple calls for help, creating a dangerous situation by stating they would respond and lulling neighbors into relying upon those representations and then failing to respond in a timely and effective manner..." reads the claim.
It is unclear whether or not the city has denied the legal claim. If so, a lawsuit is likely to be filed in the coming weeks.
CBS 8 reached out to the city and the San Diego Police Department. This article will be updated when and if they respond with a statement.
Meanwhile, Chambers is due in court for an evidentiary hearing on August 9, 2023.
