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January 26, 2012

Mug shot most likely to go viral: Concord woman charged with suffocating boyfriend

Dava Alizabeth-Ann Steen is likely to have some 15 minutes of fame -- or notoriety -- with the release of her booking photo following her arrest over the weekend in connection with the Nov. 25 death of her 47-year-old boyfriend.

Let's just say that Steen doesn't look her best in the photo. I mean, who does? But Steen ... .It kind of makes me wish the County Jail would offer some pre-booking photo consultation to folks -- for defense purposes -- so the defendant doesn't  come off looking like the person the prosecution wants to say they are.

Steen's mug has been on the home page for SFGate.com for the past day with the headline, Police: Concord woman suffocated boyfrien. SFGate.com doesn't usually give that kind of play to crimes committed in suburbia unless there is something remarkable about the case, or the suspect, or -- may I venture to guess in this case -- the suspect's booking photo. 

Danny Rat Bennett, 47, died at home on Concord's Wren Avenue on Nov. 25.According to a press release, posted on Claycord, Concord police and Contra Costa Consolidated fire personnel went to the home regarding a man who had stopped breathing. Attempts to get him breathing again were not successful.

The man's long-term girlfriend, Steen, told police her boyfriend had a history of significant health and medical issues which were ultimately conformed.Police investigated the case as a natural death.

But last week, detectives received word from a potential witness who alleged the death wasn't an accident or "natural." Rather, it was a homicide. Over the next few days, police obtained evidence supporting and corroborating the fact that Deen had suffocated and killed Bennett during a physical altercation, according to police.


On Wednesday, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office filed homicide changes against Steen. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Major Crimes Unit Detective Greg Pardella at (925) 603-5922. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the Concord Police Department Tip-line at (925) 603-5836.

1 comment:

Karen said...

The minute I saw that woman's picture on KTVU's website, I thought, "Yikes. That's unfortunate."