State Parole Board Rejects San Francisco DA’s Plea To Keep Notorious Killer Tare Beltranchuc Behind Bars

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A plea from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to revoke the parole of Tare Beltranchu, who killed a San Francisco mother in front of her two small children in Oct. 2000, has been rejected by state prison officials.

Joining the San Francisco prosecutor James Conger at the hearing were Claire Joyce Tempongko’s two grown children who emotionally told the parole panel of watching their mother died when they were 10 and 5 years old.

“At today’s hearing, members of the Tompangko family — including Ms. Tompangko’s children — spoke of the ongoing pain and trauma they have suffered as a result of the murder of their mother in their childhood home,” said Assistant District Attorney James Conger in a news release.

“Although it is possible that with enough time and a secure enough plan in place, granting Mr. Beltranchuc parole might be appropriate in the future, that time is certainly not now and we are disappointed that the Parole Board has overlooked the wishes of the families, domestic violence advocates, and the prosecutors in our office by finding him suitable for parole at this time.”

The highly publicized case led to changes in the way San Francisco prosecutors handle domestic violence incidents.

“At the time of the murder, Mr. Beltranchuc had already been under legal supervision for numerous acts of domestic violence against Ms. Tempongko, and yet the system proved ineffectual in protecting her,” the district attorney’s office said in a news release.

Following Tempongko’s murder, Beltranchuc evaded arrest and prosecution for six years until he was located in Mexico in June 2006. Upon his extradition, he was prosecuted and received a sentence of 16 years to life on December 12, 2008 for second-degree murder.

“We are disappointed but not defeated, and will be asking Governor Newsom to again override the Parole Board’s decision to release Mr. Beltranchuc,” said District Attorney Chesa Boudin. “This case was a horrific act of domestic violence and it is imperative that we ensure that Mr. Beltranchuc is not released to the community.”

On October 29, 2019, despite opposition from the district attorney’s office, the State Parole Board found Beltranchuc suitable for release on parole. Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed this decision on May 12, 2020.

On Thursday, the board again approved Beltranchuc’s parole and again San Francisco prosecutors said they will be appealing to Newsom to reverse the decision.

In advance of the hearing, numerous elected and community leaders had submitted letters opposing parole including California State Treasurer Fiona Ma; State Assemblymember David Chiu; California State Senator Scott Wiener; State Assemblymember Philip Ting; UC Berkeley Law Professor Nancy Lemon; and Asian Women’s Shelter Executive Director Orchid Pusey.