SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An uneasy feeling is lingering in a Serra Mesa military housing community after a U.S. Navy chief was arrested on multiple child sex crime charges.
ABC 10News has obtained newly filed court documents detailing the allegations, which neighbors say have left them shocked and unsettled — especially given the sense of safety many associate with military housing.
The arrest happened early Thursday morning near Larkdale Avenue and Murray Ridge, where residents woke up to a large law enforcement presence, including undercover detectives and police officers surrounding a home.
“You have that sense of security, and it’s scary,” neighbor Destiny Smith said.
According to court records, Chief Petty Officer Matthew DiAngelo is facing several charges, including child sex abuse and sexual intercourse with a minor. He is currently being held without bail.
Navy officials confirmed DiAngelo’s arrest, identifying him as an aviation electronics technician assigned to a command at Naval Air Station North Island.
For nearby residents, the allegations hit close to home.
Destiny Smith, who recently moved into the neighborhood with her husband and one-year-old child, said the news has been deeply disturbing.
“When you move to a military community, you’re supposed to have this sense of security,” Smith said. “It’s not something you prepare yourself for or even expect.”
Smith shared video showing law enforcement officers removing what appeared to be electronic devices from DiAngelo’s home during the investigation.
Court documents also reveal a restraining order request filed earlier this week, alleging abusive behavior by DiAngelo.
Neighbors say the arrest has changed how they feel about everyday life in the community.
“There’s multiple families. We’re all military-based,” Smith said. “Everybody’s outraged. Everybody’s upset to find out that something like this is so close to us.”
Some residents tell me they are reconsidering routines they once felt comfortable with.
“My daughter and I used to walk to CVS or the commissary by ourselves,” Smith said. “Now I don’t even want to leave unless my husband is with us. I lost all that security.”
DiAngelo is scheduled to be arraigned in court on January 12 on the child sex crime charges.
