El Cajon Busted Mugshot Search

El Cajon busted mugshots are processed through the San Diego County Sheriff's jail booking system. Located in the eastern part of San Diego County in the El Cajon Valley, this city has about 103,000 residents. The El Cajon Police Department handles local arrests, but all booking and mugshot processing takes place at county facilities run by the sheriff. You can search current county jail inmates for free online. Older records and released inmate booking photos are available through public records requests under California state law.

El Cajon Busted Mugshots and County Booking

When someone gets arrested in El Cajon, the booking happens at San Diego County Sheriff jail facilities. The mugshot is taken during the intake process along with fingerprints and personal information. The booking record also captures the charges, the arresting agency, and bail details. For El Cajon arrests, the arresting agency listed is typically the El Cajon Police Department.

The sheriff's "Who's in Jail" tool lets you search for anyone currently in a San Diego County jail. This free search works by name. Enter the person's first and last name and see what comes up. The results page shows the booking photo, current charges, bail amount, and which jail they are in. This tool updates as new bookings happen throughout the day.

El Cajon sits in the East County area of San Diego. The county also has a detention facility in this part of the county, which sometimes handles local bookings before transfers. Regardless of which facility processes the booking, the record goes into the same countywide system and shows up in the same online search tool.

El Cajon Police Department Records

The El Cajon Police Department patrols the city and handles local crime investigation. Reach them at (619) 579-3311. ECPD keeps police reports, crime reports, and arrest documentation for incidents in El Cajon. These records are separate from the county booking records.

A police report from ECPD contains the details of what happened during an arrest, including the officer's account, witness statements, and evidence collected. The booking record from the county sheriff has the mugshot and intake data. If you need both, you have to request from each agency separately. File a California Public Records Act request with ECPD for the police report and with the sheriff for the booking record.

ECPD has 10 days to respond to a CPRA request under state law. Provide as much detail as you can, including the name, date, and any case or report number. Some records involving ongoing investigations may be held back, but completed case reports and arrest records are usually provided without issue.

How to Find El Cajon Arrest Records

Start with the county's online inmate search for recent arrests. If the person is still in jail, you will find their record there with the mugshot. For people who have been released, try these steps:

• File a CPRA request with the San Diego County Sheriff for the booking record
• Request the police report from El Cajon PD at (619) 579-3311
• Check the San Diego Superior Court online case search
• Submit a state records request through the California DOJ

The San Diego Superior Court handles criminal cases from El Cajon in the East County Division. Court records include the charges, hearing schedule, plea information, and sentencing. These records complement the booking record by showing how the case ended up. You can search online by name or case number.

For your own criminal record, the California DOJ offers a personal record review. You submit Live Scan fingerprints and pay $25 to get a copy of everything the state has on file. This includes El Cajon arrests reported to the state system. Visit the DOJ record review page for details.

State Resources for El Cajon Mugshots

California has state-level tools and processes that apply to El Cajon arrest records. The DOJ statewide criminal history database includes data from local agencies. You can make a CPRA request to the state for records they maintain.

The AB 1475 bill text shows the California law governing how booking photos can be shared and published by third-party websites.

This law is part of California's effort to regulate mugshot publication and protect people from exploitation by commercial mugshot sites.

The CDCR CIRIS inmate locator covers California state prison inmates. If someone arrested in El Cajon ended up in state prison, this tool shows their current location and status. It is free to use and does not require registration. County jail records are handled separately through the San Diego County Sheriff's system, not through CDCR.

Removing El Cajon Busted Mugshots

California law provides paths to seal or expunge arrest records. Under Penal Code section 851.87, you can petition to seal an arrest if there was no conviction. This applies to El Cajon arrests where charges were dropped, dismissed, or never filed. The petition goes to the San Diego Superior Court, and if granted, the booking record and mugshot are sealed from public access.

Expungement works differently. Under Penal Code section 1203.4, you can withdraw a guilty plea after completing probation. This updates the court record but does not automatically remove the mugshot. For full removal from public view, you typically need both expungement of the conviction and sealing of the arrest record. The process can take several months depending on the court's schedule.

For mugshots posted on third-party websites, California's SB 1027 makes it against the law to charge a fee for removal. You should not pay any website to take down your El Cajon booking photo. File a complaint with the California Attorney General's office if a site demands payment for mugshot removal.

Nearby Cities in San Diego County

These other cities in San Diego County have populations over 100,000. Arrests in any of them go through the same county sheriff booking system.

San Diego County Arrest Records

For the full county view of booking records and the sheriff's system, visit the San Diego County busted mugshots page.