CV Man Reflects on Private Eye Career
Private Investigator Juan Sigler (center) of Castro Valley is shown here at a 2020 press conference at the trial of Sean Monterrosa, a teenager fatally shot by Vallejo police. With him are prominent lawyers John Burris, left, and Ben Nisenbaum.
Longtime Castro Valley resident Juan Sigler is celebrating 10 years as a private investigator, a business that he started after retiring from a long career as a Probation Officer and Parole Agent.
“It was actually my lifelong dream to be an investigator,” says Sigler.
He started his first career in the criminal justice system in 1981 with Alameda County Probation, followed by the California Youth Authority, where he worked as a Youth Counselor and Parole Agent. In 2009 he retired from the State, and in 2012 he opened his own business, Sigler and Associates Investigations. The success of this “retirement venture” has surprised him.
“Sometimes I work 30 hours a week. I have more than enough work now, and I just keep getting referrals. These 10 years have come and gone so fast, and I treat every case like it’s my first case — and my last case. If it’s your first case, you want it to be good to prove yourself to the person who hired you. And you want your last case to be good because it will be how people remember you,” he says.
As a private investigator, Sigler has worked for some high-powered lawyers, most notably prominent civil rights attorney John Burris. Sigler is responsible for obtaining and preparing evidence and information through such methods as computer forensics, surveillance, videos, photos, diagrams, and talking to witnesses. Every aspect of his investigation has to be courtroom- and trial- ready.
“In court, it’s not like Perry Mason, where there’s a surprise witness,” he says.
Sigler’s special talent is talking to witnesses. His father was in the service and the family moved around a lot. Sigler had to learn to make friends quickly, with a wide variety of people. Although at the time it wasn’t easy, now he realizes that the skill benefits him as an investigator. Now he’s willing and able to talk to witnesses that other investigators won’t.
The thing that motivates him is knowing that he helps get a measure of justice for families who lose a loved one, particularly to police misconduct.
“These parents go through a lot. A million dollars won’t bring back their son or daughter. Those children are gone, and that’s the hard part. We’re glad to help but we’ve got to be strong for them and do whatever we can to help them.”
“These parents go through a lot. A million dollars won’t bring back their son or daughter. Those children are gone, and that’s the hard part. We’re glad to help but we’ve got to be strong for them and do whatever we can to help them,” he says.
Sigler has a Bachelor of Science from San Jose State in Administration of Justice and more than 6,000 hours of specialty training. He is a member of the California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI), which is the largest private investigations trade union in the world. He served as past East Bay District Governor and Director in 2017 and received the Governor of the Year award. He raised his family in Castro Valley and is still a resident.
Sigler and Associates Investigations is celebrating its tenth Anniversary with an open house later this month. If you know Juan and would like to attend the open house, please give him a call at (510) 919-1318 by August 22.