Monday, August 12, 2013

Rialto Board VP calls for speical meeting after accountant's arrest, by Beau Yarbrough SB Sun, Aug 12, 2013..

Rialto board VP calls for special meeting after accountant’s arrest

By Beau Yarbrough, beau.yarbrough@ inlandnewspapers.com, @inlanded on Twitter

Posted: 08/12/13, 5:25 PM PDT | Updated: 1 day ago

RIALTO >> The Rialto Unified School Board won’t be holding a special meeting to discuss the issues surrounding the arrest of accountant Judy Oakes on suspicion of embezzlement — but it won’t be due to a lack of trying by one board member.
“I have petitioned board President (Joseph) Ayala repeatedly to call for a special meeting so the Board can collectively discuss this matter and put together a plan of action,” school board Vice-President Edgar Montes wrote in an email Monday afternoon.
Montes said that in order to hold a special meeting, according to the board’s bylaws, the board’s president must call for it. But if he won’t call for it, a majority of the board can, according to board bylaws and the state’s code, Montes said.
So far, neither the board president, nor a board majority, will call for the special meeting,” Montes said. “The reason, I’ve been told, is because law enforcement is already doing an investigation and, essentially, there’s nothing for us to do but wait till the next regular meeting to discuss these matters.”
Judy Oakes, 49, of San Bernardino was arrested at the district’s nutrition services offices at 151 S. Cactus Ave. Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of burglary, embezzlement and grand theft.
Oakes reportedly had a large amount of cash on her when she was arrested, and when her home was searched, more cash and evidence was also discovered, according to Rialto police Capt. Randy DeAnda. An accountant for the district’s nutrition services department, Oakes has worked for the Rialto Unified School District since 1993, according to a seniority list of non-teaching employees posted on the district’s website. She was released on $50,000 bail on Thursday, her 49th birthday.
Ayala late Monday said that if there hadn’t been a board meeting already scheduled for this week, “we most definitely would have scheduled.”
“Frankly, I’ve been on the board for five years and this ain’t the first time we’ve had to deal with sensitive issues,” Ayala said Monday evening. “In this case, by waiting until the next board meeting, which is Wednesday, we will have a clearer picture, in my opinion, as to the facts pertaining to the issues.”
But Montes said he believes the district has an obligation to do more, and not just wait for the police and district attorney.
“These allegations are the smoke that is evidence of a damaging fire that has burned, and maybe still is burning, within our district,” he said. “Instead of actively searching out the cause and source of the fire by conducting an internal review and investigation, those who are responsible for protecting the district, namely the board, have so far been content to let it go unchecked while law enforcement ‘does its thing.’ I don’t think we can afford to continue waiting to act, and to continue to do nothing is a great disservice to the district and the community.”
Fellow board member Nancy O’Kelley has been the only other member in support of a special meeting, according to Montes.
“He was hoping for Friday afternoon or Monday. He did send another email for (Tuesday). He and I feel that it’s very important,” O’Kelley said. “You need a board president to call a meeting, or a board majority to call a special meeting, but we got neither.”
The meeting would be “primarily” to discuss Oakes’ arrest “and the situation surrounding that,” she said.
As of Monday afternoon, board member Joanne Gilbert said she had not heard from Montes.
“I have not a clue what that man does,” she said.
In the meantime, Rialto police are waiting to hear from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office regarding the charges facing Oakes.
“I’m just waiting to hear back from the D.A. today,” DeAnda said.
Police filed the case with the District Attorney’s Office Monday morning, he said.
The next scheduled Rialto Unified school board meeting will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Preston Elementary School, 1750 North Willow Ave.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

National Night Out coming Tuesday to Inland Empire... SB Sun By Melissa Pinion-Whitt... Aug. 7, 2013

National Night Out coming Tuesday to Inland Empire

By Melissa Pinion-Whitt, Staff Writer

Posted: 08/07/13, 8:23 PM PDT |

When Cindy Hastings took over as manager of a San Dimas mobile home park 17 years ago, residents rarely spoke to each other and she witnessed drug deals on the property.
But after building a relationship with local sheriff's deputies and holding parties every year for an event called National Night Out, she says the mobile home park has changed dramatically.
"Over the years, (residents have) come together and they watch out for each other," said Hastings.
She is one of many Neighborhood Watch captains holding block parties Tuesday for National Night Out, a gathering of communities to take a stand against crime. Hastings' events at Lone Hills Manor Mobile Home Estates draw hundreds of people, including dignitaries and law enforcement, for an evening of food and entertainment.
Law enforcement agencies across Southern California plan to tour block parties, meet residents and discuss crime occurring in neighborhoods. Many cities are also holding kickoff events featuring everything from police dog demonstrations to gift giveaways.
The Rialto Police Department's gatherings are known to draw thousands of people. And the department added even more features for Tuesday's event at the Willow Avenue police station, including Los Angeles-area food trucks and rides in police car for children.
"We're hoping for a bigger turn out," said Rialto police Cpl. Cameron Nelson.
It will be a showcase of the city's public safety personnel, with appearances by SWAT officers, police and firefighters, as well as a helicopter landing.
It's an event that works, says Judy Roberts, a Rialto police volunteer and Neighborhood Watch coordinator for the city.
Rialto police's participation in National Night Out evolved from touring block parties about eight years ago to throwing a kickoff party that drew about 6,000 people last year. That's double the number of people who gathered for the downtown event in 2010, Roberts said.
"It's amazing the number of people who truly care about their city and really want to be a part of the solution as opposed to griping about the problem," she said.
Nelson said it's a chance for neighbors to get out of their homes and talk to each other.
"A lot of people don't even talk to their neighbors anymore. We're trying to break that cycle," he said.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

RIALTO: High-Speed Chase ends in gas station!!

RIALTO: High-speed chase ends in gas station

JOHN ASBURY/STAFF PHOTO

The driver of a car involved in a high-speed chase with the California Highway Patrol on the 210 freeway was captured at a gas station in Rialto on Friday night.

BY JOHN ASBURY

jasbury@pe.com

Published: 09 November 2012 09:32 PM

A Text Size

A suspected intoxicated driver led authorities on a wild high-speed chase down Highway 210, ending at a gas station in Rialto on Friday night, Nov. 9.

Television news cameras in a helicopter captured the chase during prime time, following a silver Acura weaving through traffic, nearly sideswiping cars as the driver flew down the 210 freeway at around 90 mph with a fleet of police sirens flashing behind.

The chase started shortly before 8 p.m. in Glendora when Glendora police tried to stop a man driving erratically, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Joseph Corney said.

Glendora police handed the chase over to San Bernardino CHP officers as the driver sped east on the 210 in Rialto.

After striking the concrete center divider, the Acura ran the full width of the freeway with one headlight and a turn signal on, weaving behind traffic at high speeds.

CHP officers distanced themselves from the pursuit after the Acura made several dangerous maneuvers and had close calls with other drivers. A CHP helicopter with a spotlight kept pace overhead.

Near the end of the 210 freeway in Redlands, the Acura turned around through a break on the freeway, heading the opposite direction back toward Rialto.

The Acura finally exited the freeway on Riverside Avenue in Rialto where the driver played a game of cat and mouse with CHP officers through a shopping center parking lot.

CHP officers cornered the driver in gas station parking lot and used a pit maneuver to stop the Acura. CHP officers punched through the passenger window when the driver refused to exit.

The driver was the only person in the Acura, with a Dallas Cowboys license plate frame. The side panels of the car were dented after sideswiping the center divider several times. He did not have ID and was not immediately identified.

Police arrested the driver on suspicion of felony evading and being under the influence of drugs. No other drivers were injured during the chase.

Inland Elections: Inland Voters go to the Polls in 32nd Senate District by Jim Miller March 8, 2013.. Press Enterprise

SACRAMENTO – The 2010 election was supposed to be the ballot swan song for Inland Southern California’s 32nd Senate District, a Pomona-to-San Bernardino seat crafted more than a decade ago and set to expire in 2014.

But the November election of former state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod to Congress means the 32nd will be on voters’ ballots at least one more time. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote in a special election Tuesday, there will be a May 14 runoff between the top two finishers.

The latter seems likely with six candidates vying for the seat: Democrats Paul Vincent Avila, an Ontario councilman; Joanne Gilbert of Rialto, a retired teacher; Assemblywoman Norma Torres of Pomona; San Bernardino County Auditor-Controller Larry Walker, of Chino; and Republicans Kenny Coble, of Pomona, a planning commissioner; and Ontario Mayor Paul Leon.

The winner will run for re-election in 2014 in the new 20th Senate District, which covers much of the same territory as the 32nd.

Among the poorest districts in the state, the 32nd also has some of the lowest voting rates. Some Republicans say that creates the chance for a GOP upset in a special election. Democrats dismiss GOP prospects, noting the party’s nearly 25-percentatge point registration lead in the district.

Underlining the contest, meanwhile, is San Bernardino County’s divisive Democratic politics. Torres backed former Rep. Joe Baca over Negrete McLeod in last fall’s congressional race, and Negrete McLeod, D-Chino, is strongly supporting Walker against Torres.

Torres, Leon and Walker have emerged as the front-runners for the 32nd. The question is whether Torres and Walker will advance to the May runoff or which Democrat will face Leon.

It’s not the only state Senate district with a special election Tuesday.

Voters in the 40th Senate District, which includes part of the Coachella Valley, will vote for a successor to former state Sen. Juan Vargas, who also went to Congress. Assemblyman Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, seems likely to win outright Tuesday.

CANDIDATES

Torres has been endorsed by the California Democratic Party and has raised far more than any of the other candidates, collecting at least $352,000 as of earlier this week. Businesses, tribes and union groups have poured in another $365,000 in independent expenditures to help Torres.

Torres, a former police dispatcher elected to the Assembly in 2008, has never represented roughly 60 percent of the 32nd. In an interview, she said she is nevertheless confident that she will finish first Tuesday and again in May.

“They see me as someone who has always had an open-door policy for anyone and everyone. I’m very accessible,” she said of supporters. “I think that shows from the groups that are supporting me, from business groups, to labor organizations, to other constituencies.”

Of Walker, she said, “He is well-known by the political machine. But he is hardly known by the people who matter in this election.”

Walker, a longtime elected official in the country, has the support of San Bernardino County supervisors and other elected officials, as well as county employee unions and other groups in the county portion of the district.

Walker, though, has raised only about a third as much as Torres and has been the focus of critical mailers by independent expenditure committees.

“My goal has always been to serve the community and accomplish results,” he said. “I think people recognize that when there’s an avalanche of money, that Sacramento interests are not interested in having an independent thinker up there.”

Leon is another longtime local elected official and had raised more than $203,000 through early this week, which stands out in a district where Republican candidates – none bothered to run in 2006 – have collected almost no money.

The district includes the home of former Inland lawmaker Jim Brulte, the newly elected chairman of the California Republican Party who has said the party needs to compete in places it used to ignore. Leon is Latino and the 32nd’s population is mostly Latino.

Yet Senate Republicans so far have not invested money into the contest.

“We pretty much exhausted all our resources in the last election,” Minority Leader Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar said. Huff praised Leon, adding, “The fact that he can raise money from the district speaks a lot stronger than all of the money flooding in from Sacramento special interests that are trying to prop up business as usual.”

Leon said he has been disappointed by what he called a lack of caucus attention to his candidacy but said he thinks the special election “levels the playing field.”

“My friends and donors believe in me,” Leon said. “They believe my reaching this destination will improve the condition of the state Legislature.”

Jason Kinney, a spokesman for Senate Democrats, said the caucus has endorsed Torres and has “every confidence that Norma Torres is going to do extremely well on Tuesday and ultimately be this district's next senator.”

TURNOUT

A potential wildcard is that voter participation is expected to be dismal next week.

“What we all share is our biggest competitor is voter apathy,” Torres said of her fellow candidates.

During the 2009 statewide special election, less than 17 percent of 32nd District voters cast ballots — and that was after then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, legislative leaders and others spent weeks campaigning on television and radio for several budget-related measures.

Voters also could be confused. There was a March 5 election in Rialto, one of the largest cities in the 32nd, as well as in some Los Angeles County cities.

“I had one person call and wish me good luck today,” Walker said March 5.

Rialto Unified Superintendent Target of Death Threats, Racist Fliers.. By Beau Yarbrough

Rialto Unified superintendent target of death threats, racist fliers

Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writer

Posted: 05/31/2013 12:26:09 PM PDT

RIALTO -- Harold Cebrun, the superintendent of Rialto Unified, has been receiving death threats and racist fliers, police officials said.
Capt. Randy DeAnda, spokesman for the Rialto Police Department, said the department is investigating both death threats and racist literature left for Cebrun, who is black, to find.
"During the layoffs, hang-up calls and name-calling come with the territory, since emotions and tensions run high," district spokeswoman Syeda Jafri said. "But after recognizing that these were blatant racist fliers, bigoted words were being printed to describe his specific ethnic origin, the superintendent found it increasingly difficult to brush it off. It is inappropriate, inexcusable and it has become quite obvious that the direction of this action is resulting from pure hate."
Rialto Unified pink-slipped 101 teachers and 124 nonteacher employees in March.
"There are still elements in the community that are back with racial hatred. They're back decades," school board member Joe Martinez said. "Now, it's rearing its ugly head."
The fliers, which started being sent in April, include pictures of gorillas with messages written on them like "you people are trained to run, so run" and "(racial epithet) go home." The literature has been mailed to Cebrun and dropped through an open car window. His car has also been keyed, and a Mexican flag has been mailed to him.
"The board saw what it was, and they're things that are just horrible," Martinez said. "I wouldn't want to say those (things) to anybody. I wouldn't want to hear them."
Although DeAnda would not provide details, he said the department was working on the case, which they're investigating as a hate crime, "very aggressively."
"Hate should have no place at our schools or, quite frankly, in our world," Jafri said. "Hate and bigotry are often actions that are learned behaviors. We recognize it, are deeply disappointed by it and will work with the authorities any way we can to assist with the investigation."
According to Rialto Unified's 2011-12 District Accountability Report Card, the then 26,764 student body was 13.7 percent black, 78.7 percent Hispanic and 4.6 percent white.
"We believe that, in Rialto, everybody's important," school board President Joe Ayala said. "We don't discount people: We give them opportunities. These people who are lashing out, (and) we'd like to tell them there are better ways to communicate."
This isn't the first time racial tensions have reared their head in Rialto Unified:
Earlier this spring, a girls' bathroom at Rialto High School was also covered with graffiti attacking black students, Jafri said. San Bernardino City police investigated the incident. The school is 75 percent Latino, according to the California Department of Education's most recent Academic Performance Index data.
In 2010, self-proclaimed white supremacist Dan Schruender sought a seat on the Rialto Unified school board. He ended up coming in last place, garnering only 9.64 percent of the vote, with voters instead choosing a black woman and Hispanic man.
"In education, we constantly deal with gray matter," Martinez said. "That's the color that we work with; it's not any other color."
Staff writer Doug Saunders contributed to this story.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Rialto Police Cleared in Non-Fatal Shooting by Melissa Pinion-Whitt.. The San Bernardino County Sun Staff Writer

Rialto police cleared in non-fatal shooting

ByMelissa Pinion-Whitt, The (San Bernardino County) Sun

Posted: 03/28/2013 12:36:54 PM PDT

Prosecutors on Thursday cleared three Rialto police officers in the February 2012 shooting of a 24-year-old Rialto man.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said Officers Glen Anderson, Mike Martinez and Javier Pulido were justified when they opened fire on Huston Leron Parker because he pointed what they suspected was a gun at them.
Parker was actually armed with a replica gun. He survived the shooting.
Police came to a cul-de-sac in the 100 block of East Jackson Street on Feb. 8 after receiving a call about a man holding a gun and shooting at a car.
Officers later discovered that Parker called the police and armed himself with the replica gun. They found a note in his car with statements that indicated he wanted to commit "suicide by cop," prosecutors said in their report.

Reach Melissavia emailor call her at 909-386-3878.
Get the latest crime and public safety news on Twitter@IECrime.

Former Rialto Police Officer gets 6 years 8 months in Prison for Sex Acts with Teen Reletive.. By Lori Fowler Staff Writer.

Former Rialto police officer gets 6 years, 8 months in prison for sex acts with teen relative

ByLori Fowler, Staff Writer

Posted: 03/28/2013 03:26:13 PM PDT

Updated: 03/28/2013 03:41:00 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A former Rialto police officer was sentenced to more than six years in state prison Thursday for committing a series of sex acts with a teenage relative.
Theodore Ralph Fernandes, 51, of Fontana took a plea deal in February and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual penetration against the victim's will and one count of lewd acts on a child age 14.
As part of the agreement, Fernandes also received two strikes and will have to register as a sex offender. Prosecutors said Fernandes was facing more than 40 years if he had gone to trial.
The victim first reported the crimes -- which were committed between 2002 and 2006, according to a criminal complaint by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office -- early last year. Fontana police began investigating and spent several months completing the case due to its complexity, police said.
Around that time, Fernandes was put on administrative leave from the Rialto Police Department. He resigned later in the year following 17 years of law enforcement experience. Fernandes was arrested in May after he turned himself in at the Fontana police station. He was originally charged with 20 counts of sex crimes. The 24-year-old victim, who was 14 when the crimes began, was not at Thursday's sentencing inside the West Valley Courthouse in Rancho Cucamonga. But she wrote a letter to the court, which was read by a victim advocate.

"I feel that even a lifetime sentence would never be punishment enough," the victim wrote. "I am satisfied though with the fact that Fernandes plead guilty and is serving time for what he did. The fact that he has to now take responsibility for his actions and reap the consequences that he thought he was above serving is justice enough for me. "

According to the probation report, Fernandes first requested sexually explicit pictures of the victim, who is identified as Jane Doe, and made inappropriate comments when she was 13 years old. That escalated to oral sex and other sex acts and eventually intercourse between the two.

Jane Doe told officials she allowed the incidents to happen because she was afraid of Fernandes and wanted to protect her family.

She also provided officials with 15 emails between herself and Fernandes that indicated an inappropriate relationship between the two, according to the probation report.

Though he had the chance, Fernandes, who was wearing a protective custody jumpsuit at the sentencing, did not address the court.

But outside the courtroom, Fernandes' family spoke for him.

"He didn't do anything illegal," said Patty Fernandes, Fernandes' sister.

Patty Fernandes called the victim a liar and added that there was no physical evidence.

Other family members said there was never any indication of sex acts going on between Fernandes and the victim, which is why they didn't believe her reports.

Following the sentencing, Jane Doe's father said his daughter is doing well and wants to move on.

"We're glad it's over, but we wish he would have gotten more time," he said.

Reach Lorivia emailor call her at 909-483-9378, or find her on Twitter@IEcourtsNow

Friday, March 15, 2013

San Bernardino: Two 2011 POLICE SHOOTINGS Called JUSTIFIED!! By Brian Rokos Press Enterprise March 14, 2013.

The San Bernardino County district attorney’s office said Thursday, March 14, that separate shootings by police officers in 2011 were justified.

On June 2, 2011, Rialto police Officer Glen Anderson fatally shot Anastacio Verduzco Jr., 47, of Rialto.

“Under the facts, circumstances and the applicable law, Officer Anderson was justified in using deadly force to protect himself and others,” the DA’s office said in a news release.

On Dec. 1, 2011, Sheriff’s narcotics officer Kevin Warner shot a dog, and in the process, Lena Winn, 29, of Lucerne Valley. The DA’s office ruled that the dog was attacking Warner, and that Winn’s injury was “collateral and unintentional.”

Follow Brian Rokos on Twitter: @Brian_Rokos and online at blog.pe.com/crime-blotter/

Rilato: Ex-Coach Charged with Molesting Girls by John Asbury.. Press Enterprise March 7, 2013

A former coach at Eisenhower High School in Rialto was charged Thursday, March 7, with molesting two of his female basketball players.

Floyd Eddings Jr., 55, of Rialto, was arrested by Rialto police at his home, nine years after the allegations were first raised that he had sexually assaulted players between 1999 and 2004 — the same time period that another Eisenhower coach was convicted of having an affair with a female student athlete.

Police said they are concerned there may be more victims in the Eddings case, and are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Carla McCullough at 909-820-2521.

Eddings was a contract employee and walk-on coach with the Rialto Unified School District from 1995 to 2004, district spokeswoman Syeda Jafri said. In addition to girls basketball, he coached freshman football and boys and girls track and field. He resigned from the district in 2004. Officials could not disclose if it was related to the molestation allegations.

“At this time, we continue to work with the Rialto Police Department and cooperate in the investigation,” Jafri said.

Since 2007, Eddings has worked as a security attendant during school hours for the Corona-Norco Unified School District. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave Thursday, district spokesman Thomas Pike said.

Corona officials were notifying parents of Eddings’ arrest, Pike said.

Eddings is accused of performing sex acts on two girls who were 14 or 15 years old and played for the Eisenhower girls basketball team while he was coach, Rialto police Capt. Randy De Anda said.

When the girls came forward in 2004, police did not have enough information at the time to ask prosecutors to file charges, De Anda said. In recent months, however, police received new allegations, and presented the case to the district attorney’s office this year, De Anda said.

Prosecutors charged Eddings with sexual penetration by a foreign object with the first girl in August 2004, according to a criminal complaint. He also is charged with two counts of lewd acts with a child and penetration by a foreign object of a second girl from August 1999 through May 2001.

He is in custody at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, awaiting arraignment.

Eddings was a wide receiver for the New York Giants in 1982 and 1983.

In 2005, former Eisenhower football and softball coach Glenn Tompkins was sentenced to six months in jail and three years’ probation after pleading no contest to statutory rape. A softball player said she and Tompkins had a sexual relationship that began in 2002, when she was 16 and he was 26.

Eddings’ arrest adds to a period of turmoil for Eisenhower High School.

Current Eisenhower varsity boys basketball coach Steve Johnson is on medical leave after being shot during an attempted robbery at a San Bernardino park restroom. San Bernardino police sought charges against Johnson of criminal activity and obstructing detectives, but the district attorney’s office announced last week that it had declined to prosecute him.

Rialto-PD