Ramirez Junior High

Eastvale- Last night, May 8th, Ramirez Junior High was burglarized. The burglary resulted in the theft of 80 iPads. According to a press release, it appears that the intruders entered through a math classroom in the rear of the campus through a window. The grand theft/burglary is currently under investigation and we will update more as we know more.

INFORMATION COURTESY RIVERSIDE SHERIFF’S DEPT.

On Saturday, April 26, 2014, at 10:10 P.M., deputies assigned to the city of Eastvale responded to a major injury traffic collision in the dirt field located on the east side of the intersection at Sumner Avenue and Limonite Avenue, in the city of Eastvale. This collision involved an off-road vehicle (O.R.V.) with four occupants. The preliminary investigation revealed the O.R.V. was southbound in the field and overturned from a turning maneuver. The Eastvale Fire Department and American Medical Response responded to the scene and treated the victims.

The driver of the O.R.V. was transported to a local area hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. One passenger was also transported to another local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The two remaining passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at the scene.

The Eastvale Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in this collision. Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to call Deputy Blair at the Jurupa Valley Station at (951) 955-2600 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (951) 955-2600 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Information Courtesy Riverside Sheriff’s Dept.

On Friday, April 25, 2014, at 12:12 A.M., deputies assigned to the city of Eastvale responded to a major injury traffic collision on the west side of the intersection involving a bicycle and a black sedan. The preliminary investigation revealed the black sedan was westbound on Limonite Avenue and collided into a bicyclist, who was southbound on Hamner Avenue in the west crosswalk.  The Eastvale Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene and treated the victim. The victim was transported to a regional hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

The Eastvale Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and they are actively investigating this felonious hit and run traffic collision. The driver of the black sedan fled the scene westbound Limonite Avenue and was last seen southbound on Scholar Way.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to call the Deputy Smith at the Jurupa Valley Station at (951) 955-2600.

INFORMATION COURTESY RIVERSIDE SHERIFF’S DEPARTEMENT

On Thursday, April 24, 2014, at 3:07 a.m.,  officers from the Eastvale Police Department were investigating a suspicious persons call in the 6500 block of Emerald Downs St., Eastvale. At the residence, officers found the rear door was forced open. Inside the residence, officers discovered the residence contained an indoor marijuana grow operation.

Officers from the city of Eastvale Special Enforcement Team responded and obtained a search warrant for the residence. Officers seized 429 marijuana plants, ten pounds of processed marijuana and packaging material.  Additionally, electricity was being bypassed around the meter, causing a serious fire hazard and resulting in approximately $6250.00 a month in stolen electricity.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is committed to the safety of the citizens of Eastvale and will be vigilant in investigating all crimes of this nature. We’re asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Officer Patrick Walls at the Jurupa Valley Station at 951-955-2600.

Jennifer Madrigal
http://www.jennifermadrigal.co

There is something about a hike that has a way of freeing you, just a little. Hikes can clear your mind, making thoughts crisper and really helping one reflect on life. It could be the air, it could be the time away, or it could be the endorphins released when you exercise. It really doesn’t matter, it just feels good and that “getting away from it all” feeling is sometimes all you need.
Lately, my friend and I have been doing a little hike to get away and just talk, and I have come to look forward to our time together. Jen and I met when I was just 20, recently married, and only had the responsibility of one son. We had just bought our first home in Claremont, and one day I saw Jen walking with her daughter and stopped her. Soon we found that our similarities in name, address and place in life were hilarious. We became fast friends and spent a lot of time walking, bike riding, and attending Mommy and Me playgroups with the kids. After a year or so, we moved to Eastvale, but we remained friends. We’d chat on Facebook, text and see each other from time to time at a parent support group.
As life progressed, our similarities increased. Soon, we both were blessed with autistic sons and relied and leaned on each other for help and support. We helped get each other through the messy IEPS (Individualized Educational Programs), the therapists, doctor ideas, and much more. We also both managed to lose ourselves in the process. As a parent with a special needs child, you tend to spend so much time trying to keep your head above water, that often you forget how much you love to “swim”. But life has a funny way of smashing people back together when they need it.
At a random day at the park for a visit, I saw the warning signs of autism in her then 9-month old son, and opened my mouth to the one word that would set her world on end, “autism”. Years later, it would be me who needed her guidance in the rough world of autism. She gets it. She sees me through it and knows “me”. Not the mother, or the wife, or the Jennifer I show the world, but the true “me”. The “me” that is scared and confused and not confident and just trying to make sense of it all.
Years later, a Facebook conversation led into the fact that we were once again experiencing similar issues and we bonded all over again. These little conversations and daily encouragements have helped to keep us both on track and we find that once again, we are helping each other through yet another difficult period. So we hike, and we talk about the “me” that we each are. We talk about our feelings, our desires, our hang-ups, our wrinkles, our frustrations and we just vent. There is no judgment. We know we are both kind of screwed up, but we are survivors. We know how to depend on ourselves to get what we need to make it another day. Your world, your choices, and your needs are much different when you know you will have a child that “really, really” depends on you, and will continue to do so for far more than 18 years at home. You are a different person from living a life like that, and not everyone understands it. By having a friend who shares both your first and middle name, a lot of your life experiences, and sadly even knows the agony of losing a parent too young, is a God-send. It’s not just a hike, or a goofy Facebook message…it’s a connection, a lifeboat in a sea of rough water, and a friend who can remind me to swim when I feel the water above my head. We “get it”.
So every time we get up on that trail, we let it all go. Spill out all the secrets, talk about all our issues and laugh and giggle and make crazy hand motions to further prove our points. We get to be our wonderful, natural, slightly mentally disturbed selves – and it’s wonderful.

Photo Courtesy: Google Images
Chino Valley School Board Member, James Na

By Glenn Freeman

Chino – Although his name will appear on the June 3 Primary Ballot, Chino Valley School Board member, James Na, says he will not campaign for the Fourth District supervisor seat in San Bernardino County. The seat is being vacated by incumbent Gary Ovitt, who chose not to seek re-election.

Na took out nomination papers for the seat when the filing period opened on Feb. 10, but has since decided not to run. According to a report by the Chino Champion newspaper, Na said he made the decision after speaking with his pastor on March 20, deciding that “God’s intent” for him is to remain with the school board. “I love kids,” he told the newspaper. “I always get excited and joyful serving students and parents and teachers and staff members.”

The decision to not campaign for the Fourth District seat by Na essentially leaves the race between Ontario Councilman Paul Avila, Democratic Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod, and Republican Assemblyman Curt Hagman. The seat represents Chino, Chino Hills, and Ontario.

In November 2010, Na led the push to have the “In God We Trust” motto displayed inside the county supervisor chambers, which the board approved in December 2010. At the time, Na told the Redlands Daily Facts he was acting on the dying wish of a friend, Chino Hills humanitarian Joyce Butler.

Na has been a board member of Chino Valley Unified School District since being elected in 2008. He says his plans are to continue serving on the school board.

Norco, CA – The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department / Jurupa Valley Station / Norco Office conducted a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on March 29, 2014, at Hamner Avenue and Commerce Street between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.

DUI/Driver’s License checkpoints have been shown to lower DUI deaths and injuries.  A major component of these checkpoints are the deterrent effects it has on those who might drive drunk or drugged impaired, bringing about more awareness and encouraging everyone to use sober designated drivers.

INFORMATION FROM RIVERSIDE SHERIFF DEPT. PRESS RELEASE

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.  Ninety Percent of California drivers approve of checkpoints.

During the check point:

• 430 Vehicles through the checkpoint
• 430 Vehicles Screened
• 3 DUI-Alcohol suspects arrested
• 8 Drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or while suspended/revoked
• 5 vehicles towed
• 1 traffic cite issued

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department / Jurupa Valley Station / Norco Office will be conducting another DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Saturday, May 3, 2014, in our ongoing commitment to lowering deaths and injuries upon our streets and highways.

The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1!

INFORMATION FROM RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF PRESS RELEASE

Norco, CA – The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department / Jurupa Valley Station / Norco Office will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on March 29, 2014, at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes.  Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.

In California, this deadly crime led to 774 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Nationally, the latest data shows nearly 10,000 were killed by impaired driving.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment with officers checking drivers for proper licensing delaying motorists only momentarily.  When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving.

Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.  A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent).  Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.  Nearly 90 percent of California drivers approve of DUI checkpoints.

DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, othe

An unidentified bank robbery suspect described as a white male wearing a white crewneck shirt, jeans, sunglasses and a tan L.A. Dodgers baseball hat struck four banks today in Buena Park at the below listed addresses. The suspect, who used a note demanding cash, successfully robbed one of the banks in the 11:00 a.m. hour, and attempted to rob the remaining three shortly afternoon before getting away. Bank surveillance photographs from two of the banks are attached. Anyone with information as to the identity or whereabouts of the this suspect should contact law enforcement. The FBI, Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Buena Park Police Department are conducting the joint investigation. In the Los Angeles area, the FBI can be reached at all times at 310 477-6565.

BY MICHAEL ARMIJO

It felt like a chill. Like a tingling inside my skull. As though I had missed something extremely important. Or something devastating. It was the shrill in her voice that really impacted me.

“Where are you? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for over an hour!”

I was a bit confused, a bit nervous about what I was about to hear, but I had to ask the question:
“Why? What happened? What’s so important?”

I was pretty shocked to hear the outcome of the question why I was being sought out so drastically.
“I couldn’t get a hold of you.”

That was it. I felt the shrill, the panic, the worry for ‘I couldn’t get a hold of you.’
I was left trying to figure out when did it happen? When did we get to a point in our lives that our whereabouts are necessary at all times? Or the flip side, when did those who are close to us become so dependent that they need to know where we are, constantly?

There was a time, not too far in the past, when we had privacy. We had time alone. Time for ourselves. Technology, in this day and age, seems to have given away that right. Those moments of reflection, moments of inner thought. Those moments of peace, or serenity, gone. We seem to continue to be clouded, distracted, or have the need to be entertained, constantly.
There are times we must shut the computer, the iPad, the phone, the internet, and the TV off. To take a walk, to sit outside. To talk, read, share, to listen. To learn how to communicate without a keyboard or a text message.

As I watched a TV series based in the 60’s I couldn’t help but notice the calm in people. The “I wonder when she’ll get home” attitude. When you were gone, you were, well, gone. And you’d just have to wait until we see one another again.

But our demise for instance isn’t just technology’s fault, we too are to blame. We are constantly allowing others to rely on us to a point of severe dependency. Our thirst for technology and our constant obsession only shows our loved ones that it’s important to obsessively see all, and to know all, every minute of the day. Our behavior has taught them to react in a shrilling tone, in a panicked voice. Until we are pinpointed, marked, labeled, or GPS’d until the question is answered: “Where are you?”

BY: TIANA GOEGEBUER

The February 12 meeting was attended by Council Members Bill Link, Jeff DeGrandpre, and Ric Welch, along with Mayor Pro-Tem Adam Rush and Mayor Ike Bootsma.  The invocation was led by Pastor Rob Norris from the Crossings Church.  There was a presentation of Wear Red Day by the American Heart Association, as well as a presentation by Taylor York for the Clean Cities Coalition, and a presentation regarding the Hamner Avenue Waterline Project.  Joseph C. Blum, the Project Manager with the Chino Desalter Authority, also gave a presentation regarding the Chino Desalter Expansion Project.

During the Public Comment/Citizen Participation portion of the meeting, Girl Scout Troop 152 spoke of how students and adults often ignore crosswalk laws, and requested that the Council pose a new crossing guard study on a day that there are no minimum days and traffic is normal to see what could be improved upon.  The Council voted unanimously to revisit the problem and possibly place more volunteer crossing guards in school areas to help with safety issues.  Also, the respective Pastors of Life Church, Vantage Point Church, and Crossings Church all petitioned to have the sign laws being imposed on churches altered, since signs are vital to the growth of churches and therefore benefit the community.

Public Safety Commission Member Kris Kiltz, speaks to the City Council about the importance of Public Safety.

There were no Public Hearing or Old Business items.  The New Business items section was as follows:

8.1: Recommendation from Eastvale Community Foundation for New Board Member Appointment: 5-0 to appoint Scott Row to the CFO position.

8.2: CitySourced App in Partnership with Jurupa Community Services District: 5-0 passed a motion to discuss the financing in 6 months.

8.3: Determine Planning Process for the Chandler Area of the City: 5-0 passed a motion requesting further examination of economic development plans.

8.4: Public Safety Commission 2013 Year in Review, and Duties and Responsibilities of the Commission: 5-0 motioned to improve the structure of the Commission, and meet with representatives again at a later meeting.

The City Manager did not give a report and the meeting adjourned at 9:15 with closing comments from the Council.

SCHOOL CUSTODIAN ARRESTED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING SMALL CHILD AND PRODUCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY – POSSIBLE VICTIMS SOUGHT 

Inland Empire – A  custodian with the Morongo Unified School District, who was arrested last month for repeatedly sexually abusing a child over a period of several years and sharing visual depictions of the activity online was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month, announced Bill Lewis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and André Birotte, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

Matthew Frazer, 42, of Yucca Valley, was arrested at his place of employment on January 31, 2014 and charged in a federal criminal complaint that has been sealed by the court.  On Wednesday, February 12, 2014, a federal grand jury in Riverside returned an indictment charging Frazer with production of child pornography, a violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a).   The indictment alleges the defendant knowingly enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pornography.

Frazer was arraigned on February 19 and entered a plea of not guilty.  A trial date has been set for April 18, 2014.

Evidence obtained during this investigation suggests that Frazer may have victimized additional minors not yet identified.  Anyone who believes they may have information about this investigation or knowledge of possible victims is urged to contact the FBI.   For this reason, a photograph of Frazer is being released publicly.

Prior to his arrest in January, Frazer was employed as a custodian with the Morongo Unified School District.

This case was initiated in 2013, after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) provided to the FBI a series of pornographic images depicting a 4-6 year old female toddler being abused by a white male.   For several months, investigators attempted to identify the male depicted in the images and identified Frazier as the suspect earlier this year.

If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Frazer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years, and a statutory maximum sentence of thirty years in prison.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI.  The following agencies provided assistance during the investigation:  Riverside Police Department; the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; the San Bernardino Police Department; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; and the San Bernardino County Probation Department.  This investigation is continuing.

Frazer will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in Riverside, part of the Central District of California.

Photos courtesy FBI, blue background is drivers license photo, grey background is the booking photo.

Eastvale Police Department Conducts Saturation Patrols
Courtesy City of Eastvale

On Thursday, February 13th and Friday, February 14th, the Eastvale Police Department conducted special saturation patrols in the City of Eastvale.

The saturation patrol on Thursday, February 13th resulted in 228 incidents from 12:00 a.m. on Thursday morning to 12:00 a.m. on Friday morning. During that 24-hour period, approximately one hundred and thirty-one (131) citations were issued for various offenses including parking violations and moving violations. The average number of incidents per day in the City of Eastvale is normally sixty-five.

The officers paid extra attention providing education, awareness and enforcement around the school sites on Thursday due to increased incidents of traffic collisions with bicycles around the Eastvale school sites. This resulted in 41 citations for failure to wear youth bicycle helmets as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 21212.

On Friday, February 14th two Eastvale patrol units, in cooperation with Jurupa Valley and Riverside County patrol units, conducted a special traffic enforcement taskforce. Visitors to the Eastvale Gateway Shopping Center may have seen the six units gathered together conducting a field briefing during this special operation. Friday’s special joint traffic enforcement taskforce was again very successful in providing increased education, awareness and enforcement in the city.

Eastvale: Felony Vandalism at Orchard Park
Courtesy City of Eastvale

Type of Incident: Felony Vandalism at Orchard park
Date/Time Written: February 7, 2014 / 2:00 P.M.
Date/Time of Incident: February 6, 2014 / 4:55 P.M.
Location of Incident: 5900 Festival Way, Eastvale
Reporting Officer: Sergeant Bill Davis
File Number: EV140370106

Details:

Over the last several months, there have been several incidents of graffiti at Orchard Park located at 5900 Festival Way, in the city of Eastvale, and the surrounding neighborhood near the park. Spray paint and markers were used to deface property at Orchard Park including the toys at the playground. Deputy Avila, who is assigned to patrol the parks in the city of Eastvale, began an investigation regarding the graffiti. After following up on several leads, Deputy Avila received information that a juvenile was seen at the Eastvale Community Center with graffiti on his backpack. The juvenile, who was a fourteen year old resident of Eastvale, was contacted while riding his bike. The juvenile’s backpack had graffiti on it which matched the graffiti at Orchard Park. The juvenile was detained and several pieces of evidence connecting him to the graffiti was located at his residence.

A second juvenile was identified during the investigation. The juvenile was a seventeen year old resident of Eastvale. After searching the juvenile’s residence, evidence was located linking the juvenile to the graffiti at Orchard Park and surrounding areas. Both juveniles were arrested for felony vandalism and released into the custody of their parents. The total amount of damage caused by the suspects was $9,192.24. The Jurupa Community Services District will be seeking reimbursement to repair the damage from the juvenile’s parents.

The investigation is ongoing and we’re asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Deputy Avila at the Jurupa Valley Station at 951-955-2600.
Citizens may also submit an anonymous tip using the Sheriff’s Crime Tips online form.
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