By Anthony Saude

Chino – Robert Basile a City of Chino community services commission member was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of theft. An elder abuse investigation uncovered a scheme that the suspect concoted to embezzle $130,000 from an elderly family member living in Idaho.

Mr. Basile, 60, of Chino, is the Chino Valley Unified School District’s representative to the Chino community services commission. Basile was booked into at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, bail has been set at $50,000.

Jail records indicate he was arrested at 8:15 a.m. in the 12500 block of Strawberry Place in Chino.

Investigators said the suspect is accused of unlawfully withdrawing money from a family trust fund for four years, said police spokeswoman Monica Gutierrez.

It is very concerning to learn about the arrest of community leader Robert Basile for caretaker theft. The community services commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Chino city council on matters pertaining to city-sponsored community service activities. These services include the valuable services provided to the senior community in Chino.

Chino police began their investigation in March of this year after they received information of an elder abuse case from adult protective services in Boise, Idaho, where the victim lives.

“The investigation revealed Mr. Basile, was responsible for the family trust and had embezzled the monies for personal use,” Ms. Gutierrez said.

Mr. Basile serves as a citizens’ oversight committee member for Chino Valley Unified’s Measure G school bond and was president of Rancho Del Chino Rotary in 2012.

By Anthony Saude

Chino– At approximately 12:02 p.m., a Chino police officer was flagged down while he was parked toward the rear of the business by employees. They advised the officer that there was possibly an active shooter inside the store. Numerous officers immediately arrived on scene; they entered the store to search for a possible suspect. Upon entering the store they soon discovered that the suspect had fled in a 4-door black Nissan Maxima with no license plates.

Officers quickly determined the reports of an active shooter were greatly exaggerated. The robbery had occurred involving a suspect that was described as an African-American male in his late 20s or early 30s. It was reported the suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black hat, and he had a bandana covering his face.

The suspect sprayed an employee with pepper spray when he entered the business he then used a hammer to break a glass cabinet that secured the electronic merchandise. Customers and employees that were present mistook the sound of the hammer smashing glass as gunfire. The suspect took as much of the electronic devices he could carry before fleeing the scene.

The employee, who was sprayed with the pepper spray, was treated at a local hospital. There weren’t any other injuries to employees or customers reported after the incident.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chino Police Department at 909.628.1234.

a suspect that was described as an African-American male in his late 20s or early 30s. It was reported the suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black hat, and he had a bandana covering his face.

The suspect sprayed an employee with pepper spray when he walked in he then used a hammer to break a glass cabinet that that secured the electronics merchandise. Customers and employees that were present mistook the sound of the hammer smashing glass as gunfire. The suspect took as much of the electronic devices he could carry before leaving the scene.

The employee, who was sprayed with the pepper spray, was treated at a local hospital. There weren’t any other injuries to employees or customers reported after the incident.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chino Police Department at 909.628.1234. ■

By Anthony Saude

Chino – Magnolia Junior High of Chino celebrated its Golden Anniversary on April 13 with food, games, a presentation and special performances.

The school first opened in September of 1967 with more than 350 students enrolled. Walnut Avenue Elementary was also new and was bursting at the seams. It was decided that one of its fifth grade classes would transfer to Magnolia.

Nine years later construction was completed and in the same year, the school was rededicated.

Ramona Elementary vice Principal Victor Paulson, was named the school’s first principal and served loyally until he was promoted to Chino High principal. Then Dick Meyer who came from Arizona was named the new principal at Magnolia.

Klaas Weis, the wife of a dairy man and a mother, was the first ever parent-teacher organization president.

The celebration was rich with quality speakers which included current Magnolia principal Matt McCain and former principal John Miller, now the principal at Chino High.

Chino city councilman Gary George, retired physical education teacher Bob Dyer, and Bruce Warner, a teacher of Magnolia from the day the school opened until his retirement also spoke.

The school’s alumni band prepared a special musical performance just for the event.

Sean Jenkins, the school’s band instructor of 26 years, put together a community band comprised of former Magnolia students.

Most of the 40 band members were students of Chino High School, older alumni and a few advanced band students at the school also joined in.

Mr. Jenkins, is also an associate director of the USC school marching band, he said the band culture at Magnolia was set by, Perry Hal his predecessor as the school’s band director from 1992-2002. Mr. Hall’s position at Magnolia was filled by Mr. Jenkins when Hall left to teach at the high school. There are 113 students in the band and color guard program today  at Magnolia, this includes the advanced band members.

“Feedback from competition judges is that our students play better than many high schools,” Mr. Jenkins said.

Gaylen Roe, has spent all of her 28 years as a teacher at the school in the same classroom, said students there benefit from the collaborative teaching environment that has been created at the school.

Mrs. Roe will be retiring in June. She teaches an elective life skills class, that some of the older people used to know as home economics. Magnolia’s culinary arts program feeds into the culinary and hospitality academy offered at Chino High.

Magnolia currently has 659 students of which 73 percent are from low-income households.

Parent volunteer Elena Gomez-Lecaro said the school is connected by family generations and supportive community members.

The general feeling of the residents is that Magnolia is one of the best junior high schools in the community.

By Anthony Saude

Chino– Spectators will get an up-close look at aircraft at the 2018 Planes of Fame Air Show. A lawsuit filed last year by several Chino Airport tenants, who were hoping to shut down the annual event, was settled last month. Allowing the May 5 and 6 events to proceed. So it appears that the show will go on.

A civil lawsuit was filed last year by several Chino Airport tenants including Zangeneh Aeronautics, Socal MRO, Flying Tigers Aviation, Yanks Air Museum, and AFT Center to shut down the annual Planes of Fame Museum air show. The lawsuit that claimed their businesses were affected adversely by the air show by physically blocking and obstructing various airport businesses from operating by erecting fences and other barriers that kept customers from accessing their businesses.” All parties have agreed to a settlement on the lawsuit, allowing the Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6 event to go on as scheduled.

“We are happy to have reached an agreement so Planes of Fame Air Museum can bring to the aviation community one of the premier aviation events in the United States and the world,” said Planes of Fame president Steve Hinton in a statement on Tuesday. “We are pleased that the tradition will continue as many in the aviation community from all over the world look forward to their annual trip to Chino for the air show.”

The lawsuit also stated that the plaintiffs were seeking compensation for lost business, dating back to the year 2013. Since the lawsuit was filed, parties on both sides have been working together feverishly to come up with a solution that everybody could agree on. According to San Bernardino County Court records the lawsuit was dismissed last month, so it appears that they were able to reach an agreeement.

“I’m glad we have settled the lawsuit and are looking forward to better serving the aviation community,” said Flying Tigers president Michael Thayer in a news article. “I know with the additional support of Flying Tigers FBO and Yanks Air Museum, it will be the best air show ever and create a win-win for us all.” Moving forward, it looks like the airport tenants have pledged to work together with Planes of Fame for the success of future air shows. Which is good news for fans of the Annual Air Show.

Photo : youtube.com
Residents have concerns over the 50 bed mental health hospital being added to the prison.

By Anthony Saude

Chino – The news that a 50-bed mental health hospital is being proposed for the California Institution for Men (CIM) got out it wasn’t welcomed with open arms by all residents. The residents from the College Park neighborhood in Chino have concerns and showed up to a scheduled meeting to voice them to the prison’s citizens advisory committee on Tuesday at 8:30 am. When they arrived they were told that prison officials had given some inaccurate information about the 8:30 start time and they had missed the opening by 30 minutes.

The residents, the neighbors north of CIM, ended up at the California Institution for Women’s citizens advisory committee that was being held at a conference room on the Chaffey College campus. The Women’s advisory committee and prison official allowed the residents to present their concerns to them even if they were addressing the wrong group.

Residents read about the mental health hospital being proposed and were shocked. It was said that they don’t want to increase the prison population; they would rather see a decrease. The possible increased safety issues that could arise by putting a mental hospital in a residential community were also an expressed concern. The residents were informed that the city plans to discuss the facility at length with Scott Kernan the secretary for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) at a date that has not yet been determined.

Courts are now requiring that all inmates that suffer from a mental illness must be treated so the prisons are essentially being forced to have the same complete care as mental health hospitals. The 50 beds in this facility will be used for inmates in crisis, after treatment they will either be sent back to the prison they were assigned or they will be transferred to a state mental health hospital if more extensive treatment has been prescribed.

It is obviously very important to have controls in place so that the inmates don’t become a danger to the community upon release, and that good security is in place to prevent escapes. It is policy that nobody from CIM is ever released into the community where the prison is located. The law actually requires the inmates to be returned to the county they came from and then released.

California Institution for Men entrance

Staff Reports

A 50-bed mental health facility is expected to be built at the California Institution for Men in Chino in approximately four years.

The prison entrance is located at 14901 Central Ave. at the end of Chino Hills Parkway.

“The first dirt to move on this is at least two years from now and finished construction is at least four years away,” said Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Bill Sessa.

The 48,000-square-foot hospital will be built inside the existing prison at a cost of $56.6 million, Mr. Sessa said.

An old building that has outlived its usefulness will be demolished to make way for the facility, he said.

The hospital will be self-contained to provide the care that 50 inmates at a time would require, he said. It would include accommodations for doctors, nurses, and administrative staff.

He said the project will be budgeted in phases. Working drawings and preliminary plans are budgeted at $3.6 million and will probably be completed at the end of 2019, he said. The actual construction costs will be budgeted in future cycles.

Mr. Sessa said the Department of Corrections (CDCR) is required by law to provide mental health care to inmates, from counseling to medication to crisis beds.

He cited a case called Coleman vs. Brown that covers all inmates with serious mental disorders housed in California state prisons.

He said the hospital will be CDCR’s second such facility in southern California. The other one is in the Richard J. Donovan state prison in San Diego, he said.

There are currently 373 beds in CDCR prisons, he said.

“We have a need for these beds in southern California for inmates who need short-term acute care,” Mr. Sessa said. “We have an imbalance at the moment. We have facilities in northern and central California but not in southern California.”

This isn’t the first time  the community has been faced with a prison mental hospital. Back in 1973 it was announced that the Youth Training School on Euclid Avenue, which was being closed by the Youth Authority, would house a psychiatric and treatment center, a proposal that was nixed under local pressure.

A decade ago, the state was working on plans to use a vacant unit at CIM for a mental health hospital. Local leaders, headed by Mayor Dennis Yates, went to Sacramento to strenuously oppose it. The pressure, plus a reduction statewide ion prison population and a cutback in funds, shelved the proposal after several years of local hearings and opposition.

Residents who are interested in learning more about current affairs at the prison may attend the next citizens advisory committee meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 10 at Chaffey College Chino Community Center, 5890 College Park Ave.

The meetings are held the second Tuesday every two months and are open to the public.

The citizens advisory committee for California Institution for Women meets at 9:30 a.m. following the men’s meeting.

On April 20, Scott Kernan, secretary for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, will come to Chino for a meeting about CIM and safety concerns as a result of the January escape of an inmate.

Mr. Kernan is expected to meet with city and police officials from Chino Hills and Chino at the prison.

Photo Courtesy: Google Images
CSI collect evidence from the victim’s vehicle where she was found suffering from multiple stab wounds earlier in the afternoon this last Saturday, March 24.

By Anthony Saude

Chino – At around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, officers from the Chino Police Department responded to a call regarding an injured woman in the 12300 block of Cypress Avenue.  When the officers arrived on the scene, Fire officials were already on the scene & were performing first aid on the victim, who has been identified as Nicole Batoosingh, 32. According to the fire officials from Chino Valley Fire Department, Batoosingh was suffering from multiple stab wounds so they called the police for assistance. Fire personnel found the victim found inside her vehicle parked in front of home on the corner of Fillmore Ave and Cypress Avenue. The victims’ dog (who was not injured) was also found, spattered with the victim’s blood, sitting quietly in the backseat of the vehicle. Paramedics then arrived and performed CPR on the victim for approximately 45 minutes, in an attempt to stabilize her before transporting her to a nearby hospital

The police began their investigation and quickly learned that the male suspect, who police have identified as Daniel Batoosingh, 37, had barricaded himself in a residence at the end of the block and was refusing to come out. At that time the officers on scene requested assistance from SWAT officers who quickly arrived on the scene. The standoff ended shortly before 7:00 pm on Saturday evening after a police SWAT team entered the residence and found that the suspect dead inside the residence. He had apparently committed suicide hours after the stabbing that left the woman fatally wounded. Coroner’s officials have not yet announced the official cause of death.

Authorities were quick to cordon off the 12400 block of Cypress Avenue with yellow Crime Scene tape and continued with their investigation. The victim’s vehicle, which was now a crime scene, remained parked in the middle of the street during the barricade situation and investigation. A short time later, police learned that the victim had succumbed to her injuries and had been pronounced dead at the medical center. Her identity has also been withheld until the next of kin have been notified however police have confirmed that victim and suspect were known to each other.

It was reported that witness, Steve Loop, said:  “From what I can surmise she must have fell out of the car during the attack. She was lying in the street, bleeding. The paramedics were working on her for about 45 minutes.”

Neighbors said that the couple had been renting a room in a residence near the scene. One neighbor was reported as saying that the victim had multiple bruises on her body and she believed that the woman had been the victim of consistent domestic abuse. The investigation is ongoing and police urge anyone with any information about the crime to contact Detective Carlson of the Chino PD at (909) 334-3102 or email kcarlson@chinopd.org.

Police Chase ends in Crash

By Anthony Saude

Chino-Two men, who were reportedly driving a stolen pickup truck, were spotted by Chino Police Officers near the intersection of Kimball and Cypress avenues late in the morning on Monday, March 19. According to police the vehicle had been reported as stolen from Fontana earlier that morning.

When officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver of the vehicle sped away on El Prado Road and south towards Pine next to El Prado Golf Course in attempt to evade police. After leading the officers on a short high speed chase the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a chain-link fence and nearly struck a tree.

Neither of the suspects had been identified at the time but it was the license plate recognition system that helped officers identify the vehicle. The system has only recently been activated in the City of Chino. It is a system that alerts police to stolen cars or cars used in other reported crimes. Surrounding cities that have implemented systems like these have seen a significant impact in crime reduction. The system looks  like it might just meet the anticipated benefits that were talked about in August meetings. Real numbers the system may be recording on crime reduction are not available at this early date but it seems to be off to a good start.

The pair of suspects that were in the vehicle could be arrested and booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. ■

By Anthony Saude

Chino – Robert Leland Johnson IV, a 39 year-old former securities broker and Chino resident, was sentenced to three years in state prison after he plead guilty to multiple counts of felony grand theft. This was in connection with the embezzlement of nearly $1.1 million as reported by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office.

In addition, Johnson was also ordered to pay $1 million in restitution to the victims that were affected by the crime, said spokesman Christopher Lee.

The thefts went on for approximately 2 years from 2013 to 2015, according to Deputy District Attorney Rick Lal of the Specialized Prosecutions Division of the DA’s office.

In a statement to the press, Lal said “The fraud included falsely reflecting significant trading profits, concealing losses, and overstating account balances by millions of dollars,”. The district attorney’s office utilized a forensic account to follow the money trail. They were able to trace the stolen funds and demonstrate Mr. Johnson’s sophisticated scheme to misappropriate victims’ funds for his own personal gain.

The Chino Police Department began an investigation after the victims reported financial discrepancies in their accounts. Johnson would transfer money to his own accounts to pay for his extravagant lifestyle expenses, sometimes diverting a portion in the same manner you would when running a Ponzi scheme.

Kevin Devon
Thomas (18 yrs old)

Tariq Rayshawn Thompson (19 yrs old)

Deangelo Rabon (20 yrs old)

By Danny Nguyen

Chino – Chino police detectives alongside Special Enforcement Team and SWAT team members arrested, on Feb. 21, three young adult men for suspected armed robbery, attempted murder, and assault in their ongoing investigation involving calls made from multiple people about a disturbance in the neighborhood block of 3900 Yellowstone Circle from a house party.

18-year-old Kevin Devon Thomas from Azusa, 19-year-old Tariq Rayshawn Thompson from West Covina, and 20-year-old Deangelo Rabon from La Puente were arrested after detectives sent out 5 search warrants in the area. They started with Thomas and Thompson on the 21^st, which they were booked for robbery and assault while Rabon was booked for attempted murder and robbery, according to a Chino press release.

In an article from the Chino Champion Newspapers about the incident, police spokeswoman Monica Gutierrez, stated that “warrants were sent to homes at the 800 block of Vincent Avenue in Azusa, 3800 block of Muirfield Street in El Monte, the 15600 block of Amar Road, and the 900 block of Del Valle Avenue in La Puente as well as the 1700 block of E. Natalie Avenue in West Covina.”

All three are being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, with Rabon’s bail set at $1 million, while the other two have bails set at $100,000 each.

The police investigation started on Saturday Feb. 17 when law enforcement responded to calls made about a fight that occurred at a house party. Officers intended to arrive at the crime scene, but received information from another caller, who reported witnessing an armed robbery occur at the same place where the fighting took place. It appeared that an unidentified black suspect prepared to steal the caller’s belongings and subsequently shot at the caller with a handgun. The caller could not be reached for further details.

Hours later, police answered another call from an 18-year-old guy that reported being robbed of his jewelry at gunpoint, except this time it was by two unknown black male suspects, at the same address.

It wasn’t until police responded to another call made by an injured male person the next morning on Feb. 18 roughly around 9:15am in the Chino Valley Medical Hospital Center. The police then, were able to connect the dots with the three men, even with being separate incidents. The injured victim in the hospital claimed that “he was beaten and attacked by someone with a pistol who had attempted to rob him and he was revealed to be present at the same party where the fight occurred.” Shots were fired, but fortunately the victim was not hit. The victim also claimed that another 15-year-old male was assaulted as he tried to help him.

Since the investigation is still ongoing, those with more information on the case should contact Detective Chinnis at (909) 334-3047 or at cchinnis@chinopd.org

By Anthony Saude

Chino – A clerk at a Chino gas station escaped injury early Tuesday morning after being shot at during an attempted robbery and struggle with the armed man.

“Chino police officers responded to a call in reference to the Arco gas station at 12100 Ramona Ave. There was a report of “shots being fired,” said police spokeswoman Monica Gutierrez.

Ms. Gutierrez said, “a man wearing dark clothing, a ski mask and armed with a handgun, approached the front doors to the store at approximately 1:29 a.m. it was there that he encountered a courageous male employee.

“A struggle ensued as the suspect tried to open the unlocked doors from the outside while the employee attempted to hold them shut,” Mrs. Gutierrez said. Although a brave thing to do probably not what the police would have recommended.

“The armed man fired multiple shots through the glass doors at the employee, causing the glass to shatter. The employee was not shot, but did suffered injuries from the shattered glass. He was treated at the scene by Chino Valley Fire District paramedics.

Mrs. Gutierrez said the suspect immediately fled the scene on foot and was nowhere to be found when the officers arrived.” Ms. Gutierrez stated, “The male employee did not get shot in the encounter but did suffer minor injuries from the shattered glass.” His wounds were treated and released at the scene by Chino Valley Fire District paramedics.

Ms. Gutierrez added, “The investigation is ongoing and the suspect is still at large at this time.”

Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Detective Monroe at (909)334-3104 or send an email to:jmonroe@chinopd.org.

By Anthony Saude

Chino – Matt Ballantyne is so well thought of by Chino mayor Eunice Ulloa and the rest of the city council that they unanimously voted to extend his contract four more years until 2023. The decision was voted on during the city council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, February 6. The feeling of the mayor and the council is they would rather be safe than sorry.

Ballantyne has done such an excellent job since he beat out 72 applicants in 1972 to replace the retired Pat Glover, the former city manager. Mr. Ballantyne was previously the city manager for San Marino, a community in the San Gabriel Valley. He has two master’s degrees, in public administration and urban and regional planning, along with a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in geography and environmental studies.

The City of Chino has rewarded him with 4 contract extensions over the years each one well before the expiration of his current contract. It has been widely reported that the mayor is so enamored with his performance she said that “he is just to doggone good to lose” and “he is such an excellent city manager we don’t want to give any of the surrounding cities a chance to snatch him up.“  His original contract was extended two years in 2014 to the end of 2017. On October 4 2017, it was extended an additional year until July 31, 2018. The city then extended that contract on October 4 2016, until the end of July 2019.

There were some additional changes made to his contract at that time that included increasing the severance agreement to 12 months or the unexpired term of the contract, which ever was less if Mr. Ballantyne was terminated without cause. Tuesday night’s extension has guaranteed his services in Chino until July 31, 2023. The city manager’s salary was set at $21,653 monthly as of the end of 2016, with a total annual compensation package, that includes benefits is $391,491.

By Anthony Saude

Chino – An 11-year-old Chino boy was and two others were arrested this week in connection with a pair of robberies that took place Sunday night in Chino.

“The boy, who allegedly stole a scooter at knifepoint from a victim on the 5000 block of D Street at approximately 6:36 p.m. was arrested on two counts of robbery, he has not identified due to his age” said Monica Gutierrez The boy was booked into the San Bernardino County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of Robbery, other dangerous weapon. Further investigation led officers to believe he was a suspect in a previous robbery that was reported nearby a only a half-hour earlier, according to Chino Police spokeswoman Monica Gutierrez.

During an investigation, officers learned about a robbery report that was taken at 5:49 p.m. that involved three suspects one of them being the aforementioned boy, in the 13200 block of Sixth Street, the spokeswoman added. The victim, a man was assaulted and robbed by several male suspects. The victim sustained several serious wounds to his face and body during the altercation” said Mrs. Gutierrez. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was given medical treatment for his injuries.

The boy was arrested later that evening. On Monday a 24 year old suspect, William Rodriquez, of Chino was arrested and booked into the West Valley Detention Center, for his alleged participation in the crime, on charges of Robbery-Strong arm and probation violation” Mrs. Gutierrez said

Further investigation led to the third suspect being located and arrested, 19-year-old Mark Torres of San Bernardino, was arrested in the 1100 block of 11th Street in San Bernardino. Jail records show that he was booked on suspicion of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and a gang enhancement. The investigation is ongoing.

09By Anthony Saude

Chino – The County of Riverside wants to build an off-road motorsports facility at the southern end of the 71 freeway and it has the City of Chino Hills worried about the impact it might have on their residents. The project “Prado Raceway” proposed location will be adjacent to the Chino Hills State park with in the unincorporated community of Green River. The proposed facility would consist of nine racetracks each one built for different ages and expertise levels. There will be concession stands, seating, and operations office and eight desilting basins for drainage purposes.

The corporation applying for the approval is EVR Motorsports; LLC located in Irvine, Bradley N. Etter is the representative of this project. The majority of the site is empty; there are activities of sand extraction and mine reclamation that are scheduled to be phased out by the year 2036, according to the notice of preparation.

Chino Hills State Park is located to the west of the proposed location, the City of Chino is to the north, the City of Corona is south and the unincorporated Prado Basin in located to the east. The vice mayor of Chino Hills said in a report that she just learned about the project earlier this month and is concerned about how the traffic and noise will impact the residents of southern Chino Hills.

The facility would make use of 163 acres with off-road motocross tracks and a short course off-road track for race trucks and four wheel drive off road utility task vehicles.

The City of Chino Hills staff will prepare a comment letter to express the concerns they have and the environmental impacts they would liked addressed before it is approved. Chino Hills State Park and Hills for Everyone, the organization that founded the State Park has also been notified of the proposal.

The environmental impact report isn’t expected to be ready for review until the end of the year. The first step, a public scoping meeting took place at the Riverside County Planning Department on Lemon Street on Monday February 23 as part of the environmental review process. There will be plenty of opportunities for the City and the residents to express their opinions as the project is better defined and the impacts are addressed during the process. For more information residents can contact Brett Dawson, project planner for the Riverside County Planning Department at (951) 955-0972

By Anthony Saude

Chino– According to reports from the Chino Hills PD, prison escapee, Michael Garrett, was apprehended on Monday, January 15 at about 8:30 p.m, less than 24 hours after making his escape from the California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino

Garrett, a 33 year old white male, was serving time as an inmate at the California Institution for Men (CIM) for a stolen vehicle and felony evading when he was able to  successfully escape from the prison on Sunday night, January 14.

On January 15 at 8:30 a.m., Chino and Chino Hills Police Departments confirmed that Garrett had indeed escaped from the prison the night before. In their initial report police stated that after a thourough search of the immediate vicinity, police were unable to locate Garret and they believed that he was no longer in the area. The manhunt was then in full swing. Further investigation led the authorities to the San Diego area and they were able to locate Garret in his home town of Encinitas, in San Diego County. He was arrested and placed back into police custody less than 24 hours after making his escape.

By Anthony Saude

On February 1, eighteen years ago, Chino Police Officer Russ Miller, was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver. However, his fellow officers have not forgotten him. Every year since his tragic passing the Chino Police Officers Foundation has remained committed to keeping his memory alive by hosting their annual “Run for Russ”, a 5K Run and Community Walk. More than 1000 attendees are expected to participate in this year’s race which will be held on Saturday, February 3.

Lt Keith Bussard, a 25 year CPD veteran who came up through the ranks at roughly the same time that Officer Miller did, thinks it is remarkable how important it is that the community still shows their support for this event so many years later. When asked about the community’s continued support, Bussard said “It speaks to how important Russ Miller was to the Chino Police Department, the residents and the community here in the city of Chino.”

The entrance fee for participants who register early is $25. All proceeds from the event go toward the Russ Miller Memorial Foundation. The foundation provides sponsorships to the local youth that allow them to participate in positive recreational activities within the community that they would otherwise not be able to participate in. Last year’s event raised over $15,000 for the foundation. A CPD employee, who knew Officer Miller during his time on the force, stated that “Russ was very active in the community and his life while he was with the department and he was an avid sports fan,”

This year’s event will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, February 3 and will begin at the Chino Civic Center on the corner of Chino and Central Avenues. To participate, register online at: http://racewire.com/register.php?id=3561. Same Day Registration will also be available  on the day of the event. For additional information and Registration Forms, please visit the Run for Russ 5K page at http://www.chinopoa.org page or call 909-334-3062. This is a great community event which includes a pancake breakfast by the Chino Kiwanis Club. Everyone is invited to participate. So bring your family and friends out and show your support for the community by participating in this year’s event. It will be a lot of fun and we hope to see you there.

Staff Reports

Chino – A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff, a Chino resident allegedly agreed on two occasions to oversee the delivery of narcotics and other contraband in exchange for cash payments was arrested, along with three other men, on federal narcotics charges.

Special agents with the Federal Bureau Investigation arrested Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Collins, after they allegedly agreed to provide “security” for the transport of nearly 45 pounds of cocaine and more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine. During the FBI’s undercover investigation, Collins allegedly agreed that he and his team would take calculated steps to prevent law enforcement from intercepting the drugs – in exchange for cash payments as high as $250,000.

Collins and two other men were charged in a federal criminal complaint filed last week. In justifying the high fees for his services, Collins allegedly told an undercover FBI agent “we’re cops” and “all of our transports make it through.”

Those named in the complaint are:

• Deputy Sheriff Collins, 50, of Chino;
• David Easter, 51, of the Hyde Park District of Los Angeles; and
• Grant Valencia, 34, of Pomona.

The fourth man arrested, Maurice Desi Font, 56, of South Los Angeles – is expected to be charged in a second criminal complaint.

The four defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. This case is part of a long-standing and ongoing commitment to root out corruption, particularly when it involves sworn law enforcement officers.

The FBI and LASD have been working together to address any internal problems with the full cooperation of Sheriff McDonnell in the continuing effort to reform the department. Collins and the other used their position to conduct criminal activity for large sums of money. Further investigation will continue in order to determine whether others may have been involved, this should not be viewed as an indictment of the many dedicated servants at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, some of whom brought this unlawful activity to our attention. The FBI’s commitment to weeding out corruption by public officials and restoring trust in our law enforcement professionals is important for healing process in the local communities to begin.