Preliminary hearing continued for city employee
The Oct. 20 preliminary hearing for a fatal accident allegedly involving a City of Malibu employee has been continued to Oct. 28 at Malibu Courthouse, the District Attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday.
City Records Clerk Robert Sanchez has been named as a suspect in the June 28 bicycle accident that left one man dead and his son with several broken bones.
A truck allegedly driven by Sanchez struck 45-year-old Rodrigo Armas and his 14-year-old son while they were cycling east along Pacific Coast Highway. Armas died at the scene of the accident, while his son suffered extensive leg injuries. Sanchez reportedly left the scene of the accident, abandoned his vehicle and hid in nearby brush before Sheriff’s deputies arrested him two hours later. Sanchez is also suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and or drugs.
Sanchez is currently employed by the city.
Council considers $15,000 reward for missing woman
City Council at its quarterly review meeting on Wednesday (before this paper went to print) discussed establishing a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the disappearance of 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson.
The idea came from a Malibu resident during Monday’s regular city council meeting, who said the entertainment industry has stigmatized Malibu because its city officials have not made enough of an effort to locate the missing woman.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has already authorized a $10,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
Richardson was arrested Sept. 16 after dining at Geoffrey’s Restaurant in Malibu and allegedly not paying her bill and for possession of marijuana in her car. While many have criticized the restaurant manager for having Richardson arrested due to nonpayment of the bill (Richardson’s grandmother offered to pay the bill by phone, but the payment could not be accepted because she could not fax a signed receipt), owner Jeff Peterson said the Sheriff’s station was called because it was thought she could not safely drive her car.
However, Sheriff’s officials said she seemed fine and was not under the influence of alcohol, and released her at 1 a.m. She has been missing since that morning.
The family has been extremely critical of Sheriff’s officials for a number of things, including holding back the report on Richardson’s arrest and for releasing the young woman in the middle of the night without identification or a form of transportation in an area with no public transportation. They also said the station officials failed to properly diagnose and evaluate her mental state before releasing her.
Corral Canyon fire defendants await arraigment, pretrial conference
The remaining four defendants accused of starting the 2007 Corral Canyon will appear at the Van Nuys Courthouse next week.
Brian Alan Anderson, 23, and William Thomas Coppock, 24, are due in court for a pretrial conference on Nov. 4, where their attorneys will address final issues before the trial stage begins, an official of the District Attorney’s office said in a telephone interview Monday.
An arraignment hearing for Eric Matthew Ullman, 19, and Dean Allen Lavorante, 20, is scheduled for Nov. 3.
All four defendants are accused of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury and recklessly causing a fire to multiple inhabited structures.
The Corral fire started after a number of individuals built an illegal campfire in a cave on state parkland at the top of Corral Canyon. Embers from the fire sparked flames on the dry hillsides, which were fueled by roaring Santa Ana winds. Detectives found alcohol containers, food wrappers and bundled fire logs at the scene, which they were able to trace to the five men being held accountable.
Brian David Franks, 28, was sentenced in February to five years probation and 300 hours community service in February by Van Nuys Superior Court, after pleading no contest to a felony charge of recklessly causing a fire.
In addition to destroying 53 homes, the Corral Fire burned 4,900 acres. It destroyed 37 vehicles and a mobile home. Another 45 structures, including 33 homes, were damaged. Six firefighters were injured, including one who received second-degree burns to the face.
City provides free bus to septic ban hearing
The City of Malibu will provide free bus transportation to the Nov. 5 Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board’s hearing on a proposed septic ban in the Civic Center area.
The meeting will take place at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 N. Alameda St., in Los Angeles at 9 a.m.
The bus will leave city hall at 7:30 a.m. To reserve a seat, call 310.456.2489 ext. 224.
State parks announce severe service reductions
California’s 279 state parks will remain open at least well into 2010, but the Inland Empire district on Monday announced its cost-saving service reductions, which include weekday closures at some facilities, and reduced hours.
Other reductions include the removal of trash cans and fire rings from beaches, closed restrooms, closed visitor centers, reduced restroom cleaning and no off-season chemical toilets.
At Malibu Creek State Park, for example, there are Xs under the following categories: reduced hours, closed camps/loops, close some day use, close some restrooms, reduce cleaning, reduce trash service. These are common reductions throughout the system.
The reductions serve to replace Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s initial threat to close more than 100 parks to help alleviate a severe budget deficit.
More information can be obtained online at parks.ca.gov.
Local cities partner for flu shot distribution
The cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village have partnered with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department to simulate the distribution of medication to residents in case of emergency. Through their participation, this “Point of Distribution Exercise” offers residents an opportunity to help city and county staff and volunteers learn how to operate a mass inoculation system.
All residents (minimum age: six months) are eligible to receive free seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccination on Nov.14 at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road, in Calabasas. Operating hours will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until supplies last. Shots will not be given to persons with animals in their car; no walk-ups, drive through only.
More than 100 free flu shots have been provided to date this flu season by the Malibu Urgent Care Center. It offers free flue shots as a public service for all local teachers, school nurses, paramedics, sheriffs and life guards. Malibu Urgent Care has already used half of the 800 flu shots that they had ordered. It is still waiting to receive an order of H1N1 swine flu vaccine, but does not know how much vaccine it will receive.
More information can be obtained online at ahccc.org or by calling 310.456.2489 ext. 260.
-Olivia Damavandi
-Olivia Damavandi