Some media are questioning initial reports that California state senator Roy Ashburn was at a gay bar in Sacramento before he was arrested on drunk driving charges early Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, CBS 13 reported that Ashburn, who has an antigay voting record, had been pulled over by the state highway patrol and charged with two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08% or higher. The station said that he left a popular gay bar, Faces, with another man before his arrest.
However, the Visalia Times-Delta questions the claim about the bar visit.
”Despite the frenzy, the Sacramento station's reports have been unsubstantiated, and the manager of Faces, the gay nightclub Ashburn was said to have visited, told the Talking Points Memo blog that she did not see the senator there Tuesday night,” reported the Times-Delta.
In addition, NBC station KGET 17 quotes the gay bar's chief financial officer, who cannot confirm whether Ashburn visited the large venue, which has five rooms and three dance floors.
“Mike Johnston, the chief financial officer of Faces Nightclub would not confirm if the senator was spotted there,” reported KGET 17. “‘We had a management meeting with the management staff and none of the managers saw him and none of the staff we spoke with saw him. We can't confirm he was here, we can't confirm it,’ Johnston said.”
Ashburn was pulled over with an unidentified man in his state-owned, black Chevy Tahoe. The man’s identity has not been disclosed because he was not charged.
Ashburn, a divorced father of four, has not spoken publicly about the incident except to issue an apology. He did not report to work at the legislature on Thursday.
Friday, March 5, 2010
OC Deputy DUI crash
An off-duty Orange County sheriff’s deputy, who allegedly was intoxicated when he crashed his Mercedes-Benz into another vehicle and injured a passenger, had crashed 30 minutes earlier and was allowed to drive from that accident scene by fellow deputies, authorities said Friday.
Sheriff’s deputies were called Monday afternoon to a crash involving Deputy Allan James Waters, 36, and another vehicle outside City Hall in Dana Point. Deputies took a report and permitted Waters keep driving, said Assistant Sheriff Mike James.
About 30 minutes later, at 5:20 p.m., Waters crashed his Mercedes-Benz into a Toyota in Laguna Niguel, causing it to cross the center median and slam into a tree, according to the California Highway Patrol. Dolores Molina, a 78-year-old passenger in the Toyota, suffered minor injuries.
CHP officers said Waters showed signs of being intoxicated and was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was released Wednesday, according to jail records.
Waters is a 13-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, assigned to south Orange County, James said.
The department is conducting an internal investigation to determine why Waters was allowed to keep driving, James said.
Waters had been placed on administrative leave about two months ago, but James would not say why. He said the deputy will remain on leave while the investigations are conducted.
Sheriff’s deputies were called Monday afternoon to a crash involving Deputy Allan James Waters, 36, and another vehicle outside City Hall in Dana Point. Deputies took a report and permitted Waters keep driving, said Assistant Sheriff Mike James.
About 30 minutes later, at 5:20 p.m., Waters crashed his Mercedes-Benz into a Toyota in Laguna Niguel, causing it to cross the center median and slam into a tree, according to the California Highway Patrol. Dolores Molina, a 78-year-old passenger in the Toyota, suffered minor injuries.
CHP officers said Waters showed signs of being intoxicated and was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was released Wednesday, according to jail records.
Waters is a 13-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, assigned to south Orange County, James said.
The department is conducting an internal investigation to determine why Waters was allowed to keep driving, James said.
Waters had been placed on administrative leave about two months ago, but James would not say why. He said the deputy will remain on leave while the investigations are conducted.
FYI - stay away from checkpoints if you are hammered....even on foot
An intoxicated pedestrian who walked up to a sobriety checkpoint to see what was taking place was among five arrested Monday, police said.
Police arrested Rodrigo Sajvin Cumes, 37, of Costa Mesa, on a public intoxication charge after he went up to the checkpoint held on Harbor Boulevard at Fair Drive, said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Phil Myers. Cumes was so intoxicated that he could not care for his safety, according to police.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and 15 citations were issued, police said. Police screened 633 cars out of 2,055 that went through the checkpoint.
Also, police said two drivers switched seats with passengers out of fear of being arrested for driving under the influence. Those drivers were not arrested, Myers said.
Police arrested Rodrigo Sajvin Cumes, 37, of Costa Mesa, on a public intoxication charge after he went up to the checkpoint held on Harbor Boulevard at Fair Drive, said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Phil Myers. Cumes was so intoxicated that he could not care for his safety, according to police.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and 15 citations were issued, police said. Police screened 633 cars out of 2,055 that went through the checkpoint.
Also, police said two drivers switched seats with passengers out of fear of being arrested for driving under the influence. Those drivers were not arrested, Myers said.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
This guy has some balls LOL
Prosecutors on Thursday charged a former Oceanside resident with stealing a small plane from an airfield near San Diego and making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
San Diego County prosecutors charged Skye Turner with felony counts of stealing an aircraft, grand theft and burglary. The 23-year-old, who is set to be arraigned this afternoon, faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Turner was arrested Feb. 19 after landing the Cirrus SR22, which was reported stolen from Montgomery Field.
The Federal Aviation Administration says Turner had an expired student pilot license.
His father, Peter Turner of Oceanside, told NBC 7/39 last week that his son, who now lives in El Cajon, spent countless hours playing flight-simulator games on the computer and had been rejected from at least one flight school
San Diego County prosecutors charged Skye Turner with felony counts of stealing an aircraft, grand theft and burglary. The 23-year-old, who is set to be arraigned this afternoon, faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Turner was arrested Feb. 19 after landing the Cirrus SR22, which was reported stolen from Montgomery Field.
The Federal Aviation Administration says Turner had an expired student pilot license.
His father, Peter Turner of Oceanside, told NBC 7/39 last week that his son, who now lives in El Cajon, spent countless hours playing flight-simulator games on the computer and had been rejected from at least one flight school
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
San Diego cops to use video on heads
SAN DIEGO — Nine San Diego police officers will be participating in a pilot program to test head-mounted video cameras that will record their interactions with the public.
Police are expected to offer more details during a demonstration of the technology Tuesday morning.
The camera is about the size of a Bluetooth earpeice with a headband, and the recording device is the size of a large cell phone, authorities said. The technology is made by Phoenix-based Taser International.
Also testing the equipment is 18 officers from the San Jose Police Department, with Taser paying for the experiment, the department reported in December.
Police are expected to offer more details during a demonstration of the technology Tuesday morning.
The camera is about the size of a Bluetooth earpeice with a headband, and the recording device is the size of a large cell phone, authorities said. The technology is made by Phoenix-based Taser International.
Also testing the equipment is 18 officers from the San Jose Police Department, with Taser paying for the experiment, the department reported in December.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Another crooked cop
An Oceanside police sergeant accused of accepting fraudulently purchased items to update his home pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of receiving stolen property, authorities said.
Walter McWilson, a 10-year veteran of the department, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, said Paul Levikow, a District Attorney’s Office spokesman.
McWilson appeared in Vista Superior Court.
Investigators said McWilson knowingly received $54,000 worth of items in 2006 and 2007 purchased by a Murrieta woman who was embezzling funds from the Oceanside-based construction company where she worked. Prosecutors said McWilson had a romantic relationship with the woman, an office manager for the company.
The items he received included mahogany wood flooring, Travertine tile, high-tech equipment for a home recording studio and flat-screen TVs. Authorities accused McWilson of selling one 50-inch plasma television to a neighbor and then pocketing $1,200 in cash.
McWilson, who was most recently a supervisor for the department’s Neighborhood Policing Team, was considered by his peers to be a rising star within the Police Department until he was put on administrative leave in August. He originally faced 14 felony charges of receiving stolen property, grand theft and conspiracy.
Walter McWilson, a 10-year veteran of the department, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, said Paul Levikow, a District Attorney’s Office spokesman.
McWilson appeared in Vista Superior Court.
Investigators said McWilson knowingly received $54,000 worth of items in 2006 and 2007 purchased by a Murrieta woman who was embezzling funds from the Oceanside-based construction company where she worked. Prosecutors said McWilson had a romantic relationship with the woman, an office manager for the company.
The items he received included mahogany wood flooring, Travertine tile, high-tech equipment for a home recording studio and flat-screen TVs. Authorities accused McWilson of selling one 50-inch plasma television to a neighbor and then pocketing $1,200 in cash.
McWilson, who was most recently a supervisor for the department’s Neighborhood Policing Team, was considered by his peers to be a rising star within the Police Department until he was put on administrative leave in August. He originally faced 14 felony charges of receiving stolen property, grand theft and conspiracy.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Think cops dont get special treatment....think again
Riverside police recommended no action in its report of Chief Russ Leach's 3 a.m. hit-and-run crash, despite indicating he "had been drinking," he couldn't recall where he had crashed and that he was unaware of the extent of his car's damage.
In the six-page traffic collision report, obtained Thursday by The Press-Enterprise, officers make no mention of attempting to give the chief a field sobriety test after they found him driving on the rims of his dented, scratched city-issued black Chrysler 300.
The report was issued by Riverside police the morning of the collision. On Tuesday police handed the investigation over to the California Highway Patrol.
Leach "was unable to provide a statement" regarding his wreck Monday at Central and Hillside avenues, according to the report by Riverside police Sgt. Frank Orta. Two officers had stopped him more than three miles away, later learning he ran into a fire hydrant and light pole.
The chief "would only say that he had a flat tire and that he had driven into a field or dirt road," Orta wrote. The chief repeated that several times.
"It was evident that he was unaware that he had a collision and that his vehicle suffered major damages," Orta wrote.
In the portion of the report where officers can address a driver's sobriety, they checked a box labeled "HBD -- Impairment Unknown." HBD stands for "had been drinking."
Other options include "had not been drinking," "impairment not known" and "not applicable."
Despite a witness reporting that Leach's car left the scene of the initial collision, officers did not check hit-and-run on the report, and ultimately, listed "file" as their recommendation for disposition.
Standard practice in cases to be submitted for possible charges is to indicate the report will be forwarded to the district attorney's office.
Leach, 61, remains on medical leave. He has said he was disoriented on prescription medication at the time.
More on the report's release later.
In the six-page traffic collision report, obtained Thursday by The Press-Enterprise, officers make no mention of attempting to give the chief a field sobriety test after they found him driving on the rims of his dented, scratched city-issued black Chrysler 300.
The report was issued by Riverside police the morning of the collision. On Tuesday police handed the investigation over to the California Highway Patrol.
Leach "was unable to provide a statement" regarding his wreck Monday at Central and Hillside avenues, according to the report by Riverside police Sgt. Frank Orta. Two officers had stopped him more than three miles away, later learning he ran into a fire hydrant and light pole.
The chief "would only say that he had a flat tire and that he had driven into a field or dirt road," Orta wrote. The chief repeated that several times.
"It was evident that he was unaware that he had a collision and that his vehicle suffered major damages," Orta wrote.
In the portion of the report where officers can address a driver's sobriety, they checked a box labeled "HBD -- Impairment Unknown." HBD stands for "had been drinking."
Other options include "had not been drinking," "impairment not known" and "not applicable."
Despite a witness reporting that Leach's car left the scene of the initial collision, officers did not check hit-and-run on the report, and ultimately, listed "file" as their recommendation for disposition.
Standard practice in cases to be submitted for possible charges is to indicate the report will be forwarded to the district attorney's office.
Leach, 61, remains on medical leave. He has said he was disoriented on prescription medication at the time.
More on the report's release later.
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