More child abuse charges filed in Mentone case, 350k Bail Bond
March 18, 2011 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
San Bernardino County prosecutors have filed additional child abuse charges against a Mentone couple stemming from what investigators believe were multiple battering incidents against the woman’s two young daughters over a nine-month period.
Jordan Joseph Brommer, 20, and Cheryl Christine Mock, 19, are now charged with six counts each of child abuse resulting in great bodily injury to a child under age 5.
The couple was initially charged with two counts each of child abuse with great bodily injury and pleaded not guilty.
Mock is the mother of the two children, but Brommer is not their father.
Brommer and Mock were in Superior Court on Friday where Judge John Martin granted Deputy District Attorney Melissa Rodriguez’s request that the couple’s bail bond be increased from $100,000 to $350,000 each because of the seriousness of the charges.
Their next court date is set for April 13.
Rodriguez said after court that the additional charges were filed based on medical examinations of the two girls that showed older injuries that were in the process of healing and newer injuries.
Investigators believe there were three separate beating incidents between June 2010 and Feb. 26, when Brommer and Mock were arrested, Rodriguez said.
Paramedics were called to the Mentone apartment where they lived and found the 3-year-old having trouble breathing. The children were put into protective custody and taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment.
Rodriguez said she did not know the condition of the children and would not reveal where they were.
The amended complaint filed in the case provides more information about the girls who are referred to as Jane Doe with a birth date of March 21, 2007, and Jane Doe with a birth date of March 16, 2009.
According to the complaint, the 3-year-old suffered a skull fracture with brain injury, three fractured ribs on her left hand side and three fractured ribs on her right side.
The 1-year-old suffered three fractured ribs and a lacerated liver, a broken collarbone and a fractured shin bone.
Mock remains in custody at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino, and Brommer is being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
By SANDRA STOKLEY
The Press-Enterprise
Candlelight vigil held for slain woman: Suspect in West Valley Detention
February 26, 2011 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
More than 150 friends, family members and coworkers of Tanya Petro cried, hugged and shared memories Friday evening of a young Lake Elsinore mother who touched their lives.
“She was a hard worker and a loving mother,” Buena Park resident Tracy Romo, Petro’s sister, said through her tears just before a candlelight vigil to remember Petro.
Petro, 33, was found dead on Tuesday in a wash in Landers in the San Bernardino County desert. 
Mourners began gathering before 6 p.m. outside the Morro Way apartment complex where Petro had lived with her two children, ages 7 and 8. Near Petro’s apartment, flowers sat near two candles that were burning.
As the vigil began, dozens of people crowded around tables set up near a driveway that held dozens of candles, stuffed animals, balloons, bouquets of flowers and a photo montage of Petro. The crowd grew so large that mourners spilled into the street, some gathering in clusters to reflect on what Petro had meant to them.
Dawna Chilton, of Lake Elsinore, carried a message of thanks from Petro’s mother to those in law enforcement and in the community who searched for her daughter.
The outcome of that search, Chilton said, was “not the way she wanted it.”
The vigil was organized by neighbors Becky Hill and Cynthia Wolbert, who had known Petro for eight and six years, respectively.
“Everybody wanted to be here,” Hill said. “She was our friend.”
Ronald Wayne Paoletto, 41, a registered sex offender, has been charged with murder in connection with Petro’s death.
Petro was last seen leaving her apartment complex Jan. 4 with Paoletto, Riverside County sheriff’s officials have said. The two were supposed to have traveled to Yucca Valley that day to pick up his children.
Paoletto arrived alone and told his family that he and Petro had argued along the way and that he dropped her off somewhere, Riverside County sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators found Paoletto on Monday in Hesperia and arrested him on suspicion of violating his sex offender registration requirements. He was booked into West Valley Detention Center and held without bail.
By GENE GHIOTTO
The Press-Enterprise
Pot smoking toddler video leads to arrest
January 24, 2011 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
The parents of a 23-month-old child have been jailed after they were seen on a video giving what authorities say was a marijuana pipe to their toddler.
Melanie Felicia Soliz, 20, and Blake James Hightower, 24, both of Hesperia, were arrested for investigation of cruelty to a child, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. The toddler was taken by child protective services.
Investigators are still trying to determine whether the pipe was lit at the time it was given to the child.
Both Soliz, who is more than six months pregnant, and Hightower have medical marijuana cards, the department said.
The Sheriff’s Department received a call just after 8 a.m. Saturday from someone claiming to have evidence of a crime. That person provided a video of the parents giving the pot pipe to the child, the department said.
A deputy located and questioned Soliz and arrested her. She was booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Hightower surrendered later at the Hesperia Police Department and was booked at the Victor Valley Jail, the department said. He was later transferred to the West Valley Detention Center.
Bail was set at $100,000 for each of them, the department said. They are scheduled to appear for a court hearing today in Victorville.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By STEVEN BARRIE
The Press-Enterprise
How much does it cost to get a DUI conviction?
December 16, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
Q: Retired Riverside City College professor Cecil Green was surprised to hear someone describe the cost of a DUI ticket as about $1,300 — and somebody else doubt it was that much.
“The ticket is bad enough,” Green said, but there are other related, less obvious, costs. “It would do the county and people a service if you’d explain the cost of a drinking-and-driving ticket.”
A: Most of the financial impact from a DUI stems from a conviction, though the arrest will cost even if a case ends in acquittal. It’s nearly impossible to predict the cost of a conviction because many factors — including insurance premiums and attorney’s fees — vary with the individual, location and circumstances.
Here’s an idea of the hit someone’s wallet could take if they’re arrested in the state on a DUI charge.
When arrested, a person’s driver’s license is confiscated, they’re jailed and their vehicle is impounded. The bond to get out of jail before trial costs from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, according to Insurance Information Network of California. If one doesn’t have that, using a bail bondsman generally costs 10 percent of the total bond. To retrieve a car, one must pay the cost of towing it from the arrest site to the local impound lot and pay the storage fee. Together these will cost at least $250, according to the network. To get back a license at the end of the revocation period, one must pay a $125 reissue fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Court fees vary by jurisdiction. Legal websites say that hiring an attorney will cost from $500 to $10,000, depending on the case and the attorney.
Those who are convicted must pay a fine ($390 to $1,000), have their license suspended for six months and complete an anti-DUI education program at their expense. The classes cost $240 to $3,400 depending on the program and the number of offenses, according to www.shouse.law’s online guide to California DUI schools.
The DUI conviction won’t please auto insurance companies, which will raise premiums or drop coverage when one’s next renewal period comes up.
“A DUI is visible on your record for 10 years,” said Tim Gaspar, of Gaspar Insurance Services, Encino. It’s a major violation, and in California counts as two points on your driving record, he said.
Auto insurers use points to gauge how safe one’s driving is and how much to charge.
“Although the points fall off your record after three years, insurance companies do not return your good-driver discounts (typically 15 to 20 percent) until the 10 years are up,” said Gaspar, who added that a DUI will make a driver ineligible for some insurers.
Even someone with a previously perfect driving record may see their premium increase by at least 25 percent after a DUI, Gaspar said. If there is more than one vehicle or driver on a policy, the DUI can spike the rate for the whole policy, Gaspar said.
If dropped by an insurer, one must find new insurance, because the DUI conviction will require an SR-22 form, a California Proof of Insurance Certificate, with the DMV (the form costs $15 to $25).
The SR-22 means that if one drops insurance coverage, the DMV will invalidate the license.
DUI sentences vary from 96 hours to six months, depending on the number of convictions. The period of license suspension gets longer with additional convictions. An ignition interlock device could be installed to monitor a driver’s blood-alcohol level and prevent the car from starting if the level registers too high. If required, one must pay for the device’s installation ($50 to $200, according to ignitioninterlockdevice.org), monthly rental ($50 to $100 per month) and maintenance and data downloads.
It’s difficult to pinpoint how much a DUI conviction costs, but it’s likely to be far more than the $1,300 that Green’s acquaintance predicted.
By MAURA AMMENHEUSER
Special to The Press-Enterprise
S.B. County may start charging bail bond firms
October 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
Bail bond companies would no longer get free advertising at San Bernardino County jails under a proposal the Board of Supervisors will consider Tuesday.
Sheriff Rod Hoops is proposing that the county charge bail bond companies a fee to have their services listed at county detention facilities.
Currently, the county provides detainees with a list of 135 bail bond companies — approved by the California Board of Insurance — for free.
Under the proposed ordinance, the companies listed at the county’s four jails would be charged $50 per month, and those listed at five detention facilities at sheriff’s stations would be charged $10 a month.
The program, which is similar to those in other counties, would generate about $97,200 annually, according to a report to the county board.
A sheriff’s custody specialist would oversee the bond list as part of his or her regular duties, verifying all bail agent licenses, arranging for the printing of the list and collecting fees.
Instead of listing companies alphabetically as done currently, if the ordinance passes the jails would conduct a monthly random draw to determine the order of the listing.
The board meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday at 385 Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino.
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
Sodomy case could affect Old Fire trial
September 29, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
An attorney for the man charged with setting 2003′s Old Fire in San Bernardino County unexpectedly arrived in court Tuesday to take charge of his client’s new jailhouse sodomy case, saying it could be used in potential capital proceedings related to the blaze.
Rickie Lee Fowler, 29, was in Rancho Cucamonga for a preliminary hearing on three counts of forcible sodomy and one count of sodomy in a correctional facility. Authorities allege he assaulted a fellow West Valley Detention Center inmate last month.
A prosecutor and public defender were prepared to begin the hearing when Michael Belter, Fowler’s attorney in the Old Fire case, requested it be delayed, and that he also be appointed to represent Fowler in the new matter. Over objections, Judge Donald Umhofer agreed.
Belter explained that he learned of the new filings late last week and had yet to fully review them. That was important, he added, because any conviction or allegation can be used against Fowler should he be found guilty of the pending Old Fire charges.
“They can use it as another reason for him to be executed,” Belter said in court.
San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos has announced he is seeking the death penalty against Fowler. Last fall, a special grand jury indicted him on five counts of murder and one count each of aggravated arson and arson of an inhabited structure.
The Old Fire destroyed 1,003 homes during nine days beginning Oct. 25, 2003. It burned 91,281 acres, wiping out entire neighborhoods in San Bernardino and surrounding mountain communities.
Six people died of heart attacks while fleeing the flames. Prosecutors charged Fowler with five of those deaths, saying that the stress of the blaze was a direct factor.
A drug dispute between Fowler and his godfather is believed to be the motive for the fire. Someone threw a lighted flare into dry brush off Old Waterman Canyon Road, near the godfather’s home.
Fowler pleaded guilty to two unrelated burglaries several months after the blaze, and he was serving his state prison sentence when he was indicted last year. He had previously signed a statement admitting he was present when the fire was set, but he then recanted.
Few details have been released about the recent incident at West Valley, where Fowler is now being held in protective custody. He has previously been on jail suicide watch and admitted to cutting himself there, his lawyers have said.
The preliminary hearing on the forcible sodomy charges is now set for Oct. 21 in Rancho Cucamonga. Fowler will next appear in a San Bernardino courtroom Friday for an Old Fire pre-trial hearing.
By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise
Old Fire suspect charged with West Valley Jail sex assault
September 10, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
The man charged with setting 2003′s catastrophic Old Fire in San Bernardino County now faces four additional felony charges involving the rape of a fellow prisoner.
Rickie Lee Fowler, 29, will appear in a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom next week for a preliminary hearing on the newly filed case. Meanwhile, he awaits trial on five counts of murder and one count each of arson of an inhabited structure and aggravated arson.
Prosecutors issued a complaint against Fowler last week alleging three counts of forcible sodomy and one count of sodomy while confined in jail. The incidents occurred Aug. 21 at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, where Fowler has been held since last fall.
Circumstances behind the jailhouse attack were not released, though Supervising Deputy District Attorney Vic Stull, who is handling Old Fire proceedings, said that the victim has no connection to that case.
The Old Fire destroyed 1,003 San Bernardino County homes over nine days beginning Oct. 25, 2003.
It burned 91,281 acres, wiping out entire neighborhoods in San Bernardino and surrounding mountain communities.
Six people died of heart attacks while fleeing the flames. Prosecutors charged Fowler with five of those deaths, saying that the stress of the blaze was a direct factor.
Although Fowler was considered a suspect after an early tip, he was not indicted until Oct. 2009.
Detectives believe he stepped out of a van parked alongside Old Waterman Canyon Road and threw a lighted flare into the dry brush.
Fowler and his companions were said to have been seeking revenge against a nearby homeowner — his godfather — over a drug dispute. Shortly after the fire, Fowler was arrested in an unrelated burglary case, pleaded guilty to that felony and another, and was sent to state prison.
It was there that U.S. Forest Service investigators said they got Fowler to sign an admission that he was present when the fire was set. But upon his indictment, Fowler recanted his confession, saying he did it to gain favor for a prison transfer, and “so they’d stop pressuring me.”
In January, District Attorney Mike Ramos announced that he was seeking the death penalty against Fowler. At a pre-trial hearing shortly after, Fowler’s attorney told a judge that his client was cutting himself in jail and had been placed on suicide watch.
Don Jordan requested that Fowler be examined by a psychiatrist. Proceedings were suspended through June, when Judge Brian McCarville declared that Fowler was competent to stand trial.
Tentative trial dates have been set for late October. Stull said that his office is seeking to have the forcible sodomy case transferred to San Bernardino, where the Old Fire prosecution is taking place.
Fowler will appear in Rancho Cucamonga court Tuesday on the new case.
He remains at West Valley Detention Center without bail.
By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise
Chino Hills teacher arrested after report of sex with student
July 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
A 30-year-old band teacher at Chino Hills High School was arrested on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old female student, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Justin Wallin, an employee of the Chino Unified School District, was arrested and booked Thursday at the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of unlawful sexual intercourse, oral copulation and sexual penetration with a foreign object, the sheriff’s department said.
Sheriff’s Deputy M.J. Higgins and Chino Hills police Detective Kathy Oros investigated the girl’s report Wednesday that she was sexually involved with her band teacher. Her parents discovered sexually explicit text messages on her cell phone sent by Wallin, police said, and after reviewing their phone bill discovered more than 8,000 more text messages from him to the girl’s phone. Police said they engaged in various sex acts in Chino Hills and Chino.
Detectives said they are concerned there may be other victims and ask that anyone with information call Oros at 909-364-2061 at the Chino Hills Police Department or their local law enforcement agency.
By DAYNA STRAEHLEY
The Press-Enterprise
Teen arrested as murder suspect
May 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Fontana police arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the death of his pregnant girlfriend, police said.
Police have not yet found the body of Anyssia Katherine Escamilla, 17, of Bloomington, who disappeared May 11. Her boyfriend, Jesus Francisco Avitia, was arrested about 1:30 p.m. Friday and is being held at West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of murder, police said.
Escamilla’s parents reported her missing when she didn’t return home from school. When the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department began investigating, Avitia told them Escamilla was dead and had died in Fontana, police said. The investigation is continuing.
–Leslie Parrilla
The Press-Enterprise
Fire hydrants uprooted for valuable metal parts
April 28, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
A man dressed in an orange fluorescent vest showed up in a white utility truck, turned off water to a fire hydrant on the street and appeared to work on it.
What could be wrong with that?
Authorities now believe the man was a metal thief, hauling off entire 80- to 100-pound hydrants or cannibalizing them for their bronze and brass parts and selling them as scrap metal for about $1.60 a pound.
Replacing them can cost the public agencies between $1,000 to $1,800 each.
Since early April, 45 hydrants — 25 from one water agency — in San Bernardino and Riverside counties have been reported stolen or vandalized for their metal.
“When I heard about the incidents from our employees, I couldn’t believe it,” said Eldon Horst, general manager of the Jurupa Community Services District, which had 16 hydrants stolen or damaged since April 12.
On Wednesday a Riverside County man believed to be responsible for the brazen daytime thefts and vandalisms was jailed, said an investigator with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Brian Burian, 45, was taken into custody at his home in the Riverside County community of Rubidoux, west of Riverside, after the owner of a Colton scrap yard identified him as the person who sold him scrap metal, said Deputy Roger Young.
Young, who investigates metal thefts, said his inspection of the scrap metal determined it was from a dismantled fire hydrant.
A scrap yard can be charged with a felony for buying a fire hydrant or parts of one. But in this case, the parts had been cut up so as to make them nearly unrecognizable, Young said.
“A layman wouldn’t be able to tell it was a hydrant,” he said. “It was just pieces of brass and bronze.”
Burian is being held at West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of receiving stolen property. He is due in court this morning.
Young said employees of the West Valley Water District in the city of San Bernardino, which had at least 25 hydrants vandalized, played a crucial role in cracking the case by staking out an area plagued by thefts.
On Tuesday, employees followed a truck seen in the Agua Mansa area on the border between Riverside and San Bernardino counties to Burian’s home and notified Young.
“They did awesome work,” Young said. “Without their help it would have been hard to stop this guy.”
Young said West Valley officials estimated their losses at between $50,000 and $80,000.
Burian was arrested in connection with the San Bernardino incidents, Young said.
“I believe 100 percent that he’s involved in the Riverside County thefts as well,” Young said.
Lt. Art Gonzales said Thursday the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was seeking an arrest warrant for Burian in connection with one of the thefts after he was identified by a witness. The investigation is continuing.
“He has not been ruled out in the other 19 incidents,” Gonzales said.
Water company officials in both counties said the person responsible had expertise in shutting off the water supply to the hydrant before removing it and hauling it away.
The Rubidoux Community Services District had three hydrants taken and a fourth vandalized for its metal parts, said Steve Appel, the assistant general manager.
Young said witnesses in the San Bernardino incidents reported that the man wore an orange fluorescent construction vest and drove a white utility truck.
Gonzales said a witness in one of the Riverside thefts told investigators that when he approached the man tampering with the hydrant, the man said he was refurbishing it.
Burian has multiple convictions in both counties for receiving stolen property, drug possession and burglary.
By SANDRA STOKLEY
The Press-Enterprise
