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Serving Commerce and surrounding communities • 3,200 Homes Every Saturday • November 8, 2013 • Volume 1, No. 16 • HewsMediaGroup.com
HMG-CN EXCLUSIVE: Truck with 8K Gallons of Oil Explodes in Commerce Undercover FBI Agent ‘Rocky Patel’ Used Dal Rae to Stage Calderon Sting Operation
Chacon, Cardenas, Cupchoy, Cisneros Capture Montebello School Board Seats
By Randy Economy and Brian Hews
Voters have elected two new members to the Montebello Unified School District as well as returning two others trustees to the five member panel in this past Tuesday’s election. Hector Chacon Challenger Lani Cupchoy scored a dramatic come from behind victory over incumbent school board member Gerri Guzman. This is the first elective office for Ben Cardenas Cupchoy despite an earlier report by this newspaper that confirmed that she had never voted before in an election.
The Dal Rae is one of the finest upscale dining rooms in all of Southern California and has a solid reputation for its spectacular menu that literally has not changed in decades. It is an institution for political insiders in East Los Angeles and has attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood for decades. Deals are cut daily at the vintage round leather covered booths, and the Sand Dabs are legendary. Now, the Dal Rae, located on Washington Boulevard in Pico Rivera, is becoming famous for apparently being one of the places where undercover Agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation were targeting the Eastside Los Angeles political dynasty family known as “The Calderon’s.” Hews Media Group-Community Newspapers, as well as other media outlets has been publishing a series of critical investigative reports on State Senator Ronald Calderon, and his two brothers, former Assemblyman Thomas Calderon and former Senator Charles Calderon as well as political newbie Assemblyman Ian Calderon for the past eight months. Last week, the Calderon’s became international political stars thanks to a series of hard hitting investigative reports from the Arab based media outlet Al Jazeera. It appears that the FBI went to no expense, and detail, to craft an elaborate “movie production studio” that was over seen by one of their own agents known as “Rocky Patel.” “Rocky Patel” played the role of a slick, aggressive, independent movie executive who engaged Ronald Calderon and Tom Calderon to help him craft legislation in Sacramento. HMG-CN spoke to at least three sources who claim that they were introduced to “Rocky Patel” while they were dining at the Dal Rae. One of the sources said that Calderon
See PATEL page 8
By Randy Economy
See MUSD page 8 News agencies capture photos of the dramatic fire in Commerce that was caused when a big rig crashed on the 710 Freeway. By Randy Economy A Commerce neighborhood erupted into flames after a big rig truck crashed on the 710 Freeway. Neighbors caught the drama on video that showed a stream of fire burning in gutters and streets that prompted the evacuations of homes in the 1400 block of South Sydney Drive. The crash took place at around 9:30 a.m. on the Long Beach (710) Freeway at Washington Boulevard. The truck driver managed to escape, but was hospitalized in critical condition, officials said. A second person was taken to a hospital with less severe injuries. Several vehicles burned, but no homes or businesses were damaged by the fire, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Brian Jordan. Aerial footage showed the burned carcass of a big rig hanging off the overpass and onto train tracks below the freeway. An oil slick spanned two lanes of the freeway.
A Good Samaritan rushed to the scene and pulled the driver out of the fiery wreckage. The truck driver suffered burns over 40 percent of his body. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The Good Samaritan suffered minor burns to his hands. Officials say crude oil spilled, ignited and spread to the freeway and into storm drains. The flames were so intense that a billboard above the freeway literally melted in some parts, and was destroyed. “I woke up to a bunch of explosions. I smelled smoke and then I felt a little heat, so I came out and looked behind me, and I'm like 'wow!'" said Commerce resident Joseph Rios who was a witness. Rios made his comments to a reporter at a local Southern California television news crew. Traffic in the East L.A. interchange was literally jammed for hours as crews cleaned up the charred wreckage and assessed the damage to the blackened freeway.
Taj, Rios Score Stunning Council Wins in Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens By Randy Economy Two outside city council challengers in Artesia and Hawaiian Gardens have reshaped the political landscape here in Southeast Los Angeles County by capturing dramatic wins in Tuesday’s Consolidated Election. Ali Taj, a first time candidate for public office, and who few knew of in Artesia, scored a stunning win over longtime incumbent Councilman John Lyon. Taj, who is a professional financial consultant, took his grassroots campaign directly to the voters of Artesia by conducting an aggressive effort to in his words, “spend time and get to hear what is really on the minds of the residents of
See ELECTIONS page 8
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PATEL
Continued from page 1 Press Secretary Mario Beltran accompanied Patel at one of the meetings at the Dal Rae and took the liberty to introduce the undercover agent to them. “Can you believe it, we met Rocky Patel,” the source said. “We happened to the at the Dal Rae that night and Mario Beltran came up to us with Rocky,” the source continued. “I can’t believe it, this is definitely a made for television movie,” the source told the newspaper. Dal Rae Co-Owner Kevin Smith told HMG-CN in an interview on Monday that he had never met Senator Ron Calderon. “I don’t even know who the guy is, meaning Calderon. Sorry, I can’t help you with any details about the situation,” Smith said. Smith, when pressed about how many times “Rocky Patel” had dined at the Dal Rae, he said, “This conversation is over,” and hung up the phone.
ELECTIONS
Continued from page 1 Artesia.” Taj told Hews Media Group-Community Newspapers that he had “walked and canvassed” the entire City of Artesia “at least twice, if not three times.” “The community wants at least one independent voice on the city council,” Taj said in a previous interview with HMGCN after the ballots were counted. Incumbent Mayor Sally Zuniga Flowers and Councilman Victor Manalo also scored reelection wins on Tuesday with Flowers earning top vote.
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Manalo also declared victory on Wednesday in an email to his supporters: “I am grateful to the voters for giving me the opportunity to serve them as their council member for four more years. While I am proud of what we have accomplished over the last four years, there is much more that needs to be done. We need to recruit diverse businesses to Artesia to increase our revenues, and we need to invest those revenues into services and programs that meet the needs of our diverse residents, into improving our infrastructure, and engaging our residents in our city’s decisionmaking process,” Manalo said. Challenger Melissa Ramosa, who works for a California State Senator and Businessman Manu Patel finished behind Lyon. Here are the vote totals: Sally Flowers, 713; Victor Manalo, 630; Ali S. Taj, 612; John P. Lyon 594; Melissa Ramoso 456; Manu Patel 288. GARDEN PARTY FOR RIOS In Hawaiian Gardens, challenger Mariana Rios scored a close win by defeating longtime incumbent Michi Oyama-Canada. Incumbents Reynaldo Rodriguez and Barry Bruce also scored decisive wins by capturing the top two places in the election. Rodriguez came in first place with a scant 345 votes, followed by Bruce with 318 and Rios garnered 218 to capture the third and final seat. Oyama-Canada trailed with 195 votes. With Rios winning it is unsure who the next Mayor will be in the small municipality. During the past four years, the Hawaiian Gardens City Council has been solidly controlled by current Mayor Victor Farfan, Councilman Mike Gomez and Oyama-Canada with Rodriguez and Bruce in the voting minority.
MUSD
Continued from page 1 Also elected were Appointed Incumbent Benjamin Cardenas and longtime incumbent Hector Chacon. Cardenas is a Field Representative to United States Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano. Cupchoy was helped by a last minute mailing that was sent out by a political action committee called “Voters for Good Government” that Lani Cupchoy included a 2012 arrest of Guzman on alleged domestic violence charges. The case was never prosecuted and Guzman was never charged. Also elected on Tuesday was Edgar Cisneros, who is a Deputy to Los Angeles County SuperEdgar Cisneros visor Gloria Molina. Cisneros will to serve the remainder of a two year unexpired term. Here are the results: Four Year Term: Hector A. Chacon, 3,585 votes for 23.24% of the vote; Benjamin Cardenas, 3,486 votes from 22.60% of the vote; Lani Cupchoy, 2,999 votes for 19.44% of the vote; Gerri Guzman, 2,948 for 19.11%, Saucillo Valencia 1,361 votes for 8.82% and Frank Morales trailed with 1046 voters or 6.78%. Two Year Term: Edgar Cisneros, 2957 votes for 46.47%; Paul Montoya, 2,548 for 40.04% and CJ Salgado received 858 votes for 13.48%
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Steinberg Calls for Calderon to be Stripped of Senate Committee Assignments By Randy Economy California State Senate President pro-Tem Daryl Steinberg on Wednesday demanded that controversial State Senator Ronald Calderon be stripped of all of his committee assignments as well as be removed as Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee. Hews Media Group was has been told that Steinberg is calling for the Senate Rules Committee to remove Calderon from “all committee assignments, including the chairmanship of the Senate Insurance Committee, until the sting investigations is resolved.” “Senator Ronald Calderon currently Chairs the Senate Insurance Committee and sits on the Senate Banking Committee and Financial Institutions Committee, the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, the Senate Governmental Organization Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Procurement. Senator Steinberg also asks the Senate Rules Committee to eliminate the Senate Committee on California’s Film and Television Industry, chaired by Senator Calderon, which has not convened since its inception earlier this year,” the statement read. Calderon represents Cerritos, Norwalk, Downey and Southeast Los Angeles County cities in the California State Senate.
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Wild Chase Goes Through Cerritos, Ends in Death of Suspect on Jackson Street in Paramount By Randy Economy A police chase that dramatically travelled through Cerritos Halloween night resulted in the death of the suspect after a standoff with law enforcement for several hours on a residential street several miles away in Paramount. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives were continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deputy-involved shooting, which took place on the 7400 block of Jackson Street. On Thursday, October 31, 2013, minutes before 11:00 P.M., a deputy assigned to Lakewood Sheriff’s Station conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for a traffic violation. As the lone deputy approached the vehicle, the suspect, who was the driver, pointed a handgun at the deputy and sped away. The deputy broadcast the incident and vehicle information to other deputies via radio. A short time later, a deputy assigned to Cerritos Sheriff’s Station located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Bloomfield Avenue. According to a spokesperson of the LA County Sheriff’s, the suspect vehicle
refused to yield and a pursuit ensued, travelling through numerous cities, by street and highway, assisted by California Highway Patrol personnel. “During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle entered and exited the highway, and stopped and restarted driving several times. At one of the stops, the driver allowed three passengers to exit the vehicle, then fled again,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said in a statement. Deputies deployed spike strips, disabled the vehicle and contained it. The suspect refused to comply with deputies’ orders to exit the vehicle, thus becoming barricaded inside. Special Enforcement Bureau a n d Crisis Negotiation Team members responded and established communication with the suspect. After much discussion, the suspect eventually exited the vehicle, pointed his handgun at a deputy and a deputy involved shooting occurred. Several television news stations in Southern California aired the pursuit for more than two hours on Thursday night and into Friday morning. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The name of the suspect has not been released by law enforcement officials. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
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