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Central California
LOLOLOL
Fucking government is so dumb.
Detective Eric Walterscheid stood at a podium before the El Monte City Council during its last meeting in June, touting the work of Officer Carlos Molina before honoring him as the Police Officers Association’s Officer of the Year for 2020.
With about a dozen rank-and-file officers looking on, the police union president said of Molina: “He’s been with us for 21 years. I remember when he first walked into the detective bureau — his leather was squeaking. I read his reports. I said, ‘Go into detectives! You’re an excellent investigator!’ He never looked back.”
But Molina seemed an odd choice for the honor, primarily because he didn’t work a single day in 2020. He spent the entire year on paid administrative leave that ultimately lasted 19 months — from September 2019 to April 2021, according to Tom Madruga, a contract attorney for the city.
Moilna was probing the alleged physical abuse of 23-month-old Britalin Vasquez at the hands of her mother, Donica Vasquez, and stepfather, Oswaldo Eduardo Chan. Molina’s investigation spanned from Oct. 24, 2018, to Oct. 1, 2019, when the case was yanked from him and turned over to Detective Pedro Yanez.
Yanez closed the case in 44 days, submitting it to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Nov. 13, 2019. Prosecutors subsequently filed felony child abuse charges against Chan and Vasquez.
Britalin Vasquez, now 4, suffered bone fractures and burns, a district attorney’s spokeswoman said. Chan and Donica Vasquez will next appear in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pomona for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 9.
Meanwhile, the administrative investigation was launched into Molina’s handling of the case. Although he was allowed to return to the force after 19 months off the job, he was reassigned as a patrol officer. The administrative investigation is still pending arbitration, according to sources close to the case.
Walterscheid, Gonzalez, Danison, Glick and the union’s attorney, Kimberly Riley, did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Molina also did not respond to a request for comment.
Some believe Molina was tapped as Officer of the Year as a bad joke — possibly to embarrass Police Chief David Reynoso, who was hired as the city’s top cop in April 2015. Reynoso declined to comment for this story.
“I feel (Molina) received the votes as a joke or a way to send a message of dissatisfaction,” Sgt. Jimmie Pitts said in an email sent to the entire City Council the night before the June 29 council meeting. He implored the council to pull the agenda item, feeling it would be a “disservice to the members of the EMPOA, the City Council and city residents if the awards ceremony moved forward.”
“If the public or media learned that the City Council publicly recognized a police officer who did not work a single day in 2020, but was paid his full salary for the entire year, it could bring unneeded negative attention to our EMPOA, City and Police Department,” Pitts said in his email.
According to information provided by the city and Police Department, Molina received more than $205,000 in monetary compensation and benefits during his 19-month leave.
After receiving Pitts’ email the night before the meeting, City Councilman Martin Herrera reached out to Ancona the following morning via text, asking her how she planned to deal with the matter. Ancona refused to pull the agenda item, despite Herrera’s concerns.
“They have invited family members and ordered a cake. If you have enough votes to pull the item, I suggest you contact the CM (city manager) immediately so that her office can inform the EMPOA,” Ancona said in her text message to Herrera. “I sent this item over to staff on or about June 17th. That gave them 11-12 days to address the item. Nobody expressed concerns.”
Herrera was astonished by Ancona’s response.
“She essentially told me if I have enough votes to pull the item to do that. That would have to be done at the council meeting in front of all those officers and their families, which was frustrating,” Herrera said in a telephone interview.
Essentially, Ancona claimed her hands were tied.
“My colleagues have made it clear that it takes three votes to place action items or remove items from the agenda once posted, so I was simply following the rules they are imposing on me,” Ancona said.
Herrera said he received a telephone call from Detective Gonzalez a few hours after his text exchange with Ancona the day of the council meeting, and Gonzalez told him “there would be a lot of angry police and families” if he pulled the item. Herrera said he interpreted that as a threat.
Gonzalez did not respond to a request for comment.
Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio even prepared a certificate of recognition for Molina, which was presented to him by one of her aides during the meeting. She said she was unaware of Molina’s history at the department in the last three years.
She said in a statement that her office routinely provides certificates and awards to public servants in her district to commemorate their service to the community.
“As a state legislator, our office is not privy to ongoing, internal investigations regarding city employees,” Rubio said in her statement. “It is concerning that something like this would happen, and I would urge Mayor Ancona to exercise better judgment while conducting official city business.”
www.mercurynews.com
Fucking government is so dumb.
Detective Eric Walterscheid stood at a podium before the El Monte City Council during its last meeting in June, touting the work of Officer Carlos Molina before honoring him as the Police Officers Association’s Officer of the Year for 2020.
With about a dozen rank-and-file officers looking on, the police union president said of Molina: “He’s been with us for 21 years. I remember when he first walked into the detective bureau — his leather was squeaking. I read his reports. I said, ‘Go into detectives! You’re an excellent investigator!’ He never looked back.”
But Molina seemed an odd choice for the honor, primarily because he didn’t work a single day in 2020. He spent the entire year on paid administrative leave that ultimately lasted 19 months — from September 2019 to April 2021, according to Tom Madruga, a contract attorney for the city.
Sluggish investigation
Molina, a detective at the time, was placed on leave because he spent a year working on a child abuse investigation that yielded little work product, sources close to the investigation said on condition of anonymity. Additionally, he charged the city for 42 hours of overtime pay — equating to more than $4,400 — during that period.Moilna was probing the alleged physical abuse of 23-month-old Britalin Vasquez at the hands of her mother, Donica Vasquez, and stepfather, Oswaldo Eduardo Chan. Molina’s investigation spanned from Oct. 24, 2018, to Oct. 1, 2019, when the case was yanked from him and turned over to Detective Pedro Yanez.
Yanez closed the case in 44 days, submitting it to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Nov. 13, 2019. Prosecutors subsequently filed felony child abuse charges against Chan and Vasquez.
Britalin Vasquez, now 4, suffered bone fractures and burns, a district attorney’s spokeswoman said. Chan and Donica Vasquez will next appear in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pomona for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 9.
Meanwhile, the administrative investigation was launched into Molina’s handling of the case. Although he was allowed to return to the force after 19 months off the job, he was reassigned as a patrol officer. The administrative investigation is still pending arbitration, according to sources close to the case.
A bad joke?
Some POA members took issue with Molina’s selection as Officer of the Year, which is given in recognition of “exemplary service.” In total, 10 union members voted for him, according to POA members and emails on file with the city obtained by the Southern California News Group. Among those supporting him was a majority of the union’s seven-member board — Walterscheid, Detectives Mark Gonzalez and Brian Glick and Officer Ronald Danison.Walterscheid, Gonzalez, Danison, Glick and the union’s attorney, Kimberly Riley, did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Molina also did not respond to a request for comment.
Some believe Molina was tapped as Officer of the Year as a bad joke — possibly to embarrass Police Chief David Reynoso, who was hired as the city’s top cop in April 2015. Reynoso declined to comment for this story.
“I feel (Molina) received the votes as a joke or a way to send a message of dissatisfaction,” Sgt. Jimmie Pitts said in an email sent to the entire City Council the night before the June 29 council meeting. He implored the council to pull the agenda item, feeling it would be a “disservice to the members of the EMPOA, the City Council and city residents if the awards ceremony moved forward.”
“If the public or media learned that the City Council publicly recognized a police officer who did not work a single day in 2020, but was paid his full salary for the entire year, it could bring unneeded negative attention to our EMPOA, City and Police Department,” Pitts said in his email.
According to information provided by the city and Police Department, Molina received more than $205,000 in monetary compensation and benefits during his 19-month leave.
Mayor refuses to cancel ceremony
Mayor Jessica Ancona, who is endorsed by the police union, had placed the awards recognition ceremony on the City Council agenda for the June meeting after the union’s traditional awards ceremony, which usually occurs in December at its annual Christmas party, was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.After receiving Pitts’ email the night before the meeting, City Councilman Martin Herrera reached out to Ancona the following morning via text, asking her how she planned to deal with the matter. Ancona refused to pull the agenda item, despite Herrera’s concerns.
“They have invited family members and ordered a cake. If you have enough votes to pull the item, I suggest you contact the CM (city manager) immediately so that her office can inform the EMPOA,” Ancona said in her text message to Herrera. “I sent this item over to staff on or about June 17th. That gave them 11-12 days to address the item. Nobody expressed concerns.”
Herrera was astonished by Ancona’s response.
“She essentially told me if I have enough votes to pull the item to do that. That would have to be done at the council meeting in front of all those officers and their families, which was frustrating,” Herrera said in a telephone interview.
Essentially, Ancona claimed her hands were tied.
“My colleagues have made it clear that it takes three votes to place action items or remove items from the agenda once posted, so I was simply following the rules they are imposing on me,” Ancona said.
Herrera said he received a telephone call from Detective Gonzalez a few hours after his text exchange with Ancona the day of the council meeting, and Gonzalez told him “there would be a lot of angry police and families” if he pulled the item. Herrera said he interpreted that as a threat.
Gonzalez did not respond to a request for comment.
‘Affront to city administration’
“(Molina) did not perform anything in 2020, so how does he get awarded when there were other deserving officers,” Herrera said. “I think it’s an affront to the city administration and to the council itself. I think the board is being antagonistic, just to be contrary to the city manager and police chief. Why else would they do something like this?”Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio even prepared a certificate of recognition for Molina, which was presented to him by one of her aides during the meeting. She said she was unaware of Molina’s history at the department in the last three years.
She said in a statement that her office routinely provides certificates and awards to public servants in her district to commemorate their service to the community.
“As a state legislator, our office is not privy to ongoing, internal investigations regarding city employees,” Rubio said in her statement. “It is concerning that something like this would happen, and I would urge Mayor Ancona to exercise better judgment while conducting official city business.”
California cop named ‘Officer of the Year’ didn’t work a single day in 2020
Detective Carlos Molina was placed on administrative leave for 19 months while the city investigated his handling of a yearlong child abuse investigation that went nowhere.
www.mercurynews.com
The next year, they gave it to me when I was already at 82+% DGAF (not because I didn't get the "award" the prior year) and I had a hard time feigning appreciation for that hollow-ass, meaningless recognition. 
