Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsJoy Addison Residents at a senior living complex near Jacinto City say a recent surge in crime has left them terrified to leave their homes — and they’re pleading for immediate action and even tire theft have become common occurrences The Houston Police Department confirms that 5 thefts and burglaries have happened at The Villas on Woodforest since January making the damage not only frightening but financially devastating “I’m scared for my life,” said resident Maria Romo “I’m afraid I’m going to get raped or murdered — or that one of my friends will We can’t afford to fix our cars or repair the damage done by burglars.” Photos shared by tenants show shattered car windows and signs of forced entry One resident reported their vehicle was stolen just last week The Harris County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office has increased patrols in the area to support Houston Police Department efforts “We’ve written up a special watch,” said Constable Jerry Garcia “We have extra units patrolling day and night What this complex really needs is on-site security.” Residents and the Constable’s Office are now urging property management to hire 24-hour security to protect the vulnerable population management acknowledged the concerns and said they are “looking into what can be done,” but did not confirm whether security personnel would be hired Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved Joy Addison joined the KPRC 2 News team in November of 2024 She is a native Mississippian and moved to Houston in 2019 TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Meet the Team Careers at KPRC Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 Click2Houston.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group 2024 at 4:22 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}San Jacinto City Councilman Brian Hawkins (City of San Jacinto)RIVERSIDE COUNTY CA — Prosecution testimony began Monday in the trial of a San Jacinto City Council member accused of abusing his son and daughter of Banning is charged with two counts of child endangerment in connection with the alleged 2023 offenses and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Francisco Navarro ordered the panel to return to the Riverside Hall of Justice Monday for the start of testimony by witnesses for the government According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, on the afternoon of July 2, 2023 the defendant went to his ex-wife's residence in San Jacinto to retrieve his 10-year-old son identified only as "E.H.," and his 11-year-old daughter identified only as "N.F.," and both children expressed a desire to remain with their mother rather than going on the obligatory custody visit with their dad The children did not like joining him because he lived with his mother "The defendant threatened to beat both of the kids," the brief stated When the children continued to resist leaving with him stated her father grabbed her arm aggressively with one hand "She estimated the defendant strangled her for approximately three seconds she had bruising on her thigh from the defendant forcefully grabbing her." his father allegedly "picked up a belt from the floor and hit him with the non-buckle side to his lower back," according to the brief Hawkins left the house without the children who informed him she had called 911 and "law enforcement was on its way and he needed to leave," the narrative said Deputies spoke to the children and had them examined physically after which they determined there was sufficient evidence to warrant an arrest Hawkins was taken into custody without incident he "denied choking (his daughter)," according to the brief "He agreed that the fact he left a mark or marks on his son's body is reasonable to believe he used excessive force," the document stated Court records show the defendant has prior convictions for grand theft and auto theft he said he "is fully committed to cooperating with the legal process to ensure a fair and just resolution." He released a statement at the time that said he "believes in the fundamental principle of innocent until proven guilty" and urged the public "to withhold judgment until all the facts are presented and evaluated by the legal system." (Read his full statement below.*) Hawkins was elected to the San Jacinto City Council in 2020 and served through 2024 Hawkins made an unsuccessful bid for Congress as a Republican against Rep Hawkins filed papers to run for Congress in 2024 as a Democrat against Rep In 2023, Hawkins was at a Temecula Valley Unified School District meeting amid a heated discussion about critical race theory. He allegedly came to the aid of a young Black student. Read more here In 2022, Hawkins spoke to Patch about gun violence. Read more here *Read Hawkins' full statement released July 12 wishes to address the recent allegations made against him Councilman Hawkins acknowledges the seriousness of these allegations and assures the public that he is fully committed to cooperating with the legal process to ensure a fair and just resolution He deeply values the trust bestowed upon him by his constituents and the entire community Councilman Hawkins understands the sensitivity of the situation and the importance of protecting the privacy of those involved he remains resolute in his commitment to the well-being of all children Councilman Hawkins believes in the fundamental principle of innocent until proven guilty and urges the public to withhold judgment until all the facts are presented and evaluated by the legal system and respect for the privacy of all parties involved —City News Service contributed to this report Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. the San Jacinto City Council majority appointed one of their members as the new 2025 mayor of the city at its Jan Voting in a new method to appoint the yearly city mayor the council in a 4 to 1 vote moved to appoint council member Valerie Vandever as its new mayor for the 2025 calendar year with council member Alonso Ledezma as the city’s Mayor Pro-Tem The mayoral appointment followed an announcement by Mayor Phil Ayala who told residents attending the meeting that new security measures at the council meetings have been put in place “For the safety of everyone who attends or participates in our city council meetings it is of the utmost importance” seeing that the council meetings are “a cornerstone of our democracy” for meaningful debate He pointed out that at the last city council meeting during some strong debate and accusations between several council members an incident took place where a member of the audience rose rushing to the dais in a hostile manner to confront a council member for those who might have witnessed the last council meeting there have been growing concerns about public safety “Reports of hostile behavior and visually and physically witnessing it have actually been brought up by our constituents that [feel it is] unsafe for our council members and the public This is not only deeply troubling and unacceptable in a democratic society it is vital to remember that city council meetings are a form of constructive discussion harassment or intimidation have no place in these chambers or communities whatsoever.” Ayala said specific action was taking place and to protect everyone present here tonight we are taking specific action That means we’re are doing enhanced security measures – which you might have noticed those – where behaviorable expectations not only those for our council members but for the constituents who are watching us tonight but in continued reinforcement of ongoing training policies for our council members and also bringing public information to the public as well But also bringing public awareness to make sure we are all safe.” prioritizing safety does not mean that every community member does not have a right to express their concerns but this must be done in a manner that respects the safety of others We are committed to fostering a secure environment where all voices can be heard without fear of arrest.” He admitted that what happened at the last council meeting The evening continued with no further unwarranted behavior by both the five council members and the audience Several motions were made approving or keeping the way a mayor is appointed in the city each year with the final vote giving Vandever the Mayor’s seat and Ledezma as mayor pro tem New council member Clarisa Sanchez gave her approval in the voting to those appointments The mayoral appointment and announcement followed weeks of sometimes controversial intercouncil arguments and near physical abuse by a council meeting participant over how and who should be appointed the city’s newest mayor The discussion to possibly change the city’s current method of appointing the latest mayor began on October 15 with four out of five council members participating Council member Ledezma was absent on an emergency leave that night While the city’s mayoral position holds only one vote on issues like all the other council members he or she leads the night’s meeting agenda Both Ledezma and council member Crystal Ruiz have been on the council the longest with both holding the mayoral position more than once and were no longer in line for the 2025 mayoral position at that time the council heard of a recommended drainage improvement project on Warren Road between Cottonwood and the Ramona Expressway where flooding due to heavy rainstorms had taken place in the past The location of the recommended repair was shown and why the problem existed which could become worse in the future if it wasn’t repaired The council was satisfied the repair should be made and approved a contract with the lowest bidding construction firm Wright Construction Engineering for a sum of $331,750 with $43,127.50 for administration and testing along with a 15% ($49,762) construction contingency in the event of emergencies or unexpected costs Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com The Valley News is made up of local residents dedicated to keeping our communities up-to-date with local issues Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal NewsBrittany Taylor JACINTO CITY Texas – A man is behind bars after a stabbing incident left his wife and another man dead according to the Jacinto City Police Department has been charged with capital murder for the stabbing death of his wife located in the 10300 block of Flaxman Street police found Stephanie and Randall suffering from multiple stab wounds Randall was pronounced dead at the scene and Stephanie was rushed to Ben Taub hospital in critical condition where she was pronounced dead The suspect had left the scene before officers arrived but after a few leads Jesse was located and taken into custody in the 16000 block of Wallisville Road He was captured by a Jacinto City detective with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Harris County Constable’s Pct Jessie admitted to stabbing Stephanie and then fatally stabbing Randall who tried to step in to protect Stephanie Police said the assault happened in front of four of Stephanie’s five children Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved University of Houston alumna and Houston-native The purchase of a real time center to support the city’s FLOCK license plate reader cameras and the sale of a small piece of city land was the main subject of the August 21 The council also heard an appeal from cannabis dispensary owners to lower the taxes and fees to prevent them from closing their businesses The latter issue by the cannabis dispensary owners was made during public comments on non-agenda items that evening limited to three minutes which could not be responded to by the council members that evening The city contracted San Jacinto Sheriff’s Department and requested $91,500 to implement a Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) to provide their deputies with the ability to capitalize on a wide and expanding range of technologies for efficient and effective policing The FLOCK cameras in the city allow law enforcement officers to respond quickly to crimes in progress or to those that recently occurred The technologies available in a Real Time Crime Center allow law enforcement agencies and officers to respond to crime events more efficiently The center can deliver more critical and timely information to the appropriate constituencies (the officers or detectives on-scene after determining from the sheriff’s office the center would not interfere with the current civil rights laws on privacy acting as the San Jacinto Housing Authority authorized a purchase and sale agreement of a small piece of land at 239 W doing business as San Jacinto Family & Urgent Care who operates a medical clinic on the adjacent property Ashok is making the purchase to expand his clinic into a community clinic which would provide free medical services as a licensed community health center During the public comment section of the meeting four owners of cannabis dispensaries took the microphone to appeal to the council and the city to lower its current cannabis sales taxes and fees that threaten to force the closure of their businesses charge 15 cents for every dollar in sales and other city county and state taxes taking more than 50 cents from every dollar in their gross receipts While the dispensaries have been operating for a number of years in the city their cost of continuing operations of legal dispensaries in the city is becoming unsustainable according to the owners the Budology owner and owner of other businesses in San Jacinto before the council said “we cannot continue our businesses because of the city ordinances.” (Concerning the operation of a cannabis dispensary) She said unless the city can change their ordinances soon the closing of their businesses could cost the city nearly $3 million in revenue She added the neighboring city of Hemet and other cities in the state are cutting their cannabis dispensary business operating fees California itself charges the dispensaries 15% of every dollar they receive in retail sales Adding up all San Jacintos cannabis dispensary operational fees the city charges are higher than most other cities in the state She pleaded for the council to work with the dispensary owners to reduce some of the fees so they could stay in the city Because of the Brown Act the council could not immediately respond to the dispensary owners request that evening Tony Ault can be reached via email at tault@reedermedia.com San Jacinto’s four legal cannabis dispensaries won their first step on possibly having the San Jacinto City Council The dispensaries have provided the City of San Jacinto nearly 5% of their annual General Fund revenue in the past four years with nearly $3 million expected this year The dispensaries for the past six months or more have shown that since California raised their annual excise rate to 15% just recently to continue in paying the city’s 15% on top of that plus their other labor security and more is making it almost impossible to stay open resulting in laying off employees and continue paying the 15 cents on every dollar in retail sales their employees and others during public on and off the agenda comments asked the council to consider decreasing the city’s 15% tax down to 7% or lower so they could stay in business in the city Others criticized the council members for their behavior toward each other and possible domestic crimes In the three-minute public comments sessions the council members are not normally allowed to answer questions or respond to the public As both the public comment time on the night’s agenda items and other off the agenda items lasted for almost two hours three Riverside Sheriff’s Deputies carefully watched the proceedings At least one officer is always assigned to city council meetings offering safety to the council on non-agenda items criticized the council for often “bashing each other” on the dais (in early September) when they should be considering the issues in the community instead “It’s horrendous,” and “get your ____ together.”… You should quit,” he added alleged Council Member Brian Hawkins should not be on the council since he is facing previous criminal charges and is awaiting a court date and trial on those matters He said he had been arrested in 2023 on alleged felony child abuse charges and is going to trial on the matter December 3 Hawkins indicated those charges have been dropped “He should step down until the court trial is over.” Several city council candidates introduced themselves to the council and another sought help for her efforts in helping her to house those who are homeless on the streets The discussion and direction to staff on the cannabis tax rates was placed at item 4.2 on the agenda that evening leaving the council to decide on keeping the tax rate of 15% as it is or to take action to reduce it for the four cannabis dispensaries in town led the discussion with information about how the citizens voted to allow the cultivation of marijuana in the city in 2016 Later they agreed to allow dispensaries for both medical and recreational cannabis sales in the city with a 15% tax rate on each dollar that includes a pro forma clause for three years which was set in June 2019 She showed how much revenue that had come to the city from that 15% tax which increased to nearly $3 million this fiscal year or an average of about $420,000 per fiscal year Then she offered how much would be lost if the 15% tax would be reduced from 10% down to about 7% Mayor Phil Ayala acknowledged that since then costs have changed due to inflation.” He said because of the change the cannabis businesses are suffering The city attorney said the rate could be reduced if the dispensaries showed they can no longer operate as a profitable business at this time since the pro forma agreement initially made by the cannabis dispensary owners has expired the discussion continued with more than a dozen dispensary owners customers and other interested parties looking to have the tax reduced Four written comments were read with three residents in opposition and one in favor of reducing the tax rate presented the council with documents showing how the city’s tax rate was the highest in the state and county and what rates the other cities in the county had have prospered even more in their general fund revenues some cities put a cap on how many new dispensaries could locate in their city which she said should also be considered at a later date She said the decision the city makes that night whether to change the current tax rate or reduce it may cost the city its current dispensaries and result in “having the city get zero revenue or reduce it to the recommended 7%”… to still have some nearly 275 people employed at the dispensaries Supporting her argument she provided a petition signed by 217 people in just hours who also supported lowering the city’s dispensary tax and set a cap on the number of new dispensaries settling in the city “We just want to pay our employees; it’s really not a big deal,” she said which was recently signed by Governor Brown would prevent cities from taxing gross cannabis receipts (over the counter) before the firm’s expenses The state also receives 15% of cannabis dispensary sales statewide It was the first time the council heard of the new bill and needed to review it Following the long public comment session the council made its decision to direct staff to prepare a resolution to amend the cannabis tax rates to be presented before the end of 2024 when a new city council is sworn in Councilmember Hawkins and Councilmember Crystal Ruiz voted in favor of the motion with Councilmember Alonso Ledezma voting against it said she was 50-50 on keeping the rate the same but decided to see what the staff proposes in their recommendations and learn more about the issue Hawkins similarly said more should be researched about the effect on the city budget of dropping the rate and would hear the staff recommendations before making a final decision Ledezma said he voted against the measure in what he thought was the sentiment of the entire community from past discussions with residents who generally opposed any cannabis dispensaries the council approved the plans to construct a $560,000 prefabricated Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliant and sewered restroom at Mistletoe Park by Cora Construction Inc. There was some discussion about the cost of the restroom by members of the council and several in public comments but it received the approval of the Improvement Project and will be financed from American Rescue Plans and other grants at little cost to the city The council also adopted a number of required development code amendments as presented by the City Planning Commission The council plans to come back with more discussion about how the city mayor is being appointed at the next regular meeting to determine if it should be changed Here is a summary of the winners from the November 5 President and Vice President: ​  Riverside County votes only United States Senator Full Term: ​ Riverside County votes only United States Senator Partial/Unexpired: ​ Riverside County results only These stories are curated and posted by Valley News editorial staff members San Jacinto is “A Lifestyle Worth Living” according to Mayor Phil Ayala who addressed hundreds of guests at the annual San Jacinto State of the City address on Thursday Ayala was delighted to introduce his guests that included other city officials members of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians The gala evening included an executive dinner wines and desserts prepared and served by the Maze Stone’s chefs and staff In his review of the City of San Jacinto’s progress in the past year and in previous years he emphasized the city of 58,000 residents has seen amazing growth with no end in sight The most significant increases in services came in the economic theater with $1 million in new real estate coming into the 106-year-old city expansion and use of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services San Jacinto campus high levels of education with a 94.5% high school graduation rate cited added city employment including new firefighters and police officers and improving relationships with the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians have all added to the city’s gains over time He said he is “very proud” of the city that is in “strong financial standing” with the City Reserve Funds with up to $14.5 million in the past two fiscal years adding to the general fund balance He outlined the city’s six strategic priorities: increasing business revenues and continued positive relationships with the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians In the future he said the city is looking to see a new Main Street city hall an event business center with outside amphitheater and lighting a major shopping center at the southwest corner of State Street and Ramona Avenue a KPC development on the northwest corner of the Ramona Expressway with hotel shopping and a medical office building and senior living complex A pre-application has been submitted for three new hotels at State St and a light industrial center north of Palm Ave. He said there is also “something [special] in the works but I am going to keep that secret for a while.” He added that a 12-acre sports facility park and concert center is also being considered for the future At the conclusion of the State of the City address Ayala asked the audience to take time out to remember the late city councilman and mayor Russ Utz who died in 2023 He called up longtime City Councilman Alonso Ledezma to honor him with a Key to the City for his 10 years of service on the city council He also recognized a city firefighter and a police officer with new “Excellence in Service” awards from the city for their valiant deeds in saving and protecting the lives of others San Jacinto City Manager Robert Johnson started the State of the City program with introductions and names of the sponsors followed by the Presentation of the Colors made by the San Jacinto Valley Academy Military Explorers Post 111 Color Guard introduced by Councilmember Crystal Ruiz Councilmember Brian Hawkins led the invocation with Ledezma giving the Pledge of Allegiance and introducing San Jacinto Police Chief Capt Burton and CalFire Division Chief Dan Olson Mayor Pro Tem Valerie Vandever introduced Gifi Vega from the San Jacinto Valley Academy choir to sing the national anthem Ayala from the California Army National Guard proudly introduced her father as the main speaker 2024 at 1:08 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(Google Map Photo)MENIFEE CA — Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman was expected to speak Thursday about ongoing infrastructure projects and honor local figures in the municipality's State of the City address which includes the city's Chamber of Commerce as a partner Jacinto College's Menifee satellite campus This year's iteration of the annual address carries the theme "Hometown of Heroes," intended to highlight the contributions of local first responders Jacinto College] last year was a tremendous success and provided the perfect opportunity for our residents to hear from their City leaders firsthand," said Zimmerman in a statement "We are grateful to have such a great working relationship with the college and thank them for allowing us another opportunity to host our community at their state-of-the-art stadium." More information about the event can be found at www.cityofmenifee.us/stateofthecity National statistical reports are showing many cannabis facilities are losing their businesses because of low demand and high tax rates The closure of such facilities have taken place while other dispensaries in other Southern California county areas are reporting record sales Some economists have reported that in 2021 California’s marijuana and cannabis sales peaked but sales since then have been “Coasting at a lethargic and slightly downward trajectory Many of the Riverside County and local city’s cannabis facilities have been in business since shortly after the drug was declared legal by the State of California for limited uses like private security and employee wages have made the licensed cannabis businesses difficult to maintain with very little profit Such has been the case for the Culture Cannabis Club the only dispensary in the private community of Canyon Lake less than a year after opening in September of 2023 reported on social media that we are announcing the closure of Culture Cannabis Club in Canyon Lake “Despite our high hopes and the initial enthusiasm for legal cannabis in the area Even with the city’s efforts to reduce the operational costs and we faced insurmountable financial challenges.” it was reported out of the San Jacinto City Council meeting on August 20 that Fatima Rahman owner of a legal and licensed cannabis store and three other San Jacinto dispensary owners were about to close their businesses in the city before the end of September because of the high taxes could cost the city up to $4 million in revenue each year Not to mention the illegal and black market dispensaries still operating in the area who would benefit Rahman said she was willing to work with the city to reduce some of the taxes the owner of other cannabis operations and businesses in the city including a cannabis cultivation farm and body shop audio business was satisfied with the tax and fees placed on that part of her enterprises but she was having to borrow money from those operations just to keep her dispensaries open She also pointed out that the neighboring city of Hemet reduced some of their fees which are now lower than San Jacinto which has higher cannabis taxes and fees than any other in the state She adds the California tax and county taxes that already charge more than 15% of her dispensaries’ gross sales “I just can’t stay in business,” she argued it was reported that an increasing number of county and local elected officials across the state are acknowledging a longtime cannabis industry grievance – that legal cannabis taxes are too high – and cutting local levies on retail They contend that the legal cannabis market is simply just too expensive and law enforcement thus far has not been able to punish the illicit markets out of existence They reported some cities have actually dropped all their local taxes on the dispensaries and other cannabis facilities the state levies a 15% excise tax on cannabis sales that is paid by consumers and remitted to retailers Riverside County does not charge a cannabis sales tax while the state sales tax is now at 7.75% which is often increased by local city voter approved one-cent sales taxes San Jacinto is one of those cities that has a voter approved one-cent sales tax added to the state’s sales tax San Jacinto charges 15 cents for each $1 of gross receipts for cannabis retail sales transport and other commercial activity and $5 per square foot for outdoor cultivation of cannabis The rates are subject to adjustment by the City Council who are hearing the dispensary owners’ pleas San Jacinto Mayor Phil Ayala indicated a cannabis fee discussion may be placed on the City Council Agenda at the end of September or first week of October Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com shortly before getting the COVID-19 vaccine Texas (KTRK) -- A beloved Jacinto City Elementary School crossing guard has died months after falling ill to the COVID-19 virus the family of Norma Mendez confirmed her death to ABC13's Steve Campion Mendez recently died and was laid to rest over the weekend We first introduced you to Mendez's story in July when she marked 48 days of being attached to a ventilator Loved ones said the 58-year-old was diagnosed in May shortly before she planned to get the COVID-19 vaccine doctors admitted her to Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital At the time of Mendez's hospitalization doctors told her family that the next course of medical care remained unclear after the virus left her lungs scarred and weak The video above is from a previous report when Norma Mendez was in a medically induced coma Texas (KTRK) -- A beloved Jacinto City Elementary School crossing guard remains in a medically induced coma after a COVID-19 diagnosis left lasting damage to her body The family of Norma Mendez said Thursday marked 48 days that their loved one has been attached to a ventilator Doctors told Mendez's family that the next course of medical care remains unclear after the virus left her lungs scarred and weak SEE ALSO: Breakthrough COVID cases: Doctor explains your chances of contracting virus after vaccination Mendez's family told ABC13 they refuse to give up on her Family members and friends of Mendez have a nightly prayer on social media with the hashtag #PrayForNorma "We're not going to give up," said her daughter Natalie Mendez because she's not going to give up." SEE ALSO: Harris Co.'s COVID threat level raised from yellow to orange in midst of latest spike 2018Whataburger manager delivers to local PDJACINTO CITY Texas (KTRK) -- It doesn't get any more Texas than this A local Whataburger showed their support for law enforcement in the most Texas way possible The Jacinto City Police Department posted a photo on social media of Chief Joe Ayala shaking hands with the fast food restaurant manager The department said that earlier this month the Whataburger location on North Wayside provided food and coupons for their officers The crimes were committed while Lopez Deanda Lopez Deanda admitted charges of conspiracy and maintaining an unlawful marijuana facility — both felonies — as well as selling cannabis without a permit and failure to file a sales and use tax return with the state The plea was during a status hearing at the Banning Justice Center and was made directly to Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst Not one of the charges for which Lopez Deanda was indicted was dismissed He was immediately sentenced to one year in jail and five years probation Lopez Deanda also pleaded guilty Wednesday to inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/co-inhabitant criminal death/great bodily injury threats and assault with a deadly weapon (non-firearm) to cause great bodily injury — all felonies He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/co-inhabitant The domestic violence incidents took place July 31 in Los Angeles according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Further information about the abuse was unavailable While serving on the San Jacinto City Council in 2019 came under investigation after evidence surfaced that they had been operating a cannabis shop alternately called "Santa Fe Co-Op," "Santa Fe Collective," and "Santa Fe." The pair also hired others to help run the illicit dispensary The indictment stated that the men "placed cannabis or THC products for sale in display cases," and that they "sold cannabis or THC products .. A mobile delivery service was also utilized The amount of money collected from the operation was not specified It was also unclear exactly when the illicit business was shut down Lopez Deanda was arrested on June 10 in connection with the drug investigation but posted $100,000 bail the same day and was released Padilla was taken into custody a few days later and also posted bond and three remaining counts under his indictment were dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors who had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County Lopez Deanda had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County Lopez Deanda was elected to his first term on the San Jacinto City Council in November 2018 his four colleagues on the council voted to remove him from his seat for lack of participation in a 90-day period He was replaced by Councilman Michael Heath A San Jacinto city councilmember and former candidate for a congressional district that includes the Coachella Valley was arrested on suspicion of child abuse Sunday who currently serves on the San Jacinto City Council is being held Tuesday at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on four felony counts of assault with great bodily injury and child abuse charges Hawkins was arrested Sunday at a residence in the 400 block of Mistletoe Avenue in San Jacinto after deputies were dispatched there to a domestic incident The department said in a release that Hawkins "committed an assault on two children at the location," but did not provide further details Criminal charges have not been filed with the Riverside County Superior Court Hawkins ran for the 25th Congressional District seat, which includes the Coachella Valley, in 2022, but lost against incumbent Rep. Raul Ruiz. Hawkins had also announced his intention to challenge Rep. Ken Calvert for the 41st Congressional District in next year's election Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More HOUSTON — Gunfire at two separate Houston-area birthday parties this weekend resulted in two people being fatally shot and three others being injured Saturday at a party celebrating a woman’s 21st birthday Around 50 people had attended the party at a home in Jacinto City 30 — were shot and taken to local hospitals two young men lost their lives at a birthday party for what we’re looking at is probably over just some petty verbal altercation,” Ritchie said Gonzalez said investigators are still trying to determine if the two victims were partygoers or if they were passersby who were shot by those at the party That will be a part of our investigation that’s ongoing at this point,” Gonzalez said people at an apartment complex in west Houston were having a birthday party Saturday night when a neighbor began complaining to them about the loud music The third time the neighbor came over to complain at around 1:30 a.m The suspect discharged the firearm several times into the air,” Riley said “They were able to wrestle that firearm away from him and they closed the door.” got another gun and went back and started firing through a backdoor of the apartment another man was shot in the leg and a woman was grazed by gunfire All three were taken to local hospitals in stable condition Police on Sunday searched for several suspects Show Breaking News BarCloseNewsSophia Beausoleil Texas – A former Jacinto City Little League president is accused of stealing $17,000 from the organization Jacinto City police arrested Christopher Vasquez on Tuesday afternoon at Hobby Airport after he flew back to Houston from California I don't think he expected to see me there at the airport," said Sgt Silva said Coca-Cola wrote a check for $16,908 to the league in September 2017 Police claim Vasquez cashed the check and signed it himself "It is a terrible thing to steal from children but to steal this amount of money from children As he was being transported to the Harris County Jail by Jacinto City police Big misunderstanding with Coca-Cola and San Jacinto Little League You know there's a lot going on and for them to not accept the check." Police said the league had tried to get the money from Vasquez for months Vasquez told KPRC that he has a cashier’s check for the league and he was coming back to Houston to give them the check he had plenty of time to give it back and he didn’t,” Silva said who became the league president in October found “discrepancies regarding property and finances.” The court record went on to state there was missing baseball equipment and missing sponsor money with nothing in the bank records to support deposits The court documents also state there were numerous purchases by Vasquez that were not authorized and money was spent from the JCLL for items not related to the league Vasquez is currently on probation for a criminal mischief charge Court records show the former president stole turf from a business along Tomball Parkway in 2016 Copyright 2018 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Texas to parents Marcelo Francisco Garcia and Maria Esperanza Arias Garcia Jessica was a lifelong resident of Channelview the EDGE Catechist and for some time she served on the Parish Committee She was a former employee of the Texas Children’s Hospital Pharmacy spending time with family and spreading God’s word Isaiah Andrew Garza and Roman Eloy Garza; sister Socorro Denise Gonzales and husband Adam; sister-in-law Sunday evening at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home Chapel Andrew Catholic Church in Channelview under the direction of Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton Interment will follow at Magnolia Park Cemetery in Dayton Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors 2023 at 5:54 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Brian Eugene Hawkins (Riverside County Sheriff's Dept.)SAN JACINTO CA — A San Jacinto City Council member arrested earlier this month in Lake Elsinore and charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse/endangerment released a statement Wednesday that stressed his "commitment to the well-being of all children." acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and said "he is fully committed to cooperating with the legal process to ensure a fair and just resolution." Hawkins pleaded not guilty to the charges on July 6 at Banning Justice Center and is next due to appear in court Aug the council member said he "believes in the fundamental principle of innocent until proven guilty" and urged the public "to withhold judgment until all the facts are presented and evaluated by the legal system." (Read his full statement below.*) Hawkins was arrested July 2 at Hibiscus Lane in Lake Elsinore and booked on suspicion of multiple felony child abuse charges Hawkins was released from custody in lieu of $5,000 bail He was jailed at Riverside's Robert Presley Detention Center with bail initially set at $200,000 before the felony charges were dropped he was found guilty on four counts of felony petty/grand auto theft and he had prior convictions The latest Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into Hawkins began at 12:39 p.m July 2 when the agency's dispatch center received a call about a domestic incident at a home in the 400 block of Mistletoe Avenue in San Jacinto Hawkins allegedly assaulted two children at the residence The department did not disclose Hawkins' relationship The city of San Jacinto released a statement about the arrest "As this is an ongoing criminal investigation the City of San Jacinto is unable to provide further details or comment on the matter at this time; however The city has agreed to assist in the investigation should assistance be requested," the city announcement read Hawkins was elected to the City Council in 2020 The next City Council meeting is scheduled July 18 Earlier this year, Hawkins was at a Temecula Valley Unified School District meeting amid a heated discussion about critical race theory. He allegedly came to the aid of a young Black student. Read more here Last year, Hawkins spoke to Patch about gun violence. Read more here Former San Jacinto City Councilman Joel Lopez pleaded guilty Wednesday to operating an illegal cannabis shop in the city and was immediately sentenced to one year in jail and five years' probation admitted charges of conspiracy and maintaining an unlawful marijuana facility — both felonies — as well as selling cannabis without a permit and failure to file a sales and use tax return with the state without input from the District Attorney's Office and the three remaining counts under his indictment were dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors According to the district attorney's office the defendants came under investigation in 2019 after evidence surfaced that they had been operating a cannabis shop The pair also hired others to help run the illicit dispensary at 1190 S It was unclear exactly when it was shut down Lopez was arrested June 10 but posted bail the same day and was released Lopez had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County He was elected to his first term in November 2018 his four colleagues on the San Jacinto City Council voted to remove him from his seat for lack of participation in a 90-day period CA — A San Jacinto City Council member arrested in Lake Elsinore over the weekend on suspicion of abusing two children remained jailed early Wednesday afternoon was being held in lieu of $200,000 bail at Riverside's Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of two counts each of assault with great bodily injury and corporal punishment of a child Formal charges were expected to be filed by Thursday The street is located in a residential community off Railroad Canyon Road A Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into Hawkins began earlier in the day at 12:39 p.m when the agency's dispatch center received a call about a domestic incident at a home in the 400 block of Mistletoe Avenue in San Jacinto Hawkins was not the only City Council member to be arrested over the weekend: Riverside City Council member Clarissa Cervantes was taken into custody Saturday on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence The 32-year-old Cervantes was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at around 1:20 a.m Saturday on Eighth Street and Interstate 10 in Banning I made an irresponsible decision that I deeply regret and the residents of the district that I represent," Cervantes said in a statement provided to the Southern California News Group Smith Correctional Facility on $5,000 bail and was released the same day which includes the campus of UC Riverside and Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park Last September, Cervantes filed a libel lawsuit against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco over comments he made on social media about her alleges that the sheriff's comments were false and caused “immense harm” to Cervantes’ reputation Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Raul Ruiz was comfortably defeating a Republican challenger but The Associated Press declared Ruiz the winner Wednesday afternoon His margin over Brian Hawkins was 61% to 39% with updated vote totals scheduled to be released later Wednesday by the registrars in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties The 25th Congressional District includes parts of those counties and all of Imperial County Ruiz will continue representing many Coachella Valley residents in Congress is a San Jacinto city councilmember and pastor who defeated a crowded field of Republicans in the primary to advance to the general election Redistricting split the Coachella Valley into two congressional districts Indio, Coachella and far east valley going in the new 25th District who has represented the entire valley since 2013 decided to seek re-election there instead of the new 41st District citing his roots being raised in Coachella Democrats hold a significant advantage in the district with 44% of registered voters compared to 27% for Republicans received 56.4% of the vote to Hawkins' 16.4% The six Republicans running totaled 43.6% of the vote In an interview as the first results came in Tuesday Ruiz said he was excited about the results in his race and nationwide with Democrats faring better than expected “I think the initial prognosis of a lot of Democratic losses throughout the nation has not come to fruition,” he said “A lot of tossup races are going toward Democrats Ruiz also said he was looking forward to continuing bipartisan and "pragmatic" work to strengthen Medicare and Social Security; lower costs for basics like groceries and gas; and expand health care access Ruiz's platform also includes more funding to protect the environment His website highlights his vote to bar insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and a successful effort he led to provide benefits to veterans affected by burn pits Ruiz's website says he also prioritizes women's economic security and has fought for equal pay for equal work expanding paid family leave and sick leave and increasing affordable childcare.  Those priorities have little overlap with the six listed by Hawkins on his website which include school safety and the border Hawkins wrote that he proposes automatic life sentences for anyone who "uses a gun in violence towards another human being." He also says illegal immigration is harming the nation's economy and fueling drug smuggling and human trafficking so immigration agencies need to have "as much support and updated technology as possible." Hawkins highlighted what he described as historic low rainfall levels "Where is the conversation about water conservation projects His website also highlights the importance of fighting high gas prices and inflation although it doesn't say what his solutions are.  "How long will congress allow the poor and middle class to suffer while they get rich?" Hawkins wrote Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the City of Palm Springs Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and via email at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com Show Breaking News BarCloseNewsPublished: March 21 Texas – The 17-year-old accused of shooting and wounding two Jacinto City police officers openly complained about one of those officers at a public meeting earlier this month Jacinto City police said Edgar Omar Cuellar shot Lt Jennifer Simpson-Castenada when they went to his home in the 10400 block of North Oswego about 6 p.m on Wednesday to talk to him about a shooting that happened on Tuesday Detectives said Cuellar fired shots that damaged a Harris County Sheriff's Office patrol car Investigators said Cuellar's relatives tried to stop him from doing anything rash they held him down because he wanted to leave out the back door as the officers walked in " Jacinto City Police Chief Joe Ayala said he reached for his waistband and pulled out his pistol and started firing." Walker was shot in the chest and flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital Police said his bulletproof vest likely saved his life Simpson-Castenada was shot in the arm and was taken to Lyndon B Cuellar barricaded himself inside the home and held a SWAT team at bay for hours Officers shot Cuellar in the leg and then took him into custody Police said his injuries were considered non-life-threatening called for a federal investigation into the Jacinto City Police Department "Several families have contacted me saying they believe they were being targeted victims of racial profiling because they were immigrants," Quanell X said Quanell X hosted a town hall meeting with about 100 people present The meeting was designed to allow residents to air grievances against the police department in a public forum Quanell X said he specifically recalled Cuellar at the meeting "I remember that young man standing up and speaking out about officer Walker He came with members of his family," Quanell X said Ayala said he was aware of the meeting and released a statement following the gathering Part of it read: "There have not been any complaints of racial profiling There is no police department corruption to my knowledge or pending reports of police brutality," the chief wrote Full Screen1 / 23Previous photoNext photoThe 17-year-old accused of shooting and wounding two Jacinto City police officers is now in custody.The shooting happened in the 10400 block of North Oswego around 6 pm on Wednesday.Police say Edgar Omar Cuellar