The students, who ranged in age from 8 to 10 at the time of the abuse, had reported that their teacher, Joseph Baldenebro, inappropriately touched, assaulted or harassed them while they attended Miramonte Elementary School. The abuse occurred between the early 2000s and 2017. The Monday verdict came after a monthlong trial in which lawyers for the students presented evidence that Mountain View School District had warnings of inappropriate behavior by Baldenebro dating to the 1990s but took no action. Baldenebro, 62, was convicted in 2018 of lewd or lascivious acts with children and sentenced to 8 years in prison. A second set of criminal charges related to child sexual abuse was filed against him in 2022 and resulted in a no-contest plea in the summer of 2024 and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He’s eligible for parole in 2031, according to state prison records. “This school district knew about this guy — knew about this pedophile — for over 20 years,” said Nick Rowley, one of the lawyers who represented the former students in their lawsuit against the school district. “There were so many red flags — warning after warning after warning to the principals who just ignored it, who didn’t do anything, and who actually covered it up.” Lawyers for Mountain View School District did not respond to a request Tuesday for comment. In a statement, the school district said it “unequivocally condemns abuse of any kind and remains deeply saddened by the harm caused to our students and community.” The school district had acknowledged negligently supervising Baldenebro, who taught at the district for more than two decades, but asserted it was Baldenebro who caused the harm to the students, not the district. The oldest of the former students had said she was in Baldenebro’s class from 2002 to 2004, during third and fourth grade, and that she was 9 years old at the time of the abuse, according to court papers. She recounted growing close with Baldenebro, and said he had suggested he could become her “godparent,” according to an amended lawsuit filed in the case. The student said she was aware that Baldenebro was the “godparent” to others, and court papers describe the benefit that Baldenebro gave to his purported godchildren: trips to amusement parks, lunches, clothes, CDs and after-school parties. Rowley, the lawyer, said Tuesday that Baldenebro described himself as a godfather to 24 students over a period of years. In court papers, the student said that after she entered fourth grade, Baldenebro after school would summon her to sit on his lap, where he would touch her and kiss her. “He would tell her he loved her and he would tightly pull her into him,” lawyers for the student wrote in a trial brief in 2021. In 2004, the student told the then-principal about her uncomfortable experiences with Baldenebro. Around that time, the student, her parents and Baldenebro met with the principal. Baldenebro “accused her of overreacting, and that he was just doing that as an act of love and care,” according to court papers. The principal “convinced her parents that this behavior by Baldenebro was normal because he was her godfather,” according the a pretrial brief. The jury awarded the student $9 million of the $48-million verdict, the second-largest amount. Other former students recounted that they were subjected to unwanted hugs, kisses and patts on their butts, according to a pretrial brief filed by their lawyers. One student said Baldenebro fondled her genitalia and then raped her in his classroom; the student, whose name The Times is not disclosing, was awarded $16.5 million. Of the total verdict, jurors held the Mountain View School District responsible for slightly more than $36 million; Baldenebro is responsible for the rest, although unlikely to pay. A spokesperson for the district, Jocelyn Rios, said she was unable to disclose whether all or part of the verdict would be covered by the school district’s insurance companies or whether other district funds would be tapped to pay it. In a statement, the district said it had instituted “meaningful steps ... with the goal of preventing future incidents from going undetected or unreported.” Among the steps are an annual “Be Seen: Be Heard” effort, described as “a district-wide, age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention” program. Before trial, lawyers for the district had offered a settlement of about $100,000 per student, Rowley said. “From the very beginning of this case, the school district and their lawyers devalued what these victims went through and minimized what happened to them,” said Michael Carrillo, the lead attorney on the case representing the former students. “The jury saw through all of that.” Matt Hamilton is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with colleagues Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle and was part of the team of reporters that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Southern California, he joined The Times in 2013. California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map 10:30 amEl Monte Library, 3224 Tyler Ave, El Monte 8:00 amSouth El Monte Community Center, 1530 Central Ave., South El Monte 10:00 amSouth El Monte Community Center, 1530 Central Ave., South El Monte 12:00 pmEmpowher, 7046 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles 3:00 pmPershing Square, 532 S Olive St, Los Angeles 4:30 pmSouth El Monte Library, 1430 North, Central Ave, South El Monte https://youtu.be/LofU0m8OsJ4 Every second counts during an emergency response emergency vehicles rely on drivers to do their part and clear the… See the most recent messages from LASD - Temple Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff, powered by Nixle Sign up to receive messages by email & text message and members of the community were invited to participate in the #LASD #mentalhealth and de-escalation #training at the Duarte Community Center The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion improve the availability of parking choices and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC) the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes Each Los Angeles County Sheriff's Station has a Parking Enforcement unit Please visit the Stations page to find your local Sheriff's Station Station Locations Please visit the LA county Sheriff's Department Pay by web site Pay by web For more street services in LA County please report your problem here: Public Works Los Angeles County To contact the proper Sheriff's station for your parking concerns and to send an email request for service; first determine who services your address by entering the area location address and click the "Find" button. Kourosh “Steve” Yaghoubi, 60, was killed after he confronted shoplifters at his brother’s family-owned Giant Discount Store on April 9. The teen allegedly ran over Yaghoubi as the youth and others fled, police said. It’s unclear whether the teen was inside the store at any point during the incident. Yaghoubi was unconscious and suffering from blunt force trauma when authorities arrived, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department news release. A man was killed in the city of South El Monte on April 9 while attempting to stop shoplifters, authorities said. (Google Maps) Detectives found the vehicle used as the getaway car, which led them to the 16-year-old suspect, authorities wrote in a news release. Because the suspect is a minor, authorities will not release his name. Deputies learned a man was visiting his brother’s store when two to three people entered and stole goods Yaghoubi’s brother and the owner of the store, Jim Yaghoubi, told ABC-7 that he and his brother followed the shoplifters into the parking lot after they left without paying for a $10 box of masks Yaghoubi told the news outlet that one of the shoplifters punched his brother in the head before the driver ran him over I was there at the last minute of his life Authorities are still trying to identify several other individuals who were in the vehicle at the time of the theft Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be left at (800) 222-8477 or at the Crime Stoppers website. Kaitlyn Huamani is a reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She previously interned with The Times’ Entertainment and Arts section and with the entertainment section at the Associated Press. She also interned at People Magazine as a part of the American Society of Magazine Editors’ internship program. A New Jersey native, she graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. World & Nation Print A man was killed in the city of South El Monte on Wednesday afternoon while attempting to stop shoplifters at the family-owned-and-operated Giant Discount Store The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a call around 12:15 p.m about a man who had been hit by a car in the 2000 block of Durfee Avenue He was found unconscious and suffering from blunt force trauma The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene Deputies learned that the man was visiting his brother’s store when two to three people entered the business and stole merchandise He then chased them out of the store and into a parking lot One person entered a dark-colored sedan and deliberately hit the man multiple times The additional suspect or suspects then got in the car and fled in an unknown direction John Yaghoubi told KTLA News that the victim was his 60-year old brother who had been helping out in the store when he saw the shoplifting taking place “I don’t know what to do anymore,” John Yaghoubi told the station Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be left at (800) 222-8477 or at the Crime Stoppers website. Clara Harter is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she covered politics and education for the L.A. Daily News. While at the Daily News, she published a series on fentanyl addiction that won a first-place investigative journalism award from the L.A. Press Club. Harter majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University. She loves surfing and, when not reporting, can most likely be found in the ocean. A man was killed in a hit-and-run after trying to stop a robbery at a store owned by his family this week According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the incident happened Wednesday afternoon when the male victim visited his brother's business a suspect entered the establishment and shoplifted prompting the victim to chase after him into the parking lot and a second suspect joined in the altercation "The suspects then entered the sedan and deliberately struck the victim with the vehicle several times," the department said in a news release "The vehicle fled in an unknown direction." authorities discovered the victim with "blunt force trauma" and determined him to be deceased 'He killed my kid over grits and eggs': Family mourns loss of teen killed at Waffle House the suspect inquired about a $10 box of medical masks and exited the store without payment resulting in the harrowing altercation that his brother all the way from the front tire to the back tire," Jim described to KABC what Lieutenant Michael Modica reportedly called "a senseless act of violence," is under investigation The suspects were described to be driving a dark-colored sedan No arrests have been made as of early Thursday morning The city of South El Monte is about 14 miles from Los Angeles USA TODAY reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for more information Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More LOS ANGELES — Local efforts are underway across LA County to build projects in underserved communities that benefit both the environment and public health Sarah Pilla highlights one project in South El Monte and shows how the community got involved to transform a main street into a greenway « Back 2024 - WASHINGTON – A California man pleaded guilty on Oct to assaulting law enforcement with a weapon and other charges related to his conduct during the Jan His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election           Jerry Daniel Braun including one count of civil disorder; two counts of assaulting including one count involving the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon; one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; one count of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and one count of engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon           In addition to the felonies Braun also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building or Grounds and one count of committing an act of physical violence in a Capitol Building or Grounds           According to the government’s evidence Braun traveled from California to Washington and attended the “Stop the Steal” near the Ellipse Braun then made his way toward the Capitol building and arrived in the area near the Garfield Circle around 12:53 p.m He then entered the restricted area and advanced with a crowd of rioters toward a police line on the West Plaza Braun then made his way to the front of the crowd of rioters and pushed with the crowd against the police line           At approximately 1:11 p.m. several rioters began to attack the line of police officers and dragged one officer into the mob Braun twice raised and swung a cane down at the individuals on the ground           At about 1:13 p.m. law enforcement reinforcements arrived to expel rioters from the restricted area of the Capitol authorities established a line of bike rack barricades to push the crowd back attempted to wrestle a section of the barricades away from police Braun then used his cane to strike the bike rack barrier multiple times Braun picked up an eight-foot-long wooden 2x4 beam from the West Plaza and began to use the beam to point and thrust at police Braun turned the beam vertically and used it to thrust into the line of police officers Braun then used the beam to jab a person holding a camera wearing a helmet labeled “PRESS”. Braun then approached this person and struck them on the head with his left hand before again jabbing them with the beam  Braun remained inside the restricted perimeter until at least 4:00 p.m.Jerry LNU was picked up near the intersection of H and 6th Streets and he was ultimately dropped off at the Holiday Inn National Airport located at 2650 Richmond Highway I am aware that the intersection of H and 6th Streets Capitol are approximately 1.10 miles walking distance apart A portion of Jerry LNU’s Uber ride was captured on video by a video recording device located in the dashboard area of the Uber driver’s vehicle I have reviewed the video recording of Jerry LNU’s Uber ride which was received by the FBI’s Washington Field Office from the Uber driver The following conversation was captured on the video of Jerry LNU’s Uber ride: a           The FBI arrested Braun on April 12           The U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided valuable assistance           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department           In the 45 months since Jan more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement           Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.Associated Documents 85%;">KB Home announces the grand opening of Astaire at Starlite View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250304103027/en/ Already have an account? Login Holiday Closures as part of the new South El Monte Civic Center complex Present at the dedication ceremony were County Supervisor Frank G Bonelli and County Librarian William Geller under a 20-year lease from the City of South El Monte was purchased by the County of Los Angeles in June 1986 the city generously financed a complete renovation of the library A monthly list of noteworthy titles selected by our Collection Development Services team See More Booklists Check out what's happening at LA County Library this month Read More LA County Library announces the 43 annual Bookmark contest for grades K-12 Read More Read More Read More County of Los Angeles Many of our libraries offer enhanced resources, computers, and online services to support your homework needs. Check with your local library Have you walked into a library and wished you could check out more books than you could possibly carry Check out a Kindle Paperwhite at participating libraries with a collection of titles that you are sure to enjoy Each Kindle has been loaded with expert-selected books You don’t need internet access - all the books are pre-loaded onto the Kindle so you are ready to read Click on the library to view list of genres available Laptops in this kiosk can be checked out by customers with a LA County Library card in good standing The laptop is due back in the kiosk before the library closes on the same day it is checked out If you do not return the laptop to the kiosk on the same day you check it out your library account will be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop When you check out a laptop from this kiosk you agree to use it within the library only If you remove the laptop from the library you may held criminally responsible for theft of the laptop and/or be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop You are responsible for the laptop and you agree that you will reimburse the LA County Library for any damages if the laptop is damaged If you check out a laptop and it is damaged you will give it to library staff immediately You must save to a removable storage device (such as a USB drive) since your work will not be saved to the laptop beyond your current checkout LA County Library will not be held responsible for any damage or loss of data or media due to any cause while you are using a laptop from this kiosk you must adhere to the Library’s Acceptable Use Policy Laptops are available at the following libraries: A C Bilbrew Library Artesia Library Culver City Julian Dixon Library Clifton M Brakensiek Library East Los Angeles Library El Camino Real Library La Mirada Library La Puente Library Leland R Weaver Library Manhattan Beach Library Paramount Library Quartz Hill Library Sorensen Library South El Monte Library South Whittier Library Temple City Library View Park Bebe Moore Campbell Library Walnut Library West Hollywood Library Willowbrook Library The Consumer Health Information Program assists the public with medical research by providing information from reliable sources. Customers are invited to use the Norwalk Library collection which consists of books and online databases related to health topics We also provide individualized research services nor are the materials we provide a substitute for a professional medical opinion We can provide you with information on topics such as: Location: Norwalk Library Email: chips@library.lacounty.gov Health Databases * Health & Fitness eBooks and Audiobooks * The first three years of a child's life lay the foundation for learning Get the tools and resources you need to give your child the best possible start Citizenship-in-a-Bag contains: Checkout or place a hold on a Citizenship-in-a-Bag toolkit Thank you for sharing your photos with Catalina PhotoShare a community history project of LA County Library Your photos will be reviewed and if they meet the criteria they will be added to the Catalina PhotoShare online collection please contact: digitalprojects@library.lacounty.gov The Californiana Collection is in closed stacks at the Norwalk Library located at 12350 Imperial Hwy The Californiana Collection consists of over 24,000 books and over 200 magazine and newspaper titles in paper and on microfilm as well as a collection of state documents including state and county budgets The goal of this collection is to present a complete picture of the history environment and artistic expression of the people of California and to some extent For decades, the histories of Southern California’s Latinx and Chicanx communities have been overshadowed, often omitted from the mainstream narrative. Now, thanks to a collaboration between Claremont Graduate University’s Professor Romeo Guzmán and PBS SoCal those stories are set to be broadcast to a national audience a passionate historian and advocate for local histories which will air during National Latino Heritage Month VOCES AMERICAN HISTORIA: The Untold History of Latinos highlights underrepresented communities such as El Monte and South El Monte — cities that have played significant but often overlooked roles in shaping Southern California’s cultural and political identity working alongside the South El Monte Arts Posse aims to tell the stories of these communities and their transformative impact on the region “Highlighting the radical and transformative histories of BIPOC communities in Southern California is essential,” said Guzmán who has dedicated his career to preserving these stories we can share untold stories with a broader audience showing that Latinx history is not a sidebar but integral to understanding the full history of the United States.” and will be available for free streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app It promises to bring fresh perspectives on communities that have long been at the margins of historical records Each episode will delve into the cultural and political contributions of cities like El Monte offering a richer understanding of their legacies and how they continue to shape Southern California today this work is personal as well as professional he and the South El Monte Arts Posse set out to write an alternative history of El Monte countering the official narrative presented by the city’s museum and city seal They discovered much more than they had anticipated “There’s a long history of radical movements and events in El Monte and South El Monte,” Guzmán noted “But we didn’t fully grasp how central these cities were to Los Angeles’s broader social and political history The historical tapestry Guzmán uncovered is complex “El Monte was home to the KKK and a Nazi house but it was also a hub for anarchist groups and vibrant cultural movements like muralism,” he said “These cities were critical in shaping Los Angeles’s political landscape and that complexity is often lost in traditional histories.” Guzmán’s commitment to uncovering these overlooked narratives extends beyond the series and a parent living in the San Gabriel Valley he is dedicated to learning about the region’s multiethnic past He highlights the importance of teaching these histories beyond designated heritage months “We should be learning about marginalized communities throughout the year,” Guzmán said “But I do hope that National Latino Heritage Month gives educators a chance to focus on people and events that are central to understanding local Guzmán also emphasized that Southern California’s history is incomplete without recognizing its indigenous roots “Understanding the histories of the Tongva is just as crucial to grasping the full picture,” he added including his book East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte continues to challenge conventional narratives urging readers and viewers alike to consider the broader impact of these marginalized communities His ongoing efforts to spotlight the radical often forgotten histories of El Monte and South El Monte are reshaping how we view Southern California’s past—and With VOCES AMERICAN HISTORIA: The Untold History of Latinos Guzmán and PBS SoCal are making sure that these vital stories are no longer confined to the margins but take center stage Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog Out1 dead after massive fire rips through warehouse in South El MonteMonday 2024One person is dead after a fire ripped through a warehouse in South El Monte.SOUTH EL MONTE (KABC) -- One person is dead after a fire ripped through a warehouse in South El Monte Sunday at a commercial building near Rush Street and Edwards Avenue according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Video from the scene shows massive flames and heavy smoke coming from the roof of the building Once the flames were extinguished and firefighters were able to get inside The cause of the fire is under investigation.