Weekend Glance
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Thursday, March 16, 2017 Vol. 15 No. 49 NEWS NEWS ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES Police officer’s Uniting Arroyo Seco New green heroics volunteers lineup commissioner SEE PAGE 7 SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 9 SEE PAGE 15 Former Sheriff Downey boy selling bubble gum Lee Baca found guilty, to fight breast cancer faces prison Matthew Trejo FridayWeekend80˚ LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was was inspired to do at a found guilty Wednesday of leading a conspiracy to obstruct justice by something after Glance overseeing a scheme designed to impede a federal investigation into Saturday 74˚⁰ corruption and civil rights abuses at county jail facilities. his aunt’s cancer Friday 68 Baca was also convicted of lying to federal investigators when he diagnosis. denied knowledge of key aspects of the obstruction plot. After about two days of deliberations, a federal jury on Wednesday By Alex Dominguez Sunday 77˚70⁰ found that Baca authorized and condoned a scheme that now has Staff Writer Saturday resulted in the conviction of 10 former members of the Sheriff’s Department. During the trial, prosecutors described Baca as being the DOWNEY – 11-year-old top figure in the conspiracy, which also involved his right-hand man and Matthew Trejo stands outside Rio deputies who implemented orders from the Sheriff. San Gabriel elementary most days THINGS TO DO The jury convicted Baca on three felony counts: conspiracy to after school, armed with a small obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and making false statements to cart, some bubble gum, and a federal investigators. As a result of today’s guilty verdicts, Baca, 74, faces sign emblazoned with the words a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. “Bubbles for Breast Cancer.” Matthew Trejo sells bubble gum after school, and donates the proceeds towards breast cancer research. Photo by Martin Trejo United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who has presided His mission is simple: raising over several trials involving members of the conspiracy, is expected to money for breast cancer research, schedule a sentencing hearing during a status conference on Monday. 25 cents per piece of Dubble however her nephew has still Cancer Awareness month raised The obstruction plot began in August 2011 after LASD officials Bubble at a time. taken initiative to fight the often around $200. Now back at it St. Patrick’s Day Party discovered a cell phone in an inmate’s cell at the Men’s Central Jail, deadly disease. again, he hopes to possibly Matthew’s inspiration comes linked the phone to the FBI’s Civil Rights Squad and learned that the double that amount. Friday - Bastards Canteen, inmate was an FBI informant. The cell phone had been smuggled into from his aunt, Michele Frantz, At first, he wanted to dye 3 pm to midnight the jail by a corrupt deputy who took bribes. who is a breast cancer survivor. his hair pink for breast cancer Matthew has received Bastards restaurant celebrates awareness month. national attention ever since local St. Patrick’s Day with live bands, food, The FBI developed the informant as part of an investigation into the Frantz was diagnosed in June media outlets picked up and ran and green beer. $5 cover after 7 p.m. county jail system, which for years had been the subject of allegations of 2013. “I told him that was really his story. So much attention, inmate abuse and subsequent cover-ups. The evidence presented at trial drawing attention to himself, and “It really, truly caught our in fact, that he was recently showed that the Sheriff wanted to avoid federal scrutiny of his troubled not really helping people with family off guard; there’s no contacted by Dubble Bubble, jails. breast cancer,” said Martin Trejo, history of breast cancer in our who offered to provide him with his father. “If he really wanted to As part of the obstruction scheme, Baca ordered a criminal family,” said Frantz. “When I was free tubs of gum to sell. help people with breast cancer, investigation of the FBI agents conducting an undercover investigation, diagnosed it really, truly for every and he directed that the informant be concealed from federal he should figure out a way to He’s also been invited to a member of our family – from my investigators. raise money.” breast cancer awareness event parents, to my brother and sister held last weekend. Members of the conspiracy then hid the informant from federal and their spouses, to the nieces The future “Bubble Gum Kid” Grease Sing-Along authorities, engaged in witness tampering in an effort to prevent and nephews – it just really felt chose bubble gum due to its Matthew attended the Susan information from being shared with federal authorities, and threatened kind of like the floor dropped out bright pink color. G Komen Race for a Cure event Friday - La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts, 8 pm to arrest the lead FBI agent on the case. from underneath us…none of us on Saturday, where he sold even “I like the color of it…like the While Baca put his right-hand man, then-Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, were really prepared for that.” more bubblegum. An interactive performance of “Grease,” in charge of the scheme, Baca participated in dozens of meetings and breast cancer awareness color with audience members encouraged to sing and dance along. phone calls with members of the conspiracy and admitted directing his “It was hard to go through,” and breast cancer awareness “We’re going to sell bubble deputies to approach the FBI agent. said Matthew. “Some days we logo,” said Matthew. “I thought gum – and hopefully sell out,” didn’t know if she’d live or die.” that would fit in.” Matthew said before the race. Baca participated in the scheme after being warned by a top deputy “And raise a lot of money.” that the actions would amount to obstruction of justice. Frantz is now cancer free, His first effort during Breast “The former sheriff has now been held accountable for overseeing a widespread scheme to obstruct justice by issuing orders designed to protect a corrupt culture,” said Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. Learn to coexist with coyotes, “As the Sheriff for Los Angeles County, Mr. Baca had a duty to uphold the law, a duty he utterly failed when he played an active role Tierra in undermining a federal investigation into illegal conduct at the jails. Saturday - Santa Fe Springs Swap Today’s verdict shows that no one is above the law.” wildlife officials say Meet, 12 pm “By obstructing the rule of law, Mr. Baca failed both the dedicated The Latin R&B band performs live at 12 men and women of the largest sheriff’s department in the country, as DOWNEY – Representatives in areas known to be frequented to canines p.m. and 2 p.m.; concert is free with swap meet admission. well as the community he swore to serve,” said Deirdre Fike, the assistant from the California Department by coyotes. Coyote coats are gray or director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. of Fish and Wildlife attended Protect pets. Keep small pets reddish brown, often grizzled a neighborhood watch block The case against Baca is the result of an investigation by the Federal indoors. Large animals should be with a whitish chest or belly Bureau of Investigation and is one in a series of cases resulting from the captain meeting in Downey last brought in after dark. investigation into county jail facilities in downtown Los Angeles that has week, where they cautioned Coyotes walk with their head resulted in 21 convictions. residents about the looming Use Negative and tails down in comparison to As a result of the verdict, Baca becomes the 10th member of the Los threat of coyotes. Reinforcement. If you see canines who generally have their coyotes in a residential area, heads and tails up while walking. Angeles Sheriff’s Department to be convicted in the obstruction scheme, Wildlife agencies do not make loud noises to scare them including former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, who was sentenced to five catch and release coyotes; “Living next to wildlife years in federal prison. off. instead, the agency recommends corridors such as the Rio Hondo King of the Cage Eleven other former deputies have been convicted of federal charges, ways residents can deter the Clear brush and dense and San Gabriel Rivers, we know Saturday - Citizens Business Bank mostly related to unprovoked beatings of inmates and subsequent predators from entering their weeds. This will reduce the we will have frequent human- Arena, 5 pm cover-ups. neighborhoods: protective cover coyotes may wildlife encounters, and I want to “Prince” Ryan Fillingame and seek when looking for shelter. strongly encourage our residents Juan “Spaniard” Archuleta defend Never leave pet food to be proactive about keeping their titles in live MMA fighting. outside. You may be Wildlife officials also gave tips their children and pets safe, and inadvertently feeding coyotes by on how to differentiate coyotes using the negative reinforcement leaving pet food or food waste from a dog: measures suggested by Fish & where coyotes can gain access to Coyotes have a narrow and Game to scare away coyotes,” it. Feed animals inside and lock pointed face, and a small nose said Mayor Pro Tem Sean Ashton. trash bin lids. pad Protect children. Never Coyote ears are naturally taller leave small children unattended and more pointed in comparison Marty Jannetty Saturday - The Wrestling Guy Store in Auto club offering free window Hungtington Park, 12 pm Meet the former WWE wrestler and tag team champion.