Ventura County Sheriff's Department mural on the back wall of the Fillmore Police Station. The mural was painted by Omar Becerra.
Ventura County Sheriff's Department mural on the back wall of the Fillmore Police Station. The mural was painted by Omar Becerra.
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Visiting the Police, Part I

Receptioning
The reception area at the Fillmore Police Station on Sespe is a sage green box with brown square tiles. If you put the image into a giant blender, the result might resemble unappetizing—and in any case inedible—mint-chocolate chip ice cream. A lone red candy dispenser keeps me company, its personality split three ways: it simultaneously invites quarter-laden folk to “Enjoy delicious M&Ms candies—a helping hand is given to local civic activities,” and “Enjoy delicious Skittles Sour Candy,” and also touts, “Bubble King.”(1) By the glass entrance door, a gray file cabinet marked, “Turn in Prescription Medication Program” stands guard, cautioning, “Pharmaceutical drugs only!” (Emphasis not mine.) Behind me on a blind-covered window, a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department recruitment poster pitches “$61,400-$84,600 Plus Benefits.”

I have time to notice all this because a concerned, smartly-dressed middle-aged couple stands at the reception window, reporting in great detail a suspicious figure who has been lurking about on his bike in their neighborhood. “We’ve been watching him for over a month now,” they say. A woman with her young son comes in to pick up, fill out, and turn in a ride-along form, and then—and then—I’m ushered past Candy Dispenser, past the security camera that was surely watching every breath I took and every move I made, (2) into the mysterious recesses of the building.

Through the Door
The affable Sergeant CONTINUED »

 


 
Mark Trimble pictured above (middle) is shown with two Israeli soldiers.
Mark Trimble pictured above (middle) is shown with two Israeli soldiers.
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Israel Series: Part 1

“Allah willing, with the force of Allah behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism (Israel). Get ready for a world minus the United States.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad, June 4th, 2008

“It is the mission of the Islamic republic of Iran to erase Israel from the map of the region.”
Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, January 2001

No other country in the world lives under the day to day threat of terrorist attack like Israel.

What we in the United States take for granted, the safety to conduct our daily lives in freedom and lack of fear of being attacked at anytime on any given day, Israel must contend with and prepare for every day.

The dream of the average Israeli citizen is to sit in a public coffee house or restaurant without fear of being attacked by a Suicide Bomber. In June of this year, I sat having dinner at a 5 star restaurant in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is a wonderful metropolitan city, filled with cultural events and entertainment. It was a beautiful evening with the streets and the restaurants filled with Israeli citizens enjoying a night out after a full work week.
As I entered the restaurant I noted an armed guard stationed at the front of the restaurant. I asked one of the Israelis I was dining with why there was an armed guard at the entrance. I was advised the guard was trained to spot the telltale signs of a Suicide Bomber and to attempt to stop any potential attack.

Young grade school students on field trips to visit some of the many historic sites in Jerusalem have to be escorted by former members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). These grade school children must have armed guards with them while visiting their own capital city due to the fact they are targets of shootings and Suicide Bombings. Many of these young children have been killed by Radical Islamists who each day attempt to instill fear in the Israeli citizens. This is the reality of day to day in Israel.

Yet, the Israeli’s have embraced this disarray of their daily lives, and through adversity, there has come cohesion for the people of Israel.

Despite this, and what the mainstream media never reports, Israel has proven its willingness to accept Arabs by the fact they have successfully integrated Arabs into Israeli culture. The population of Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, is 750,000; 250,000 of these citizens are Arabs.

There is no such thing as a “must be solution” to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Radical Muslims are mandated by their interpretation of Islam to dominate the world. Iranian President Ahmadinijad has stated, “We don’t shy away from declaring that Islam is ready to rule the world. We must believe in the fact that Islam is not confined to geographical borders, ethnic groups, and nations. It’s a universal ideology that leads the world to justice ... We must prepare ourselves to rule the world.” On February 11th, 2011 Ahmadinejad declared Iran is now a “Nuclear State.”

Iran’s senior leaders have taught in recent years that the revolution is now reaching its climax. They have stated publicly that the end of the world is “imminent.” They have taught that the way to hasten the arrival on earth of the Islamic messiah known as the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi” is to destroy Israel, which they call the “Little Satan,” and the United States, which they call the “Great Satan.” The key leaders in Iran are determined to accomplish their apocalyptic, genocidal mission. They are feverishly attempting to build, buy, or steal nuclear warheads.

United States leadership has become so politically correct it’s suicidal. Despite Radical Islam’s stated agenda put forth by Ahmadinijad’s declaration of war on the United States and Israel, Eric Holder, the United States Attorney General, who is the top law enforcement officer in the nation, cannot and will not use the terms “Radical Islam,” or “The War On Terror.”

Walid Shobat, a reformed Palestinian terrorist stated, “They (Iranian leaders) want a grand finale; they want one operation, the kind that cripples America once and for all, be it dirty bombs, or a real nuke.”

Mark Trimble is a retired Law Enforcement Operations/Special Operations Commander. He has spent 10 years researching and studying Radical Islam and Terrorism. He has worked as an Independent Security Contractor during which time he has trained with and interviewed members of the United States Army Special Operations Forces who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Trimble has also had the opportunity to interact with current and reformed Islamic terrorists. He has authored a training guide called; “Understanding Radical Islam- A Training Guide For 21st Century Law Enforcement.”
Trimble has traveled to the Middle East where he was briefed by high level officials from the following Israeli military, intelligence, government, and security forces: Shin Bet (Israeli intelligence service, comparable to America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation); Israeli Ministry of Defense; IDF (Israel Defense Forces) - Israel’s military force, including ground forces, air force, navy, and military intelligence; The Counter Terrorism and Intelligence Headquarters; The Prime Minister's Office of Israel; The Gaza Security Terminal; The Knesset- The legislative branch of the Israeli government; The Director of the Israeli Government Press Office; and other members of the Israeli Intelligence Community.

Trimble also spent time in the following locations: The West Bank; Gaza; Ofer Military Base- For the observation of the murder trial of two Hamas terrorists; Kalkilia- The Arab town which is one of the main terrorists infiltration routes into Israel; Israeli Forward Military Base at the Lebanese Border (area of the terrorist group Hezbollah’s headquarters); IDF tank unit on the Syrian border; Sderot, Israel. A city on the edge of Gaza, which is under constant mortar attacks by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

 


 

Fillmore resident Zachary Freeman, 24, was killed in an off-road race accident in the Mojave Desert, August 14th.

Freeman was standing in the crowd of spectators with his friend Dustin Malson, 24 of Ventura, and girlfriend Nicky Carmikle, 19. Carmikle had just walked away to use the restroom when a Ford Ranger pickup driven by Brett Sloppy, 28 San Marcos, struck a rock, lost control and rolled into the crowd, killing eight and injuring a dozen. Malson was also killed.

Tens of thousands of people were spread out along the 50-mile track, within 4-feet of the speeding vehicles.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a statement saying state vehicle codes don't apply because the race was a sanctioned event held with the approval of the federal Bureau of Land Management, which owns the land used for the race. They said safety was the responsibility of the race organizer, South El Monte-based Mojave Desert Racing.

MDR's permit required racers to travel 15 mph or less when they were within 50 feet of fans, and allowed no more than 300 spectators for the event. BLM spokesman David Briery said the agency would cooperate with the CHP's investigation.

 

New allegations have been lobbied by former Fillmore Fire Chief Pete Egedi in his wrongful termination lawsuit against the city of Fillmore. Egedi claims the city has been a defendant in at least two state courts in which it was alleged to violate due process constitutional rights, according to the VC Star.

Egedi was fired in 2008 over allegations of grand theft and embezzlement by a public officer. He faced a criminal trial October 13th in Superior Court, three counts of grand theft and one count of embezzlement. He has pleaded not guilty to the felony charges. Egedi faces five years in state prison if convicted.

 

Fillmore City Council candidates in alphabetical order:
Adrian Grimaldo
Marcoz Hernandez
David Lugo
Brian Sipes
Patti Walker

FUSD Board candidates in alphabetical order:
Mark Austin
Tony Prado
Lucy Rangel
Kimberly Rivers
David Wilde

 
Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 8-15-2010, the Sheriff’s Department received a call regarding four men trying to break into a home in the 500 block of E. Telegraph Road in the City of Fillmore. The resident also telephoned family members in Fillmore, notifying them of the incident. Deputies arrived on scene and checked the area, but were unable to locate the suspects. A short time later, Francisco Sanchez, Ricardo Sanchez, and Juan Sanchez arrived at the location in the same vehicle. Francisco, Ricardo, and Juan are family members of the resident at the location. A deputy contacted Francisco, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and observed a loaded handgun on the front passenger seat of his vehicle. Francisco was detained and found to have an additional handgun concealed in his waistband. Ricardo claimed ownership of the handgun on the passenger seat. A third loaded handgun was located on the rear passenger floorboard of the vehicle, where Juan had been seated in the vehicle. Francisco, Ricardo, and Juan were all arrested for violations of PC 12031(a) – Carrying a loaded firearm, PC 12025(a)(1) – Having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, and PC 12025(a)(2) – Having a concealed firearm on the person. All three were transported and booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.

Location: 500 Block of E. Telegraph Road, Fillmore
Date & Time/ RB#: 05-15-2010 @ 0150 / 10-19768 Unit Responsible: Fillmore Station

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses Address Age
(S) Francisco Sanchez Fillmore 58
(S) Ricardo Sanchez Fillmore 25
(S) Juan Sanchez Fillmore 23

Officer Preparing Release: Sr. Deputy D. Hendren #3693
Follow-up Contact: Sr. Deputy D. Hendren 805-524-2233
Date of Release: 08-17-2010
Approved By: Sgt. Yoos

 

An impostor Fillmore Gazette Facebook page has been identified. A thief took the newspaper’s logo and other copyrighted materials and created a fake Facebook page. A notice regarding this impostor has been sent to Facebook and a formal Digital Millennium Copyright Act violation has been filed. The matter is currently under investigation.

To become friends with the real Fillmore Gazette. Please follow this link to our real Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000132019191&v=wall&ref=search

To follow us on Twitter, please follow this link:

http://twitter.com/FillmoreGazette

 
Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo, 29 of Oceanside California.
Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo, 29 of Oceanside California.

During the investigation of a marijuana cultivation north of the city of Fillmore on July 29, 2010, sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle associated with the illegal activity. The driver eventually yielded after driving about 2 miles, then fled on foot over a ledge on the side of the road and disappeared. In the vehicle was 78 pounds of processed marijuana.

Through investigation, sheriff’s narcotic detectives learned the identity of the driver. On August 5, detectives arrested Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo at his residence in Oceanside for possession of marijuana for sale, conspiracy to cultivate marijuana and resisting arrest. He was transported back to Ventura County and booked for the listed charges.

Location: Oceanside, Ca
Date: August 5, 2010
Unit Responsible: Ventura County Narcotics Bureau, West County Street Team
Suspect City of Residence Age
Luis Alberto Rodriguez Pillardo Oceanside 29
Officer Preparing Release: Sgt Mike Horne
Follow-up Contact: Sgt Mike Horne 805-383-8700
Approved by: Captain Eric Dowd

 
Monday morning, at approximately 10am, a Mc Carty & Sons Towing (Oxnard) big rig blew a tire on Highway 126 in front of the El Dorado Mobile Estates Park. An eyewitness said the tire exploded and hit the gas tank, rupturing it. About 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled. The driver was able to bring the truck to a safe stop after hitting the guardrail. Fillmore Fire, CalTrans and Officer Biter, pictured, were on scene to coordinate the clean-up. No injuries occurred.
Monday morning, at approximately 10am, a Mc Carty & Sons Towing (Oxnard) big rig blew a tire on Highway 126 in front of the El Dorado Mobile Estates Park. An eyewitness said the tire exploded and hit the gas tank, rupturing it. About 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled. The driver was able to bring the truck to a safe stop after hitting the guardrail. Fillmore Fire, CalTrans and Officer Biter, pictured, were on scene to coordinate the clean-up. No injuries occurred.
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See video of the rescue below
Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On August 7, 2010, at approximately 6:15 PM, a helicopter was requested for a male who fell in the punch bowls in Santa Paula Canyon. Initial information stated Marice Lamburt fell approximately twenty-five feet off a rock and sustained traumatic injuries. This is a remote area in the Los Padres National Forest and is only accessible by foot or helicopter.

The Sheriff’s Department helicopter, piloted by Kim Bergeson, responded with a rescue crew consisting of Crew Chiefs Jeff Golden, Don White and Paramedic Jacyen Justus. After an aerial search of the canyon was initiated, Lamburt was located laying on a rock adjacent to the river in a narrow part of the canyon known as the “slide.”

Due to the unknown medical condition of Lamburt, the rescue helicopter hovered over the area to begin a rescue operation. Justus and crew chief White were hoisted approximately 150’ down into the narrow canyon. Due to the injuries sustained by Lamburt, the decision was made to remove Lamburt from the location by helicopter.

Lamburt was placed on a backboard and secured inside a stokes basket for hoisting. Lamburt was subsequently hoisted out of the canyon and placed inside the helicopter. Justus and White were hoisted into the helicopter and Lamburt was flown to the Ventura County Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.

Location: Punch Bowls, Santa Paula Canyon, Santa Paula, CA

Date & Time: August 7, 2010, 6:15 PM

Unit Responsible: Sheriff’s Aviation Unit

(V)ictim: City of Residence: Age:

V1 – Marice Lamburt Long Beach 39 years

Officer Preparing Release: Sr. Deputy White

Follow-up Contact: Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit (805) 388-4212
Date of Release: August 8, 2010
Approved by: Captain Dowd