COURTS: The former Gardena city councilman is charged with committing lewd acts on a young girl.
By Denise Nix, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/17/2008 11:44:13 PM PDT
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano pleaded not guilty Monday to 12 charges of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a young girl.
Medrano's attorney, in arguing for a bail reduction, said the allegations against his client came from a "young person he cared for who did not get her way."
Gary Eto said the alleged victim, identified only as a relative, was "lashing out" against the 47-year-old married father of five.
Eto argued to Torrance Superior Court Judge William Beverly that Medrano's close ties to the community - including cousin Ed Medrano, Gardena's police chief - shows he's not a flight risk.
"He's not going anywhere," Eto said. "He doesn't even have a passport." Eto added
Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano listens to arraignment proceedings in Torrance Superior Court on Monday. (Brad Graverson/Staff Photographer )that Medrano's back problems, which have kept Medrano in the county jail's medical ward, would be better treated if he were allowed to remain under house arrest.
But Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said the $960,000 bail was standard for the charges. She added that the case was filed "conservatively."
Dieringer noted that Medrano recently made plans to move out of the county by selling his home and business, Osmar Jewelry, in downtown Gardena.
"He does represent a flight risk," Dieringer said.
The judge refused to lower the bail and ordered Medrano to return to court April 1 for a preliminary hearing.
At least a dozen family members and friends somberly watched the short hearing. One
woman appeared to be crying, and she was consoled by others.
Medrano was arrested Thursday, two days after he resigned his post on the council. Medrano, who had been in office five years, said pain from his medical condition forced him to leave during his second term.
In charges filed Friday, he is accused of forcing the female relative to engage in sexual acts beginning when she was 9 years old. The alleged abuse began in 1999 and continued for seven years.
He is charged with eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old.
If convicted, he faces 34 years in prison, Dieringer said.
A source close to the accuser has told the Daily Breeze that Medrano began by touching the girl, but escalated the acts to sex when she was 10. The source said he molested her weekly and that she tried to report him, but nobody believed her.
The family has declined to comment on the telephone and outside of court Monday.
However, Medrano's wife has alluded to the case on her MySpace page.
On Sunday, Patrice Medrano wrote: "I have been through the worst situations in my life, but when it comes to your children and being helpless, my heart aches.
"I have seen others face challenges in their lives with having their children taken away, now I face that challenge," she wrote. "I have always been here for my family to help encourage and uplift in any way I can.
"But never have I been under attack such as now," she writes on the page, which is full of biblical quotes and references to God.
3/16/2008
12 felony counts filed against Medrano
By Larry Altman Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/15/2008 12:25:20 AM PDT
Article Launched: 03/15/2008 12:25:20 AM PDT
Prosecutors on Friday filed 12 felony counts against former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano, charging he sexually abused a relative from the time she was in elementary school to high school.
For years, Medrano forced the girl to engage in sexual acts, it is alleged. It began with touching when she was about 8 years old, but escalated to sexual activity when she was 10, a source told the Daily Breeze.
"He manipulated her, and told her she wasn't good for anything else but sex - that nobody would ever love her, and therefore, he kept abusing her," said the source, who is familiar with the victim.
The alleged crimes occurred almost weekly, sometimes in the shower and in a motel, the source said.
Medrano, 47, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Torrance courthouse. He remained in jail Friday after his bail was raised to $960,000.
Medrano faces eight counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 years old. The last count relates to an incident that allegedly occurred when she was 15 years old. The first nine counts also allege that the acts committed were of substantial sexual conduct, prosecutors said.
If convicted, Medrano could face 32 years in prison, and would be required to register as a sex offender upon his release, Deputy District Attorney Beatriz Dieringer said.
Sheriff's Department investigators have not released details of the abuse and declined to comment for this article.
Sheriff's Department investigators have not released details of the abuse and declined to comment for this article.
The Daily Breeze knows the girl's name, her relationship to Medrano, and specifics about the alleged abuse, but is omitting information that can identify her.
In an interview, a source said the victim had tried for years to get someone to believe that Medrano sexually assaulted her.
Nobody listened until recently.
As late as a few months ago, the victim believed no one would trust her story because Medrano's cousin is Gardena Police Chief Ed Medrano and would take his side, the source said.
Detectives at the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau stepped in when someone reported the case to a police officer.
Medrano abruptly resigned from the Gardena City Council on Tuesday night, citing a bad back that made it difficult to sit or work. He was arrested two days later at his family's jewelry store in downtown Gardena.
Gardena Councilman Oscar Medrano resigns
By Sandy Mazza Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 01:27:47 AM PDT
Oscar Medrano has resigned from the Gardena City Council, citing health issues that have restricted his ability to work.
Medrano, who was elected in March 2007 for his second four-year term, has been absent from most council meetings since July, when back surgery limited his movement and left him in severe pain.
He did not attend Tuesday's meeting, instead announcing his resignation in a letter to the council.
"Due to the ongoing, unpredictable health problems that I'm experiencing, it has become very apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member capacity," Medrano wrote.
Medrano, 47, has struggled with degenerative disc disease for three years.
In 2005, halfway through his first term, Medrano underwent back surgery to replace three degenerated vertebrae in his lower back. Four months later, the implants disintegrated and Medrano had to wear special shoes and a back brace. Last year, he had spinal fusion surgery to stabilize his lower spine. The surgery was successful, but Medrano said it left him in constant, severe pain.
He took morphine and other sedatives to dull the pain, but the medicine made him groggy, and he found it difficult to work.
"I still have trouble sitting too long and standing too long," Medrano said. "When I lie down, it's a constant pain. I've been trying not to go back on narcotics. I'll have to live with this the rest of my life. I've gotten closer to my maker, you could say."
At Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Steve Bradford said he is disappointed that Medrano was forced to resign.
"He brought a very homespun, common-sense approach," Bradford said. "His service will be truly missed. But the most important thing is his health and the challenges he faces with his back."
State law dictates that the City Council must decide how to replace Medrano by April 9. The council can either appoint a successor, or hold a special election for voters to decide. If the council appoints someone, that person would serve until the March 2009 election. If the voters decide, the replacement will serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Medrano has managed his family's business, Osmar Jewelry in downtown Gardena, since 1992. He said he plans to sell the business because he can no longer work.
He recently bought a home in Romoland, which is near Sun City in Riverside County, where he will move with his wife and two youngest children. He has five children.
Before he managed the family business, Medrano worked as an X-ray technician until 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served in the Army.
"I never thought I would leave Gardena," said Medrano, whose family moved to the city from New York in 1964. "It's too expensive. (In Romoland) I won't spend as much money. Land and housing is cheaper."
On the dais, Medrano has been a proponent for small-business owners in the city. He said he is most proud of being on the council when the city's $26 million debt was resolved in 2006 with a payment plan that has allowed the city to generate a budget surplus.
He said he is also proud that he voted to approve the first new General Plan in the city in 30 years. The plan, adopted in April 2006, lays out a vision to bring more commercial business to the city, and to add mixed-use development along the city's major arteries.
City Manager Mitch Lansdell said Medrano will be difficult to replace.
"Councilman Medrano was a local businessman. He was in the community for a long time," Lansdell said. "He certainly brought to the council a businessman's perspective. That perspective is going to be difficult to replace because, if we look back, the City Council has not had a lot of local business owners."
But Medrano also has faced controversy during his tenure.
In 2003, he was criticized for backing the city's efforts to form a Redevelopment Agency after he had campaigned against such a move.
More recently, he was accused of holding secret meetings with the city's residential and commercial trash haulers in January 2007.
According to the commercial hauler, Waste Resources of Gardena, Medrano solicited illegal campaign contributions. Medrano said the accusations are untrue.
"I'm a Christian; I don't do those things," Medrano said. "It was more humiliation for my family. My kids don't want to hear bad things about their father in school."
Though his time on the council has been bittersweet, Medrano said he is sad to leave.
"I'm going to miss everybody. They've become my second family - employees, city staff," Medrano said. "I really want to thank the people of Gardena for putting their trust in me and electing me."
WHAT'S NEXT
State law dictates that the City Council must decide by April 9 how to replace Oscar Medrano. The council can appoint a successor who would serve until the March 2009 election, or hold a special election for voters to decide, and the replacement would serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 01:27:47 AM PDT
Oscar Medrano has resigned from the Gardena City Council, citing health issues that have restricted his ability to work.
Medrano, who was elected in March 2007 for his second four-year term, has been absent from most council meetings since July, when back surgery limited his movement and left him in severe pain.
He did not attend Tuesday's meeting, instead announcing his resignation in a letter to the council.
"Due to the ongoing, unpredictable health problems that I'm experiencing, it has become very apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member capacity," Medrano wrote.
Medrano, 47, has struggled with degenerative disc disease for three years.
In 2005, halfway through his first term, Medrano underwent back surgery to replace three degenerated vertebrae in his lower back. Four months later, the implants disintegrated and Medrano had to wear special shoes and a back brace. Last year, he had spinal fusion surgery to stabilize his lower spine. The surgery was successful, but Medrano said it left him in constant, severe pain.
He took morphine and other sedatives to dull the pain, but the medicine made him groggy, and he found it difficult to work.
"I still have trouble sitting too long and standing too long," Medrano said. "When I lie down, it's a constant pain. I've been trying not to go back on narcotics. I'll have to live with this the rest of my life. I've gotten closer to my maker, you could say."
At Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Steve Bradford said he is disappointed that Medrano was forced to resign.
"He brought a very homespun, common-sense approach," Bradford said. "His service will be truly missed. But the most important thing is his health and the challenges he faces with his back."
State law dictates that the City Council must decide how to replace Medrano by April 9. The council can either appoint a successor, or hold a special election for voters to decide. If the council appoints someone, that person would serve until the March 2009 election. If the voters decide, the replacement will serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Medrano has managed his family's business, Osmar Jewelry in downtown Gardena, since 1992. He said he plans to sell the business because he can no longer work.
He recently bought a home in Romoland, which is near Sun City in Riverside County, where he will move with his wife and two youngest children. He has five children.
Before he managed the family business, Medrano worked as an X-ray technician until 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he served in the Army.
"I never thought I would leave Gardena," said Medrano, whose family moved to the city from New York in 1964. "It's too expensive. (In Romoland) I won't spend as much money. Land and housing is cheaper."
On the dais, Medrano has been a proponent for small-business owners in the city. He said he is most proud of being on the council when the city's $26 million debt was resolved in 2006 with a payment plan that has allowed the city to generate a budget surplus.
He said he is also proud that he voted to approve the first new General Plan in the city in 30 years. The plan, adopted in April 2006, lays out a vision to bring more commercial business to the city, and to add mixed-use development along the city's major arteries.
City Manager Mitch Lansdell said Medrano will be difficult to replace.
"Councilman Medrano was a local businessman. He was in the community for a long time," Lansdell said. "He certainly brought to the council a businessman's perspective. That perspective is going to be difficult to replace because, if we look back, the City Council has not had a lot of local business owners."
But Medrano also has faced controversy during his tenure.
In 2003, he was criticized for backing the city's efforts to form a Redevelopment Agency after he had campaigned against such a move.
More recently, he was accused of holding secret meetings with the city's residential and commercial trash haulers in January 2007.
According to the commercial hauler, Waste Resources of Gardena, Medrano solicited illegal campaign contributions. Medrano said the accusations are untrue.
"I'm a Christian; I don't do those things," Medrano said. "It was more humiliation for my family. My kids don't want to hear bad things about their father in school."
Though his time on the council has been bittersweet, Medrano said he is sad to leave.
"I'm going to miss everybody. They've become my second family - employees, city staff," Medrano said. "I really want to thank the people of Gardena for putting their trust in me and electing me."
WHAT'S NEXT
State law dictates that the City Council must decide by April 9 how to replace Oscar Medrano. The council can appoint a successor who would serve until the March 2009 election, or hold a special election for voters to decide, and the replacement would serve out Medrano's term until 2011.
Gardena printer to pay thousands in lawsuit
From wire reports
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 11:22:45 PM PDT
The company that prints the Daily Breeze and the national edition of the New York Times and other major newspapers agreed to pay $125,000 to two female employees at its Gardena plant to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit, federal officials said Thursday.
The women alleged they had to endure touching, lewd comments and propositions, and Southwest Offset Printing failed to address their complaints, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit.
Stephen Rogers, vice president of Southwest Offset Printing's human resources department, had no comment when reached by telephone Thursday.
"An employer's duty to keep their employees safe and free from discrimination becomes more important when an employee, like this charging party, worked in an isolated environment with the harasser," said Anna Park, the EEOC's regional attorney for its Los Angeles office, in a statement.
Southwest Offset Printing's Web site states the company is "one of California's largest privately owned printing companies."
The Web site also lists clients such as the Christian Science Monitor and the London Financial Times.
Article Launched: 03/13/2008 11:22:45 PM PDT
The company that prints the Daily Breeze and the national edition of the New York Times and other major newspapers agreed to pay $125,000 to two female employees at its Gardena plant to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit, federal officials said Thursday.
The women alleged they had to endure touching, lewd comments and propositions, and Southwest Offset Printing failed to address their complaints, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit.
Stephen Rogers, vice president of Southwest Offset Printing's human resources department, had no comment when reached by telephone Thursday.
"An employer's duty to keep their employees safe and free from discrimination becomes more important when an employee, like this charging party, worked in an isolated environment with the harasser," said Anna Park, the EEOC's regional attorney for its Los Angeles office, in a statement.
Southwest Offset Printing's Web site states the company is "one of California's largest privately owned printing companies."
The Web site also lists clients such as the Christian Science Monitor and the London Financial Times.
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