MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015 - FEBRUARY 22, 2015
riversideindependent.com
Former Alhambra High School Administrator Gets 10 Year Prison Term By Terry Miller
A
Andrea Cardosa
fired approximately 5-6 rounds, striking the victim. The victim, Lareanz Simmons, was a well-liked Riverside Poly High School student who was only 14 years old. Lareanz had no gang affiliation and was a popular, caring kid who was active in his community through his work with the Junior ROTC
Some cities in this country would be lucky to call one wonderful singer their very own. But for Riverside, two wonderful singers from the UC Riverside community are starring in “American Idol” on Fox, as reported the UCR Today website. On Thursday, Jan. 29, viewers met the two young singers in Idol's San Francisco audition who, amazingly, both made it on to the next round of the competition. A current student, 18-yearold UC Riverside first year Adanna Duru performed a cover of the song “You and I” by Lady Gaga and the judges were impressed. They loved her rendition and they all said she should go on to the next level. Rocky Peter Ajoku, a UC Riverside graduate from the class of 2013, had his turn to sing, but instead of a cover, he performed his own song called “Wrong Places,” for which he was also awarded the chance to advance to the next round. One would think that these singers were performing arts majors, but Ajoku actually earned a biological sciences degree. What does not come as a surprise is that Ajoku made a lot of music at UCR: in stairwells with excellent acoustics, standing outside at night by the bell tower, and singing freestyle at local donut shops, reported UCR Today. If you pay attention, you can spot him on local billboards for the show holding the a coveted ticket in
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– Facebook photo
Riverside Gang Members Arrested in Lareanz Simmons Murder On Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, officers from the Riverside Police Department responded to the 2200 block of Georgia Street, after receiving numerous reports of a shooting in the area. Officers located a 14-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound. Personnel from the Riverside Fire Department and AMR transported the victim to Riverside Com-
Double U.C. Riverside Trouble on American Idon By Vickie Vértiz
former school administrator in Alhambra who molested two Riverside County girls — one of whom confronted her in a recorded telephone call later posted online — was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison. Andrea Cardosa will spend the next decade behind bars. She was arrested in February 2014. Attorneys for Jamie C. held a press conference after the sentencing in the high-profile sexual abuse case Monday outlining the case and giving the victim a chance to speak out on her pain and suffering at the hands of an adult. Taylor & Ring represented Jamie C. against the former Riverside teacher who also held a high position in Alhambra school district, Andrea CarPlease see page 2
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munity Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Homicide Investigators responded to the scene and were assisted in their investigation by personnel from the Gang and Forensic Units. Information received at the scene indicated that a vehicle drove to the location and a male subject exited the vehicle. The male subject then
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H.S. Administrator Gets 10 Years Continued from page 1
dosa, for the sexual abuse of their client while she attended Chemawa Middle School from 1997 to 2001. At the conclusion of the press conference Jamie C. added the following: “As a child, I looked up to Andrea Cardosa. I trusted her. She made me think that she was my friend, my mentor, and someone who had my best interest at heart. As an adult, I can see now what she has really done to me. Ms. Cardosa played on my innocence and my vulnerability and knew that I was an easy target. “As an adult, Ms. Cardosa knew it was wrong but she did it anyway. “I’m an adult now, just a few years older than the age Ms. Cardosa was when I first
met her. As an adult, I am standing up for my twelveyear-old self who did not have anyone to fight for her. For that twelve-year-old child that will be forever lost because you took her away. My twelve-yearold self never had a chance. She manipulated and brainwashed me and isolated me from my friends and family. I will never know the childhood I was supposed to have because Ms. Cardosa took that from me. Ms. Cardosa got her hooks in me and wouldn’t let go. “Ms. Cardosa made me think that I was getting a life of luxury by giving me things and taking me places but in reality it all came at a price. I paid with my life. A lifetime of horrible memories of abuse and
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questions of why that can never be answered. “There is no excuse for what Ms. Cardosa did. When I think about my eleven-year-old step-daughter and how I would feel if the same thing happened to her and I ask myself, ‘Would I be okay with her teacher or her coach “taking her under their wing”.’As Ms. Cardosa used to say to people about me. My answer is always the same, absolutely not. It is never okay for an adult to betray the trust of a child for any reason. Ms. Cardosa disgusts me. “Because of her, I now live in fear for my own children. I fear for them every day I have to send them to school, with a baby sitter or even church. I fear for them when they are not in my sight because of her. Because I know how easily someone could take away their innocence for their own sick, selfish reasons. “I don’t believe Ms. Cardosa when she said that she ‘regrets it.’ I think the only thing she regrets is getting caught. She even lied when she said I was the only one that she did this to. Another victim, Jane Doe 2, came forward and who knows how many others she has scarred and ruined for the rest of their lives. She knew better. She knew exactly what she was doing. And for that, she deserves to be in jail. Ms.Cardosa has sentenced me to a lifetime of pain, mistrust, bad memories, nightmares, and depression. It has been seventeen years that I have had to live with what she has done to me. She should consider herself lucky that her sentence is not as long as the sentence that she gave to me because if it were up to me, she would stay in jail just as long as I have to endure the hurt that she has caused me.”
32nd Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition More than 550 local high school students are participating in the month-long legal competition known as the 32nd Annual Riverside County Mock Trial which started last Wednesday and is leading to the final competition on Saturday, Mar. 7. Four-time consecutive champions, Riverside Poly High School, will face legal challenges from 26 other high schools from throughout Riverside County in multiple rounds of competition. Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges and scored by real attorneys. The competition is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 enrolled in public and private high schools in Riverside County. Teams consist of 8-25 students filling the courtroom roles of defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, clerk, and more. The winning county team will represent Riverside County at the California Mock Trial competition to be held March 20-22 in Riverside. In this year’s event, students will argue the fictional case entitled: People v. Shem. People v. Shem is the trial of Evan Shem, who is studying for a Master’s of Fine Arts degree at Hamiltonia University. Shem faces one felony count, theft by larceny, for the theft of Treason, a painting by Fletcher Yazoo. For a complete listing of the locations and schedules for all rounds of the competition, visit www.rcoe.us/studentevents/mock-trial.
Intervention Program FEBRUARY 16, 2015 - FEBRUARY 22, 2015 | 3
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Double U.C. Riverside Contestants on American Idol Continued from page 1
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Rocky Peter Ajoku – Courtesy American Idol.com
3800 Orange street Riverside CA, 92501
Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452
with a service group called Legends, who clean up campus streets “every weekend and offer ... free tutoring programs in local high schools every week day,” according to the website. “If I had to choose a university to attend all over again, UCR will always be my number one choice,” Ajoku said. Duru, the other contestant, described on the show how her mother encouraged her to sing as a child. She even got on to another singing show, “The Voice,” at the age of 15. Duru also made it on “America’s Got Talent.” UCR Highlanders were so excited to watch Duru on televi-
sion that more than 70 people got together in a dorm hall to watch her on the show. If it was not amazing enough that both singers made it to the next level of competition, after Duru sang her cover, Lady Gaga herself tweeted her response to the performance and said, “Just watched @adannaduru sing 'You and I' for her American Idol audition! … GO GIRL, GET THAT AUDTION, work that song!” With encouragement like that, Duru is sure to find all the motivation she needs to succeed. Good luck to Riverside's own Rocky Peter Ajoku and Adanna Daru--you've got an entire county in your corner!
Alhambra PRESS
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Adanna Daru – Courtesy American Idol.com
his hand. Ajoku is the son of immigrant parents, with a difficult childhood behind him and his brother in Nigeria. Although he was born in the United States, when his parents separated his mother took her children back to Nigeria. Eventually, Ajoku returned to the U.S. and lived in Fontana and was struggling. The article said that he worked “hard at a community college and transferred into UCR, working in a lab during his time in school.” He had nothing but positive things to say about his years at UCR. “UCR is more than a school,” he said. “It is a family full of people who share a common goal of love and service to our community.” One of those people was Ajoku, who gave back to his community by volunteering
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Gang Members Arrested Continued from page 1
program. On Feb. 4, 2015, the Riverside Police Department's Homicide and Gang Unit filed charges against Cristian Velasquez, 23, and Manuel Barbarin, 24, both from Riverside, in connection with the murder of Lareanz Simmons. Both suspects are currently in custody on unrelated charges and are well documented gang members in Riverside's Eastside neighborhood. Detectives believe the shooting was gang motivated and racially motivated. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office filed charges on Cristian Velasquez and Manuel Barbarin for 187 PC, First Degree Murder with Special Circumstances, 190.2(a) (1 6) Hate Crime and 190.2(a) (22) Gang Violence. Both suspects are eligible for the death penalty. Detectives are actively looking into a potential third suspect that may be involved in the murder. New developments and leads that have come to the attention of the handling detectives will be given priority in the investigation. The Riverside Police Department is asking for the continued assistance from the public and wants to remind anyone with information to please contact Riverside Police Detective
Suspect Cristian Velasquez – Courtesy photo
Suspect Manuel Barbarin – Courtesy photo
Adrian Tillett at 951-353-7105 or Detective Mike Medici at 951-353-7104. If you wish to remain anonymous contact We Tip at 1(800)78-CRIME or 1(800) 782-7463.
Every Day Counts Conference to Address Chronic Absenteeism The Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) will offer a one-day conference on Feb. 23, addressing chronic absenteeism in local schools featuring Hedy Chang from the nationally-known initiative, Attendance Works. The conference, Every Day Counts, includes a full day of workshops from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the RCOE Conference Center, 3958 Twelfth Street, Riverside. Speakers include Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Young, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin and special guest speaker Jill Habig, Assistant Attorney General for the State of California. The cost is $75 and includes breakfast, lunch, and materials. “Reducing chronic absenteeism and ensuring student success starts with strong partnerships among schools, within families, in coordination with governmental agencies, and integrated with community partners,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Kenneth M. Young. “The surest means for closing the academic achievement gap is to address the gap preemptively before it establishes itself.” Attendance Works is a na-
tional initiative that promotes awareness about the important role attendance plays in achieving academic success. The goal is to ensure districts track chronic absence data beginning in kindergarten or ideally earlier, and partner with community agencies to address attendance problems in local schools. Chang, Director of Attendance Works, said chronic absenteeism is not just a financial problem for schools, but also creates serious social and economic problems for entire communities; hence the need to work with community partners to solve the problem. “I believe chronic absence is a sign that we, as a society, are failing to provide pathways out of poverty and are instead creating an entrenched underclass that, if it continues to grow, will undermine the economic and social health for our entire country,” Chang said in a recent interview. For additional information on the conference, please contact Jasmine Marquez, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, at (951) 358-3764, or Catherine Belcher, Administrative Assistant at RCOE, (951) 826-6321.
Fatal Traffic Collision On Thursday, Feb. 5, at about 9:43 PM, members of the Riverside Police and Fire Departments responded to reports of a collision involving a single vehicle into a light pole on Van Buren Blvd. near Challen Ave. Officers determined a 2006 Toyota Tundra was traveling south bound on Van Buren Blvd. at a high rate of speed. The driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a concrete light pole. The driver, a 21-year-old
Riverside resident, sustained serious injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. His identity is not being released at this time and is pending the Coroner's investigation. The Riverside Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team responded and investigated the collision. Anyone with information related to this investigation is urged to contact Detective Ken Madsen at (951) 826-8723.