W e e k l y RIALTO RECORD
Vol 23, NO. 22
January 23, 2025
Rialto City Council Rejects Motion to Draft Ordinance Addressing Vacancies
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The Rialto City Council on Tuesday voted down a motion to draft an ordinance intended to streamline the process of filling vacant council seats. Residents who supported the highest vote-getter approach argued that it would bring greater transparency and fairness to the process, reducing the potential for partisan maneuvering or lengthy appointment deliberations.
By Christopher Salazar, The Frontline Observer
T
he Rialto City Council on Tuesday voted down a motion to draft an ordinance intended to streamline the process of filling vacant council seats.
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The motion to draft the ordinance failed by a narrow 3-2 margin, with Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott and Councilmembers Andy Carrizales and Edward Montoya Jr. voting no. Residents who supported the highest vote-getter approach argued that it would bring greater transparency and fairness to the process, reducing the potential for partisan maneuvering or lengthy appointment deliberations.
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“You all wanted to make the next highest vote-getter about Ana Gonzalez,” resident Brenda Parker said. “It was not about her. It was about the next highest vote-getter, period, no matter who it would have been.” The proposed ordinance sought to establish a clear protocol for filling vacancies. Under its terms, the seat would automatically go to the next highest vote-getter from the most recent election. If that individual was unavailable, the position would pass to the second or third highest vote-getters, presumably ensuring continuity while
respecting voter preferences. Currently, the ordinance defaults to state law, which requires the Council to fill a vacancy through appointment or special election if a vacancy occurs within the last two years of the term. If a vacancy occurs within the first two years, however, “You have to go to a special election,” said City Attorney Eric Vail. Under a potential highest vote-getter scenario, Ana Gonzalez—a candidate in November’s city council election—would have been the person appointed to the seat. Gonzalez told KVCR in December that she City Council, cont. on next pg.
Armed Suspect Arrested in Rialto After Firing AR-15 Rifle Aimlessly Two Blocks from Police Station By Manny Sandoval
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After the vote, residents criticized the council for misunderstanding the community’s concerns about their proposal.
23-year-old Fontana man was arrested early Thursday, Jan. 16th, after walking through downtown Rialto firing an AR-15 style rifle into the street, authorities said. Police officers apprehended Sebastian Munoz without incident just minutes after receiving multiple 911 calls about gunfire near the Uptown Downtown Bar-Nightclub, only two blocks from the Rialto Police Department. The incident unfolded at approximately 2:22 a.m. when the Rialto Police Department's Communications Center was alerted to a man firing a rifle while walking in the middle of the street in the 200 block of South Riverside Avenue. Officers arrived on the scene in under two minutes, where they found Munoz still armed. He surrendered without resistance, according to a police statement. Investigators said Munoz had been a patron at the Uptown Downtown Bar-
Nightclub until around 2 a.m. before retrieving a rifle and two handguns from his vehicle. When denied re-entry into the business, Munoz reportedly wandered into the street and fired the AR-15 style rifle five to ten times, targeting no one in particular. “There’s someone in the front of my bar right now with a big gun and he’s shooting up into the air. My security stepped outside and he saw the gun,” said a female employee at Uptown Downtown Bar-Nightclub, who called the PD’s dispatch to report the crime. A subsequent search of Munoz's vehicle revealed additional firearms, ammunition, and approximately two ounces of suspected cocaine. Authorities believe Munoz was hallucinating under the influence of alcohol and narcotics at the time of the incident. Munoz was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on multiple charges, including:
PC 25850(c)(6): Possession of a firearm when not the registered owner. PC 25850(a): Carrying a loaded firearm in public. PC 246.3(a): Negligent discharge of a firearm. HS 11370.1: Possession of a firearm while in possession of narcotics. His bail was set at $250,000, but as of January 17, 2025, Munoz remains in custody and is now ineligible for bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 21 at Rancho Superior Court. Rialto police also executed a search warrant at Munoz’s residence, uncovering additional ammunition. The investigation into his possession of the firearms and potential victims or property damage remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Sgt. Nic Parcher at (909) 820-2550 or submit tips anonymously through WeTip at (800) 782-7463, referencing case number 932500538.