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Volume 171 • Issue 46 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, April 18, 2022
Vazquez-Orozco guilty in deputy’s murder Thomas Frey Staff writer
the verdict was read. “We owe Deputy Brian Ishmael and his family After deliberating our gratitude and so for more than a week a much more. The least jury found Juan Carlos they deserve is justice and Vazquez-Orozco guilty I want to thank the jury of murdering El Dorado who delivered that today.” County sheriff ’s deputy Vazquez-Orozco will be Brian Ishmael in the sentenced May 13 along second degree. with Christopher Ross, Deliberating over three who was also charged counts against Vazquezin Ishmael’s murder Brian Ishmael Orozco since April 6, the but entered a guilty jury’s verdict came in plea early in the trial Friday morning. process, according to El Dorado County Vazquez-Orozco was also found guilty chief assistant district attorney Joe of assault with a firearm on three other Alexander. Ross was convicted of felony deputies, including Brian Shelton, voluntary manslaughter and possession Shawn Taroli and San Joaquin County of marijuana for sale. deputy Joshua Tasabia, who took a “Hopefully the guilty verdicts in this bullet in his hip. case help the victims, their families “What I said at the time of this and this community feel that justice callous murder remains true today, we has been served and help to continue lost one of our heroes,” said El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini after n See guilty, page A8
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
Juan Carlos Vazquez-Orozco is escorted out of an El Dorado County Superior Court courtroom April 15. A jury found him guilty of second degree murder of deputy Brian Ishmael.
Man gets 50 to life for 2013 Tahoe murder Tahoe Daily Tribune
Mountain Democrat photo by Thomas Frey
Victor Antonio, El Dorado County Child Abuse Prevention Council commissioner and executive director of New Morning Youth and Family Services, gets ready for the Children’s Memorial Day event planned for Friday. The Child Abuse Prevention Flag, laid out across the table, will be raised and participants can make the child abuse prevention pledge to raise awareness by signing a blue pinwheel, which Antonio demonstrates.
Memorial flag to be raised for children lost to violence Thomas Frey Staff writer El Dorado County’s Child Abuse Prevention Council will host a Children’s Memorial Day ceremony at the Diamond Springs Fire Station 49 April 22 from 10-10:30 a.m. The event has been taking place all over the state since 1997 and the Child Abuse PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Prevention Flag will be raised to remember children who have died due to abuse, violence and neglect. Each year more than 3 million cases of child abuse are reported in the U.S. and more than 1,700 children die as a result of abuse and neglect, according to county Child Abuse Prevention Council Commissioner Victor Antonio. He is also the executive director
of New Morning Youth and Family Services. In 2021 there were 226 cases of abuse/or neglect reported to county Child Protective Services that were investigated and found to be substantiated, according to Child Welfare Services data. “I’ve seen and read the tragedy n
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — A man convicted of murdering a gas station attendant at Lake Tahoe in 2013 was sentenced this week to life in prison. Sean Thomas Donohue was handed the Sean Donohue 50-years-tolife sentence on Wednesday for the cold-blooded killing of Manpreet Singh by Judge Suzanne Kingsbury in a South Lake Tahoe courtroom. Singh’s family was not able to travel from India to face their son’s killer but they did provide a powerful impact statement, where they described that the murder of their son resulted in their lives being over, stated a news release from the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Singh immigrated to Lake Tahoe for a better life for he and his family and, at 27, his life was taken for no reason at all. Kingsbury spoke about the overflowing effect of this homicide; how Singh’s family will never experience the joys of watching him grow up, have babies, have a career, and, for them, this horrific murder has forever changed their lives for the worse. District Attorney Vern Pierson and Deputy District Attorney Kassie Cardullo argued for the maximum sentence of 50 years to life. South Lake Tahoe police detectives and FBI agents filled the audience, as they worked alongside the District Attorney’s Office to
See child abuse, page A3
n
See Tahoe murder, page A2
Harkin to represent District 5 on Planning Commision Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County Supervisors officially voted Pollock Pines realtor Daniel Harkin as the new El Dorado County District 5 Planning Commissioner April 12. The 52-year-old Bay Area native has lived in Pollock Pines for 16 years and has been a realtor for Z Group
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Real Estate for 6 years. Harkin worked as a technician for AT&T before getting his realtor license. Harkin previously lived in Marin and Santa Rosa before making his way up the West Slope in 2006 with wife Michelle. They have three children. As a child he and his family would camp in El Dorado County and had a cabin near Strawberry.
Though he has not served on a commission or committee before, Harkin told the Mountain Democrat he is an involved Pollock Pines community member. “There are a few projects that take place here at Z Group that the agents take part in, like the Wagon Train and the Pollock Pines Cleanup Day,” Harkin said.
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It’s the community’s togetherness demonstrated in events like these that Harkin said moved him to become involved in Planning Commission. Harkin replaces former Planning Commissioner Amanda Ross, who moved out of the county, according to District 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel. Ross’ last
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