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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2023
VOLUME 172 • ISSUE 144 | $1.00
Pioneer principal pleads guilty to child sex crimes Odin Rasco Staff writer The Pioneer Elementary School principal arrested in October for sex crimes involving children pleaded guilty in court Monday to distributing pornography to a minor and contacting a minor for the purposes of committing a sexual offense. Boyd Holler, 37, began speaking with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl on a chat app called Kik the month prior to his arrest, according to an El Dorado County
BOYD HOLLER District Attorney’s Office press release. The girl, referred to as J. Doe by court documents, told Holler
her age, that she was in seventh grade and lived in Philadelphia. Doe sent photos of herself that showed she “was clearly and unequivocally a prepubescent minor,” according to the press release. Holler responded to this information by indicating he was interested in Doe and wanted to meet and have sex with her. In the weeks following their initial conversation, the DA found Holler continued to communicate with Doe from his office at the school, the Pleasant
Valley Holiday Market and his home in Pollock Pines. He sent pornographic videos, a photo of his penis and a photo of another man’s penis he claimed was his own, and repeatedly asked the girl for sexually explicit photos of herself. “Despite (Holler’s) outward appearance as a pillar in the educational community — he has a sexual interest in children that he appears to have kept hidden for some time,” reads a court document submitted by the DA’s n See PRINCIPAL, page A7
Old-time Christmas
Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
The festive spirit was readily present at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Dec. 9 and 10 as locals and out-of-towners participated in the holiday fun at Christmas in Coloma. Taking a break from visiting the historical buildings and merchant booths, county residents Sarah and Luke Haley built a wreath from the pile of fresh materials provided by park staff.
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County places ban on syringe programs remain ■ Fate of Sierra leaders unconvinced of its and say it Harm unknown effectiveness is only enabling those Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County officially has a new urgency ordinance that prohibits the operation of syringe exchange programs in its unincorporated areas. Citing concerns, including elevated risk of overdose deaths and negative effects of improperly disposed paraphernalia, mainly needles, the Board of Supervisors approved the second reading of Ordinance 5189 during its Dec. 12 meeting. Sierra Harm Reduction Coalition started operating in El Dorado County by direction of the California Department of Public Health in 2019 with the intent of providing services that would prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases by exchanging clients’ used syringes for clean ones. Sierra Harm also provides overdose treatments and fentanyl test kits and conducts syringe cleanups of public places. The coalition works to shift clients from harmful practices to a “recoveryready” mentality by referring them to treatment and health services. However, county
who are using drugs. The District Attorney’s Office reported overdose deaths increased by 500% from 2019 to 2021 and 43 deaths were reported in 2022. In contrast, Sierra Harm Executive Director Tom Ewing reported the coalition distributed 7,851 doses of Narcan, an overdose treatment, in the past three years, and their clients have reported using that to reverse 1,057 overdoses. “Right now, the fatal overdose rate in EDC is already far too high,” Ewing stated in an email to the Mountain Democrat. “It hurts to imagine how much worse it would be if we were not out there working with the exact people most likely to be present for an overdose.” Ewing also said they have had success in navigating 51 individuals to long-term recovery and treatment in 2023. Forty-eight were helped in 2022. During the ordinance’s first reading last week, county leaders, including most members of the board, Sheriff Jeff Leikauf and District Attorney Vern Pierson, advocated for the ban. They claimed syringe exchange programs n See BAN, page A7
Shots fired inside Placerville hotel Odin Rasco Staff writer A 77-year-old Monterey woman was apprehended by law enforcement Tuesday evening after shots were fired in the Best Western Hotel at 6850 Green Leaf Drive in Placerville. Michele Jason reportedly fired a
gun once in her hotel room, and then fired a second shot in the direction of a hotel employee shortly before 5:21 p.m, according to an El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office press release. Jason was said to have then walked to the Casa Los Abuelos restaurant located near the hotel, where she was contacted by EDSO deputies. Following investigation by deputies,
Jason was arrested and booked into the El Dorado County Jail. As of press time, Jason was held in the jail on $75,000 bail, and faces felony charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a weapon. No further details were available, as the situation is still under investigation. Lic # 559305
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