GDP report
‘Big George Foreman’
U.S. economy growing at slower pace - A3
Review: Director and actors stress film’s realism - B1
Our 167th Year
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NEWS-PRESS EXCLUSIVE
Judge rejects plea bargain in sexual abuse case Same suspect is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter for allegedly causing deadly, head-on crash By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A judge has rejected a proposed plea bargain on a sexual abuse case involving a Goleta man who was later charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for allegedly causing a headon crash that killed two young Lompoc women. In the earlier case, the defendant, Kyle
Santa Maria strawberry festival begins today
Nelson, 23, was charged with two felony counts of oral copulation upon a child younger than 14 between Feb. 1 and Feb. 6, 2020. A third felony count charged him with lewd or lascivious act upon a child. Prosecutors alleged the young male victim was prevented from resisting the defendant due to an intoxicating, anesthetic or controlled substance, and that the victim was unconscious of the nature of the act by being unconscious
and/or asleep. The reason the judge nullified the tentative plea bargain stems directly from the fact that Mr. Nelson was later charged in the fatal Oct. 28 collision on State Route 1 in Gaviota that took the lives of Jenna Corrin Causby, 19, and Dorothy Guthrie, 20. Prosecutors decided to call off the deal, and they asked the court to rule that the agreed-upon plea bargain was invalid.
“The Court granted the People’s request and rejected the prior plea agreement,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Weichbrod told the NewsPress. “The case was on for sentencing when the new vehicular homicide case occurred.” The prosecutor declined to comment on the terms of Mr. Nelson’s plea bargain. “I was not (at the time) the DDA assigned to that case so I can’t comment
All kinds of thrills at the fair
By NEIL HARTSTEIN
By CALEB BEEGHLY NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Today marks the start of the much-anticipated Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival, celebrating Santa Barbara County’s No. 1 commodity. Festival-goers can enjoy a range of activities including carnival rides, strawberry tasting and the children’s coloring contest, among other favorites. The festival, which runs through Sunday at Santa Maria Fairpark, promises to be a reflection of the community, showcasing local businesses, big and small. Additionally, scheduled performances — from noon until 10 p.m. daily — will take place on the Center Stage. This year’s festival brings a new addition, the Chalk Festival, where artists, young and old, can showcase their talents, transforming an area in front of the convention center into a gallery of strawberry themed masterpieces. Visitors can also look forward to an expanded Classic Car Show, featuring classic cars from the 1930s to the 1970s. Visitors can purchase tickets at the gate: $15 for adults (1261), $13 for youth (6-11) and seniors (62-plus), while children under five years old can enter for free. The daily unlimited ride wristbands cost $40.00, and daily parking is available for $10. Today, seniors (62-plus) can enter the festival for free, while on Saturday, youth (6-11) can enter for only $5 all day. The gates will be open from noon until 10 p.m. daily at Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg.
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email: cbeeghly@newspress.com
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he All-Alaskan Racing Pigs sprint from the start line at the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo Thursday at Earl Warren Showgrounds. This year’s theme is “Barrels of Fun,” and the fun varied from the racing pigs to a roller coaster where riders, in the other photo, braced for the first drop. The fair continues today through Sunday at the showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. The fair’s activities vary from entertainment such as a hypnotist and magician to freestyle extreme motocross events on Saturday and Sunday. The motocross event will feature X-Games Gold medalist Adam Jones and some of his friends, who will perform live tricks and jumps. For more about the fair, go to earlwarren.com/fair-andexpo.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John R. Savrnoch announced Thursday that retired county Deputy Probation Officer Manuel Edward Torres, 67, pled guilty to a felony charge of theft of public funds between Jan. 1, 2009 and June 30, 2019. He embezzled about $635,000 from a Santa Barbara County Probation Peace Officer Association bank account funded by money taken out of members’ paychecks. Mr. Torres also admitted an enhancement that the theft exceeded $500,000, and he admitted to aggravating factors that the crime occurred while occupying a position of leadership, that he took advantage of a position of trust and that the crime included a great monetary value. He previously pled guilty on Aug. 4, 2022 to eight counts of filing false tax returns in violation of the Revenue and Taxation code for tax years 2012-2019 and was pending sentencing on those charges. Charges were filed on the embezzlement charge in July 2020 after a year-long investigation by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations. He was employed by the Santa Barbara County Probation Department as a deputy probation officer from 1986 to July 2019 when he retired. Shortly after his retirement, the Probation Department contacted the District Attorney’s Office after a review of financial records of the SBC Probation Peace Officer Association uncovered embezzlement by Mr. Torres, who had acted as SBCPPOA president for more than 20 years. The D.A.’s investigation determined Mr. Torres was embezzling money from a union bank account that was being funded by union dues taken out of each member’s paycheck by the county and directly deposited into the bank account. The total amount he embezzled from the union from 2009-2019 was approximately $635,000. He will return to court on July 6 when he will be sentenced to 11 years in state prison for the theft of public funds and tax charges, and be ordered to pay restitution to the union and the California Franchise Tax Board in an amount to be determined on that date. In addition, the District Attorney’s Office will report his conviction to the county Employees Retirement System, which will proceed with administrative action to have Mr. Torres forfeit his retirement benefits earned and accrued from Jan. 1, 2009 to June 30, 2019. email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com
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Retired deputy probation officer pleads guilty to theft of public funds NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Event runs through Sunday at SM Fairpark
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on any prior negotiations,” he said. “That being said, certain factors such as a lack of a criminal history and doing well while released from custody, are factors in mitigation that we would use in negotiating a plea,” the deputy district attorney said. “When those factors cease to exist (i.e. the defendant is alleged to have committed a new serious offense, in this Please see PLEA on A4
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Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-7-11-23-46 Mega: 8
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