News Briefs Auto Dealership Manager to Prison for Embezzlement A former general manager at a <strong>Redwood</strong> City car dealership who took $835,000 by writing himself unauthorized checks to spend on gambling was sentenced to four years prison. Cesar Emilio Caceres, 33, will also be ordered to pay restitution at a hearing June 16. Caceres took the money from Putnum Lexus over a span of approximately eight months beginning last June, said a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office. Caceres had the office manager cut checks from business accounts by saying they were authorized by two of the three necessary people, the spokesperson said. <strong>The</strong> loss was reportedly discovered by the owner while reviewing the auto dealership’s books. <strong>The</strong> money was used by Caceres for gambling, said the spokesperson, although he did not know what type. It is not apparent whether any rehabilitation program or services were offered to Caceres. <strong>Redwood</strong> City police arrested Caceres Feb. 26. On April 2, he pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement and admitted an allegation of theft of more than $200,000. Caceres must serve 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He receives credit for 116 days against the term. Man Accused of Fighting Officers Charged <strong>The</strong> <strong>Redwood</strong> City man who injured two police officers during a brawl after his mother called for help appeared in court on a slew of charges, including allegations he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the altercation. David Torres, 30, pleaded not guilty to one count of resisting an officer resulting in serious great bodily injury, four counts of obstructing an officer in the performance of their duty and one misdemeanor count of being under the influence of drugs. Judge Don Franchi set Torres’ bail at $100,000 and ordered him back for a preliminary hearing May 26. Torres was arrested and hospitalized after confronting officers called to the 400 block of Buckeye Street by his mother. <strong>The</strong> woman reportedly called 911 for an ambulance to transport her son to the hospital. Police encountered Torres, listed as 6 feet 5 inches and 270 pounds, and became involved in a full-out brawl in which a female officer was thrown to the ground and hit her head and another officer sustained a hand injury. Officers got Torres in a wrap device used to restrain combative suspects, but he broke through it, said a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office. <strong>The</strong> use of pepper spray and a baton were similarly not effective, he said. At one point Torres reportedly grew tired and lost consciousness, at which time he was transferred to Stanford Medical Center. At the hospital, Torres tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine. www.<strong>Spectrum</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.net At the time of the incident, police told the Daily Journal Torres had prior brain damage due to a motorcycle crash. Torres also has a prior criminal history, including multiple charges of domestic violence, driving while under the influence and drug possession, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Acquitted, But Man Must Pay Restitution A man who pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon after his murder trial in San Mateo County Superior Court resulted in a hung jury was ordered to pay restitution to the victim’s family. Samuel Blackmon, 46, was released from jail in early April following Judge Mark Forcum’s declaration of a mistrial. Blackmon was accused of fatally shooting his lover’s husband, Jeffrey Henderson, on July 6, 2006. Instead of holding a second trial, prosecutor Al Giannini and defense attorney Lisa Maguire struck a plea deal. On April 1, Blackmon pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to two years in prison. With credit for time served since his arrest in 2007, he was released from jail that week and placed on parole for four years. According to Giannini, the trial was based largely on circumstantial evidence. Cell phone records tied Blackmon to the area of the murder in <strong>Redwood</strong> City when Henderson was killed, but Blackmon insisted he was in the East Bay at the time of the shooting, Giannini said. Blackmon appeared in court dressed in a gray suit and listened as Judge Forcum told him he would have to pay restitution of $7,894 to the State Board of Equalization. Blackmon was also ordered to pay restitution to Beatriz Buttler, the woman caught in the bizarre love triangle, and Joyce Henderson McCloud, sister of Henderson, in amounts to be determined, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office. Blackmon declined to comment outside the courtroom. Couple Take Deal in Auto Body Fraud Case <strong>The</strong> auto body repair shop owners accused of defrauding car owners and insurance companies by faking rodent damage with painted dead mice and droppings could both serve time and pay back more than $1 million under plea deals reached. Bita Imani, 35, and her husband, Mehran Baranriz, 45, owned and ran Group Specialists, a <strong>Redwood</strong> City–based Mercedes and BMW auto service and repair business. Three days into a preliminary hearing for both, each settled their cases and agreed to pay full restitution even in the charges that were dismissed. <strong>The</strong> amount could total more than $1 million, said a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office. Imani pleaded no contest to tax fraud in return for no prison and up to a year in jail. Baranriz pleaded no contest to 10 counts of felony insurance fraud in return for no more than six years prison. Both had been charged with 56 counts of presenting fraudulent claims and five counts of grand theft by false pretenses. <strong>The</strong>y return to court Aug. 18 for sentencing. According to the prosecution, the couple used dead rodents and droppings to convince customers they needed $1.2 million in fraudulent repair between January 2003 and March 2007. <strong>The</strong> fraud was uncovered by a State Farm Insurance audit to determine the statewide average cost of rodent damage. Baranriz remains in custody in lieu of $1.5 million bail while Imani is out of custody on a $750,000 bail bond. Police Arrest Patient for Leaving Hospital A 60-year-old tuberculosis patient quarantined at a <strong>Redwood</strong> City hospital was arrested for repeatedly violating a public health order not to leave while he remained contagious, according to the district attorney’s office. Charles Dvorak, 60, of San Mateo, was admitted to Kaiser Medical Center April 27 and diagnosed with contagious tuberculosis. He was immediately quarantined in a room with a specialized air filtration system, but he kept turning off the equipment and leaving, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. On May 6, the Health Department issued a formal quarantine order and warned Dvorak that violating it was a misdemeanor, Wagstaffe said. However, in the next three days he reportedly left the room eight to 10 times. On May 8, the district attorney’s office received a $100,000 arrest warrant and Dvorak was transported from the hospital to the Maguire Correctional Facility, where he was placed in a negative-pressure isolation room. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that attacks the lungs and can prove deadly. It is spread through the air when infected patients cough, sneeze or spit. Dvorak was arraigned but did not appear in court because of his medical state. <strong>The</strong> court appointed a private defender and ordered him back May 14. Health Department spokeswoman Doris Estrema did not return a call for comment about Dvorak’s case and the county quarantine policy. Wagstaffe said this is the first time he can recall prosecuting such a case. <strong>The</strong> reason for Dvorak’s initial hospitalization was not released, but prosecutors have deemed him a “chronic alcoholic” and say he has at least 75 drunk-in-public cases dating back to 1987. Pedestrian Struck, Killed A 35-year-old man who was walking on Highway 101 in <strong>Redwood</strong> City died after he was hit by a Mazda driven by a San Mateo woman, according to the California Highway Patrol. (continues on page 32)
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