Santa Maria Police Officer Covarrubia's Funeral Set For Monday in California

Officer Albert Covarrubias Jr.

Photo: Family/KSBY dot com

Officer Covarrubias killed by fellow officer while resisting arrest.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 5, 2012

Santa Maria, CA - The final respects for slain Santa Maria Police Officer Albert Covarrubias, 29, will be held on Monday beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Dudley Hoffman Funeral Home in Santa Maria, followed by burial at the local Santa Maria Cemetry, family members announced. Albert Covarrubias Sr., the officer's father confirmed to local media KSBY dot com, that no police officers will be allowed to attend Monday's funeral services.
Santa Maria Police Chief Danny Macagni hasn't confirmed, if he will try to attend the funeral service or stay away in due respect of the Covarrubias' family wishes banning any officer from the service. No city public elected official has confirmed either, if any of them will attempt to attend the funeral for the slain officer.
Officer Covarrubias was accused of several felonies, including having a sexual misconduct affair with a 17-year-old high school girl enrolled in the police department explorer program, according to the preliminary complaint. Chief Macagni said, Officer Covarrubias became a danger to himself and the victim, which led two police supervisors to try and take the officer into custody. They went to arrest Officer Covarrubias at a OWI checkpoint on early January 28, but the officer resisted, struggled with both supervisors and discharged his weapon.
Officer Matthew "Matt" Kline fatally shot Covarrubias once in the chest. He died at a local hospital. Kline was Covarrubias's partner at the OWI checkpoint and supposedly a best friend.
Kline remains in paid administrative leave pending the outcome of Officer Covarrubias' shooting death investigation.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is investigating the fatal shooting. Covarrubias had worked for the department for four years and had recently been married. Officer Kline participated in Covarrubias' Las Vegas wedding last month.
The Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce had their annual luncheon scheduled for next Wednesday to honor police officers, but announced that it had postponed the event. No date has been rescheduled yet, according to KSBY news.

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Milwaukee Police Crack Down On OWI In The Southside Resulted In 51 Stops

Milwaukee police come short of setting up OWI checkpoints like Waukegan police.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 4, 2012

Milwaukee - On Friday, a Milwaukee police OWI deployment special unit began another operation to spot, stop, cite and arrest suspected drivers operating while intoxicated. The officers involved in the operation look for signs to enagage in a stop like someone driving without lights, weaving on the street, driving to slow, having bright lights or a burn out light and etc. Police come short of setting up OWI checkpoints in the predominately Hispanic community where most likely a large of concentration of undocumented drivers can be found cruising in the area.
Milwaukee police action compared to the neighboring state of Illinois where police in the City of Waukegan routinely setup checkpoints for OWI, usually have a large arrest quota for undocumented drivers without valid documents.
The southside of Milwaukee had a large concentration of OWI accidents last year, including undocumented OWI drivers involved in accidents causing deaths. But, the southside is being trageted to improve safe and sober driving conditions, especially during the weekends. 
Other areas where large concentration of OWI drivers flourish are in Milwaukee's downtown nightclub scenes during closing hours, Miller Park, after games and area Summer festivals as well. OWI is an epidemic in Milwaukee, especially when drivers consuming alcohol or substance abuse, decide to get on their vehicles and drive home or other destinations raising the percentage point of getting into an probable accident.
On Friday and early hours of Saturday, the Milwaukee police OWI deployment unit had a productive operation. The Milwaukee Police Department Facebook page reported the following statistics on Saturday, "NTF motorcycle officers on OWI deployment last night make 5 arrests of repeat drunken drivers; 18 arrests for operating after revocation/suspension. Total of 51 traffic stops. 1 felony arrest for driver of a stolen car. We also know that other crime goes down when officers are in the deployment areas, like fewer shots fired in those neighborhoods."
More visible deployment operations by the police department could become a major factor to reducing OWI driving in the southside during the weekends, which could very well save lives.
The southside 12th Aldermanic District and adjacent 4th, 8th and 14th  districts have more alcohol and beer selling establishments per block than any other aldermanic districts in the City of Milwaukee.

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Al-Mujaahid Won't Get Charged For Shooting At Armed Robber With Rifle At Aldi's Grocery Store

Dierre D. Cotton

Edyon M. Hibbler

Nazir al-Mujaahid

Al-Mujaahid said he had no choice, but to protect his wife, customers and everyone inside the store.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 3, 2012

Milwaukee - On early Friday, Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm announced, that Nazir al-Mujaahid, 35, who has a Conceal Carry Permit won't be charged for shooting at a robbery suspect armed with a rifle on Monday at a northside grocery store. Chisholm said, Al-Mujaahid acted in a proper manner, was justified to shoot at the suspect and had put himself in danger to protect his wife, customers and a cashier.
Al-Mujaahid went inside the Aldi's grocery store at the 7600 block of West Villard St. to shop. The store has a posted sign prohibiting conceal weapons.
Al-Mujaahid says, he didn't noticed the sign, but if he did, he would have gone shopping somewhere else. While at the store, a suspect holding a rifle walked in and pointed the gun at a cashier and began to yell at her. Al-Mujaahid decided to act by pulling out his conceal weapon in order to protect his wife and everyone inside. The robbery suspect saw Al-Mujaahid with a handgun and pointed the rifle at him. Al-Mujaahid reacted by firing shots at the suspect multiple times striking him twice, including a graze to right side of the forehead.
The suspect dropped the rifle, the money bag and fled with another man also involved in the robbery. Police later arrested both suspects at a local hospital who were seeking treatment. The rifle used by one of the suspects was recovered at the scene by police. Police determined that the rifle was unloaded.
The suspects were identified as Dierre D. Cotton, 20, and Edyon M. Hibbler, 21. They were charged for Aldi armed robbery on Friday, including several other robberies in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
Cotton was shot by Al-Mujaahid several times, including a grazed to his forehead. Cotton was charged with three counts of armed robbery and Hibbler with two counts of armed robbery, including each suspect was charged with additional counts for use of force and party to a crime. All charges are felony counts.
Al-Mujaahid says, that he had just received his Conceal Weapon Permit several weeks ago. Stores that have posted signs prohibiting conceal weapons are criminal friendly zones, according to Al-Mujaahid. Criminals don't need permits to carry weapons or follow signs that prohibit weapons.
Under the Conceal Carry state law, stores or businesses that post signs prohibiting conceal weapons are not exempt from liability, if someone gets shot inside.

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Milwaukee County Sheriff Clarke Concedes And Won't Challenge Next Week Layoffs Of 48 Deputies

Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.

Sheriff Clarke recinded last month's order for targeted deputies to be laid off to return to work.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 2, 2012

Milwaukee - On Thursday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. announced, that he won't challenge the decision by both Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge John Pocan and the state Employment Relations Commission to layoff 48 deputies by next Monday. The County Board approved the layoffs of 68 deputies, but within the last two months of 2011 about 20 deputies, including supervisors had retired reducing the pink slips notices of layoffs to only 48 deputies. Clarke recinded last December's notice for deputies to disregard pink slips and continue working through the New Year.
Sheriff Clarke confirmed, that deputies effected will continue to show up for work until the Milwaukee County Human Resources Department reissues the layoff pink slips.
The Milwaukee County Board and County Executive Chris Abele through a Corporation attorney filed a lawsuit in January 2012 to force Sheriff Clarke to layoff the deputies. Clarke failed to layoff deputies that received pink slips by December 31st and ignored 2012 budget actions taken by the County Board. The County Board and Abele approved $13 million in cuts from the 2012 sheriff's office to help offset the county deficit.
Currently, there are about 320 deputies in active duty, compared to year 2002, when the sheriff's department employed at least 692, according to the county.

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U.S. Federal Officials Who Allowed Straw Purchased Guns Into Mexico For Drug Cartels To Be Fired And Charged

U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry killed with a Fast and Furious weapon on December 2010 in the northern Arizona-Mexico border.

Photo: USA Today

Holder, U.S. Attorney General denies cover-up during congressional oversight hearing.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 2, 2012

Washington, D.C. - On Thursday, during an Congressional oversight hearing, Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General confirmed, that those Department of Justice officials connected with allowing straw purchases and selling of weapons to Mexican drug cartels will be fired and charged, once an internal investigation ends and sufficient evidence to convict is gathered. Holder spoke at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee concerning the botched federal sting Operation Fast and Furious, which resulted in several U.S. agent deaths with weapons sold to cartels. He denied any cover-up by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The scandal broke in November 2010, when U.S. officials had allowed weapons from U.S. border gun stores to be bought by straw purchasers and then sent to Mexican drug cartels in order to monitor the flow of gun sales that ended up in cartel hands. A straw purchaser is someone who intentionally buys a weapon for someone prohibited from buying a weapon or for the purpose of selling it illegally to someone else.
Mexican government officials in conjunction with U.S. officials were then expected to arrest those connected to the gun distribution operation. But, many of the guns became lost and unaccounted for during the straw purchasing and gun selling operation.
The main focus of an internal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice is concentrated in Arizona. The Fast and Furious operation allegedly was initiated by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) field office in Phoenix, according to documents released by congressional Democrats.
An alleged e-mail by Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer suggested to let straw purchasers cross into Mexico, so Mexican officials could arrest, prosecute and convict them, according to Congressman Darrell Issa (R) from the oversight committee. The congressional committee is trying to learn how far up the goverment scale did the operation went too and which top government officials knew about it and approved the gun running operation.
Several AK-47's weapons were later recoverd at a crime scene where U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry was murdered by drug smugglers in December 14, 2010. His family just filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government (ATF) claiming guns allowed to be sold to the cartels by government officials contributed to Terry's death near the Rio Rico remote canyon in the northern Arizona-Mexico border. The ATF allowed more than 1,400 weapons into Mexico, according to findings by the congressional oversight committee. The Terry family lawsuit says, the ATF was negligent and acted "in violation of ATF's own policies and procedures."
Several other straw purchased weapons were also used by Zeta members in the homicide of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata, 32, and the attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila on February 15, 2011 in Santa Maria, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka, "El Piolin" is being held without bail in the U.S. in connection with ICE Agent Zapata's homicide. Espinoza was extradited to the U.S. in December 2011 to face federal homicide and attempted murder charges. He admitted to participating in Zapata's murder and Avila's attempted murder on February 2011.

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Bail Romero Parential Rights Retrial In MO Begins End Of Month

Carlos (Carlitos), Encarnación Bail Romero's son in 2007.

Supreme court remanded the Bail Romero case back to the lower court to correct error and illegal adoption of undocumented mother's child by U.S. couple.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 1, 2012

Carthage, Missouri - On February 28th, the retrial of Ercanación Bail Romero, 36, parential rights is set to start. Last year in January, the Missouri Supreme Court citing "a travesty of justice" remanded the illegal adoption case involving Carlos (Carlitos), Romero's son back for a retrial in a lower court. The state supreme court reversed the decision by a lower court to end Romero's parental rights while she was incarcerated for violations of immigration laws.
Romero, an undocumented immigrant was detained and charged for identity theft and returning to the U.S. after she had been previously deported. She served two years in prison.
In 2007, Carlos, only 6-months-old was taken away from Romero and given up for adoption while she was incarcerated. She challenged and appealed the adoption with the help of an inmate after she finished her sentenced. An appeals court later decided, that Jasper County Judge David C. Dally didn't have legal authority to end the parental rights of Romero and to give her son Carlos to Seth and Melinda Moser in 2008, the Southern District Court of Appeals ruled.
Carlos was renamed Jamison by the Moser's and the child continues to live with them today as the case moves forward.
Romero never consented or allowed for her son to be put up for adoption by Jennifer and Oswaldo Velasco who were taking care of him at the time, while she was serving time for being in the country illegally. Romero had requested for Carlos to be put in a foster home until she would be released, but Judge Dally denied Romero's request and allowed the Mosers to illegally adopt Carlos.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting in a humanitarian action has stayed Romero's deportation until the case gets resolved, so she can continue to fight for the return of her child, according to her Attorney Omar Riojas from Seattle.
Romero who lives in Carthage, Missouri has seen her son on occassion and briefly. Carlos is now 5-years-old and only speaks English. She has a 14 year-old son and an 9-year-old daughter in Guatemala.
Romero is confident that Carlos will be returned to her and will be allowed to return to Guatemala.

Encarnación Bail Romero July 21, 2010 appeal case at link: http://bit.ly/9JEcC7

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Injured Undocumented 15-year-old Sole Brazilian Survivor Won't Face Deportation After Florida Deadly Pile-up

Lidiane Carmo

Photo: Family

Marietta church members plan to take the victim's bodies to Georgia for services and then transport them to Brazil for burial.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 1, 2012

Gainsville, FL - On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman, Barbara Gonzalez confirmed in a released statement, that Lidiane Carmo, 15, an illegal immigrant sole family survivor won't be deported to Brazil. She lost both her parents and a sister in the deadly Florida's pile-up on Sunday. Gonzalez offered her condolences to Lidiane and the Carmo family. She wrote "Our thoughts and prayers are with Miss Lidiane Carmo as she deals with the tragic loss of her family," ICE spokeswoman Gonzalez said. "Reports of her facing deportation are completely false...ICE’s stated priorities (for deportation) include convicted criminals, immigration fugitives, repeat immigration law violators and recent border crossers."
The family, Jose Carmo Jr., his wife Adriana, their daughter Leticia, Jose's brother Edson, including his girlfriend Rosa DaSilva were reported killed in the deadly pileup on Interstate 75. All of the victims were undocumented residing in Marietta, Georgia and were originally from Brazil. When their visas expired 12 years ago, they decided to remain in the U.S. without authorization.
Nine others travelling in a second van with the group were injured, but survived.
Carmo was the pastor and one of the founders for the Marietta Church for Restoration in Cobb County. Fifteen church members were attending a church religious conference in Orlando and were returning home in two vans when the accident happened.
At least 11 people were confirmed dead in the Florida I-75 pile-up. Many of the drivers were travelling on early Sunday through I-75 when fog and smoke from a field covered the highway making it impossible to see and vehicles just crashed into each other in a chain reaction. More than 20 vehicles were involved, 11 people died and at least 21 were reported injured.
Lidiane attends the Sprayberry High School in Marietta and came to the U.S. when was only 2.
She is still recovering from the accident at a local hospital in Gainsville, Florida.
Church members are trying to raise funds to move the bodies of those killed to Marietta for funeral services and then would transport the bodies to Barzil for burial, according to news reports.
Lidiane's family members told CNN, that on Sunday, Florida Governor Rick Scott visited Lidiane at the hospital and assured her that the state would take case of expenses, including costs to transport the bodies of those killed from her church back to Georgia. She has no insurance. The Governor's office would not confirm the humanitarian good will offer by Scott.
On Wednesday, Governor Scott canceled an interview with CNN after his staff learned that questions about paying medical expenses and transportation costs for Lidiane's family were going to be asked, in the upcoming primary elections segment that was scheduled.

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