FREE
Young man to stand trial for allegedly killing MoVal boy during holdup
Flag Walk at Riverside National Cemetery honors nation’s veterans
PG 02
PG 27
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13-NOVEMBER 19 , 2023
VISIT RIVERSIDEINDEPENDENT.COM
VOL. 9,
NO. 146
Riverside receives over $4M for project to assist homeless youth
Remaining Riverside County defendants convicted in Capitol Hill breach
By City News Service and Staff
By Paul J. Young, City News Service
F
our Riverside County men who joined thousands in the unrest that led to the breach of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, were convicted of felony and misdemeanor charges following a monthlong federal trial, which was the final one involving county residents connected to the breach. Erik Scott Warner, 48, of Menifee, Felipe Antonio Martinez, 50, and Derek Kinnison, 42 — both of Lake Elsinore — along with Ronald Mele, 54, of Temecula, were all convicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and obstruction of an official proceeding. Warner and Kinnison were additionally convicted of tampering with documents. All four were also found guilty of misdemeanor charges of entering a restricted building and disruptive conduct in a restricted building. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth allowed each defendant to remain free on bond pending sentencing, for which no date has been set. “While I respect the jury’s decision, I’m disappointed with the verdict,” Kinnison’s attorney, Nicolai Cocis of Murrieta, told City News Service Wednesday. “Derek is a patriotic citizen who wanted to show his support for President Donald Trump, whom he believed was the rightful winner of the 2020 election. He See Capitol Hill Page 28
| Photo by RossHelen/Envato Elements
M
ore than $4 million in Project Homekey funds will be awarded to the city of Riverside for acquisition of housing and safety net services for homeless youth, it was announced Wednesday. “The city’s commitment to reducing homelessness focuses on preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement. “We know young people, particularly foster youth, are vulnerable and at high risk of becoming homeless, which is why these funds are so critical to our overall strategy of addressing homelessness.” The $4.37 million allocation is part of a $156 million statewide funding distribution announced Tuesday by the governor’s office. Project Homekey, which was initiated during the COVID lockdowns, is a spinoff of Project Roomkey, which was intended to reduce
congregate shelters in preference to rooms or other individualized settings where the risks of transmitting contagions is less. The program finances additional building types and supports a broader population of people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, according to Riverside officials. About $400 million remains to be awarded during this current funding round. “Homekey continues to demonstrate that we can build quickly, and at a fraction of the usual cost, to deliver much-needed affordable homes for Californians struggling to find a place to live,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “There’s still more work ahead, but the state is taking proactive measures, from implementing accountability standards to offering incentives, to confront this housing crisis head on.” The city will use the funds
to procure up to five homes, containing 25 units or rooms, for the placement of area residents who are 18 to 21 years old and dispossessed or at risk of homelessness, according to municipal officials. Among those who will be eligible for assistance are foster and former foster youths, along with parenting or pregnant girls and young women. The city is partnering with Riverside-based Walden Family Services for the Housing for Transitional Youth Project. The effort will bundle housing opportunities with educational counseling, job training and life skills coaching, officials said. “We know from experience that pairing services with shelter is the recipe for success in helping people get off the streets,” Councilwoman Erin Edwards said in a statement. “This is especially true of young people, who
can avoid becoming homeless altogether if they have the right housing and guidance at this crucial point in their lives.” The California Department of Housing & Community Development is providing the funds. “It has been greatly rewarding to see the growth and impact of Homekey on California’s most vulnerable residents,” agency Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a statement. “To me, the 14,000 homes funded through Homekey represent more than just buildings. They represent real people exiting homelessness more quickly, and the opportunity for housing stability to greatly improve their quality of life.” Statewide, outlays will cover a dozen projects in six counties, for the creation of 556 affordable housing opportunities, according to the Housing & Community Development Department.
DHS man convicted of trying to kill dad, burn down his mobile home By City News Service
A
30-year-old Desert Hot Springs man who tried to kill his father by severely beating him and setting fire to his mobile home as he lay unconscious on the floor was convicted Thursday of attempted murder and other charges. A Banning jury deliberated less than a day before finding Miguel Angel Espino guilty of the attempted murder count, as well as arson, aggravated mayhem and sentence-enhancing weapon allegations in the 2018 attack on Arturo Espino Sr. Jurors went behind closed doors to weigh evidence from the roughly weeklong trial on Wednesday afternoon. They returned Thursday and informed Riverside County Superior Court Judge Francisco Navarro before lunch that they had reached a unanimous decision. The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 18. Espino is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. See DHS man Page 27