Man admits ramming sheriff's patrol vehicles during pursuit
Trial date set for reputed 'home invasion' crewman accused of killing man
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Local. Relevant. Trusted.
Thursday, June 29-July 05, 2023
VOL. 7,
NO. 127
Riverside County supervisors approve Man convicted of killing San Jacinto resident in street $8.61 billion budget for 2023-24 ambush a decade ago By City News Service
By City News Service
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he Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tentatively approved an $8.61 billion budget for Riverside County government in fiscal year 2023-24, with greater appropriations to fund public safety projects and reopen an animal shelter. The board held hearings on the proposed budget during the second week of June and received multiple requests for outlays beyond what had originally been proposed for departments. The supervisors ultimately agreed to $25.3 million in additional funding obligations. Even with the increases, the budget remains structurally balanced, according to the county Executive Office. Board Chairman Kevin Jeffries observed prior to the 5-0 vote that, in the decade he has served as a supervisor, the state's under-funding of the mandated costs imposed on the county "has not changed." Jeffries said he has remained exacerbated by "the unequal treatment of the residents of Riverside County compared to other places in the state." "Compared to (other counties), the state has discriminated against inland residents," he said. "We're still where we are, and we're not making headway in significant ways." His comments were mostly tied to health services and infrastructure. The chairman said he did not see any changes ahead without stronger action, possibly even
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The Riverside County Board of Supervisors. | Photo courtesy of Riverside County
litigation by the county. Sheriff Chad Bianco testified during the hearings that he had a handful of needs unmet in the spending plan laid out by the Executive Office, which proposed $1.01 billion in expenditures, compared to $942 million in the current-year budget. The sheriff said among the higher costs built into next year's budget is an "enhanced management" policy that will put lieutenants in station-based supervisory roles, ensuring more sergeants are "out in the field with deputies." The board committed to providing $1.45 million to the effort. Bianco also said he wanted to establish a permanent "problem-oriented policing" team to handle noise and party complaints, particularly on the weekends, largely in the unincorporated mountain communities and the Temecula Valley, where
the majority of short-term rental properties in the county are located. Four deputies will be dedicated to the POP unit, plus at least four Department of Code Enforcement officers. The board has committed $662,000 in support of the POP initiative in the new budget. The sheriff did not request additional funds to fully open the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where just under 400 inmate beds are in use, out of a potential 1,600 available at the facility. District Attorney Mike Hestrin requested $2.5 million more in the agency's budget than was recommended by the EO, bringing his total ask to $191.14 million. The board committed to $2.1 million in additional appropriations, mainly for establishment of a full-time call center to assist members of the community in need
of assistance from the DA's Office, as well as make 15 temporary employees permanent. Hestrin listed a number of challenges weighing on the office, including the state Legislature's mountain of new mandates and an ongoing departure of personnel, largely through retirements. The agency is down to 234 prosecutors — the lowest number in the last decade. Fire Chief Bill Weiser originally sought $537 million in appropriations, with the EO recommending $457.3 million. The currentyear budget is $443.4 million. Some of the budgetary requirements he cited were expansion of the hazardous materials unit, the ongoing conversion of three fire stations from wildland outposts to municipal stations and bulking up staff at the Cabazon and French See Budget Page 32
man directly responsible for the deadly ambush-style revenge attack on a San Jacinto motorist a decade ago was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder and other charges. A Murrieta jury deliberated only a few hours Tuesday before finding Abram Daniel Palacios, 35, of San Jacinto guilty of the 2013 slaying of 23-year- old Ivan Ibarra Carrillo. Along with murder, jurors found true a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and convicted Palacios of sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Abram Daniel Palacios. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department
Riverside County Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 28 at the Southwest Justice Center. Palacios is being held without bail at the nearby
See Revenge attack Page 32
Report shows highest paid on Riverside County government payroll By City News Service
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he 10 highest paid officials in Riverside County government last year were working in public health and — in one case — public safety, according to a report released Tuesday by the California State Controller's Office. The agency published its 2022 "Government Compensation in California" analysis, showing how taxpayer funds were spent in the previous year, and who was receiving what for being on the public payroll. The data is available at www.publicpay.ca.gov. The individual who received the largest income in county government was Director of Behavioral Health Dr. Matthew Chang, whose composite compensation last year totaled $566,374, the report said. See Payroll Page 31