EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 62, NO. 44
August 21, 2025
San Bernardino Councilwoman Alleges Police Chief Tried to Silence Her in CLETS Lawsuit By Manny Sandoval
S
an Bernardino Councilwoman Dr. Treasure Ortiz alleged last week that Police Chief Darren Goodman attempted to intimidate her into dropping her $2 million lawsuit against the city, which claims the San Bernardino Police Department illegally accessed her confidential records in the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS).
IECN.com
Speaking on the steps of San Bernardino City Hall on August 12, Ortiz alleged she learned Goodman told community members that if she continued her lawsuit, he would make certain “non-public records” available. Ortiz characterized the alleged comments as “a threat” and “blackmail.”
Feeding America to Bring Back TGIF this September Pg. 4
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL (Left to right) Former Councilwoman Kimberly Calvin, Councilwoman Dr. Treasure Ortiz, and 7th Ward Resident Scott Beard standing on the steps of San Bernardino City Hall on August 12th, 2025.
“I will never, ever be threatened to be quiet and not expose corruption in this city,” Ortiz said. Ortiz filed her claim in March 2025, alleging former San
Bernardino Police Detective Steve Dereoscher, then vice president of the Police Officers Association, illegally ran her information through CLETS in 2019 and 2020. CLETS is a confidential database that can only be accessed by law enforcement and is overseen by the California Department of Justice. Misuse has led to criminal prosecutions across the state. Ortiz alleged she has no arrest record, meaning the only way her information could be obtained was through police access. Ortiz said she has sought intervention from federal authorities and cited Section 1983 of U.S. law, which allows individuals to sue state or local government officials in federal court for alleged abuse of power or violations of constitutional rights. She alleged she brought the matter to the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office. The timeline of events, Ortiz said, stretches back years. In CLETS cont. on next pg.
Border Agents Open Fire on San Bernardino Family’s Truck, Leaders Demand Transparency Viva La Boba Confronts Pride Flag Pushback Ahead of Redlands Ribbon Cutting Celebration Pg. 8
Inland Riverside Moves Empire Community Forward with New Newspapers Sports and Office: (909) 381-9898 Entertainment Complex Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Proposal Advertising: sales@iecn.com Pg. 8
HOW TO REACH US Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: iecn1@mac.com Legals: iecnlegals@gmail.com
By Manny Sandoval
A
federal operation in San Bernardino turned chaotic Saturday (and potentially unlawful) when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents opened fire on a family’s vehicle, sparking outrage from state and local leaders and renewed debate over the limits of local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. According to San Bernardino Police Department spokesperson Chris Gray, officers were dispatched at 8:51 a.m. on Aug. 16 to Acacia Avenue and Baseline Street following reports of shots fired. Gray said responding officers encountered federal agents who reported being involved in an officer-involved shooting and that the suspect had fled in a vehicle. The man later called SBPD dispatch, stating masked men had broken his car window, fired shots, and failed to identify themselves. Officers located the vehicle in the 1000 block of Mt. View Drive but left after determining the matter involved federal authorities.
“Under the California Values Act, California law enforcement agencies are prohibited from assisting federal officials with immigration enforcement, so our officers left the scene as the investigation was being conducted by federal authorities,” Gray said. Gray added that SBPD was later called back around 1:12 p.m. when federal officials requested assistance with crowd control during an attempted arrest. Federal officials alleged the man had assaulted a federal officer, a violation of U.S. Code § 111. “San Bernardino Police officers provided support with crowd control,” Gray said. “This was not an immigrationrelated arrest, which would be prohibited under California law.” The incident has since drawn condemnation from local officials. “Our community has been shaken by a disturbing incident in which customs and border protection agents fired upon a family’s vehicle without clear Border Agents Cont. on next
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL A federal agent approaches a truck in San Bernardino as a passenger records, shown here in a screenshot from viral video footage.