Lodes, a 25-year veteran of the department, was reportedly pressured to resign in 2022 after he made a formal harassment complaint to human resources. According to his lawyer, Bijan Darvish, Lodes wrote his resignation letter in a Del Taco parking lot while facing threats of escalating investigations. The jury ruled that Lodes’ resignation was involuntary and a result of retaliation for his harassment report, which led to the substantial award for emotional damages.

Darvish emphasized the impact of the forced resignation on Lodes, describing the past four years since his retirement as “the darkest” in his life. Lodes, who dedicated his entire identity to law enforcement, did not wish to comment on the verdict due to the painful memories it brought up.

The award also casts a spotlight on Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for governor. While Bianco was not directly involved in Lodes’ case, Darvish argued that the department’s failure to investigate harassment complaints and its efforts to suppress them reflect a systemic problem within the Sheriff’s Department.

The harassment Lodes endured reportedly began in 2021, when a captain allegedly called him “mentally ill” in front of his colleagues. Further incidents occurred, including degrading posters of Lodes’ face placed on a child’s body, which were found in his uniform pockets and around the station. After filing his complaint in March 2022, Lodes faced a retaliatory investigation into alleged misconduct and was eventually pressured into accepting early retirement.

Just days after Lodes reported the harassment, an Internal Affairs sergeant arrived at his home with his personal belongings and pressured him to retire. The next day, Lodes was instructed to meet with a high-ranking official in a Del Taco parking lot, where he was told to resign and withdraw his harassment complaint.

The $2.25 million award will be paid by Riverside County and is expected to bring further scrutiny to Bianco’s department, especially as the upcoming governor’s election nears. The Sheriff’s Department was also recently in the public eye after Bianco initiated a controversial investigation into alleged fraudulent election ballots, which was halted by the California Supreme Court.

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Deputies responded to the 45000 block of Castile Canyon Road around 11:40 p.m. Saturday to a report of a person who had been shot, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Responding deputies found Frankie Ortega of San Jacinto suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit assumed the investigation.

As of Sunday afternoon no arrests had been made, as investigators were still working to identify the suspect or suspects involved. Anyone with additional information about the case was encouraged to contact Investigator Gonzales at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Siaw at 951-791-3400.

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On Wednesday, deputies and personnel from the Riverside County Post Release Accountability Compliance Team located 23-year-old Samuel Salazar at a home in the 700 block of E. Wright Street in Hemet and took him into custody without incident, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. 

Salazar was identified as the suspect shortly after the shooting, which happened on May 7, 2023, but deputies were unable to locate him. Despite a warrant for his arrest, he continued to elude their efforts until this week. He was booked for murder at the Robert Presley Detention Center.

The 2023 incident left 18-year-old Lake Elsinore man Noah Ivancso dead in the 33100 block of Jamieson Street. He was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds when deputies arrived at the time and he was eventually pronounced dead at the scene. 

As their investigation into the incident continues, investigators said they would not be sharing further details. Anyone who may know more was asked to contact RSO’s Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777. 

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In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the agency’s plans to study current fees and, based on that effort, return with proposed adjustments.

Sheriff’s officials noted in documents posted to the board’s agenda Tuesday that the fee schedules arranged in Ordinance No. 743 have not been modified since the summer of 2010.

“There is no impact on residents and businesses at this time,” according to an agency statement.

The current fee to apply for the establishment of a massage parlor is $595, while for other venues, the processing fee runs $3,802.

The businesses in question include partial and full nude strip clubs, motion picture theaters featuring pornography, coin-operated arcades that contain porn videos, “sex-oriented cabarets,” or restaurants where topless dancing and service is provided, and bookstores peddling porn magazines, DVDs and other media.

“Sex-oriented motels” are also included in the ordinance. They’re defined as lodges where rooms regularly feature a menu of cable or satellite stations oriented to porn. The motels also generally offer rooms for “a six- hour period, or rent any single room more than twice in a 24-hour period,” according to the ordinance.

There was no indication of the exact number of the designated businesses that operate within unincorporated areas.

Under county zoning regulations, the designated establishments are not permitted within 1,000 feet of any grade school, religious institution or public park, nor within 500 feet of any residence. Except for massage parlors and motels, the businesses covered under Ordinance No. 743 are additionally not permitted to operate between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Parlors are restricted to the hours of 7 a.m. to midnight.

Sheriff’s officials are expected to return with proposed revised fee schedules before year’s end.

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Around 3 a.m. Friday, authorities were informed that Thomas Richard Heaven — in custody for several counts of a sex-related crime involving a minor — had died, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

On Thursday, “Mr. Heaven’s overall condition rapidly began to deteriorate due to his low oxygen levels and at 11:45 p.m., Mr. Heaven was pronounced deceased at the hospital,” the sheriff’s office said.

On March 17, Heaven was transported from the San Diego Central Jail to a local hospital “due to having low blood pressure and a high heart rate,” the sheriff’s office said.

On April 7, he was transferred to another local hospital, where he remained in custody, authorities said.

Heaven was to be sentenced on May 5 in San Diego Central Court for several counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 years of age, according to the sheriff’s office.

Heaven’s family has been notified, and a family liaison officer “will support the family during this difficult time,” officials said.

The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board representative was notified about Heaven’s death, and the sheriff’s Homicide Unit will investigate.

An autopsy was scheduled for Saturday to determine the exact cause of death.

— City News Service

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David Montero, 40, of San Jacinto, was found at a local park in the 500 block of East Main Street after deputies received reports of an assault. Upon arrival around 10 p.m., deputies found Montero suffering from traumatic injuries, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he remained hospitalized until Wednesday when he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The sheriff’s department is investigating the incident as a homicide. Due to the investigation, no other information was made available.

As authorities work to find the suspect or suspects, the public is urged to contact the sheriff’s department with any information they may have on the case. Central Homicide Master Investigator R. Deanne can be reached at 951-235–7382 and Investigator J. Newby can be reached at 951-347–0679.

Anonymous tips can be submitted online here.

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Joseph Henry Mokate of Hemet is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at Banning’s Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and is set to make his next court appearance Friday for a felony settlement conference, according to jail and court records.

Mokate is accused in the slaying of 29-year-old Boris Stepanyuk of Winchester. Stepanyuk’s body was found at the intersection just before 7 p.m. April 25; he had suffered a “possible stab wound,” according to the sheriff’s department.

It’s not clear what led investigators to Mokate. He was arrested in Palm Desert about three hours after Stepanyuk’s body was discovered. A relationship between the two men, if any, was not disclosed by investigators nor was a possible motive.

City News Service reported that Mokate pulled a weapon and stabbed Stepanyuk at least once in the upper body, after which he fled. Witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies and paramedics reached the location a short time later.

Court records show Mokate has no felony criminal convictions in Riverside County.

According to a GoFundMe page established for Stepanyuk’s mother and his younger brother, the victim was studying medicine and had dreams of becoming a surgeon.

“Boris was brilliant and worked hard to get into medical school,” the page reads. “After graduating from Point Loma Charter School, he graduated from UCSD. Then, he attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Boris was funny but reserved and quiet. He loved his family and his dog, a huskie named Mischa. He regularly enjoyed daily sunrise and sunset walks with her through his neighborhood.”

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Contributed

While many Republican and conservative Californians are big fans of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, no one should forget that Bianco is fundamentally a tool of the county’s most powerful public employee union, the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association.

The union put him up to run in 2018, spent lavishly to get him elected and now essentially controls the department. The results have been catastrophic for Riverside County.

The California Department of Justice has already launched a civil rights investigation into the sheriff’s department to determine if the department “has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing amid deeply concerning allegations relating to conditions of confinement in its jail facilities, excessive force, and other misconduct.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has already settled a federal lawsuit prompted by deputies barging into the homes of an elderly couple without a warrant.

And now, families of some of the many jail inmates who have died in Riverside County jails have filed a federal lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Bianco. A record number of people died in custody last year, 18, the most in one year since 12 died back in 2005.

“Interviews and records show even more people have died after being in jail than the sheriff has publicly acknowledged — and that, in many cases, relatives aren’t told when inmates have life-threatening medical emergencies,” reports The Desert Sun. “The sheriff’s department and hospital staff often make potentially life-and-death decisions, while families are kept in the dark searching for basic information.”

This is unacceptable.

It’s also sadly all too predictable. This is what happens when a puppet of RSA gets into power. Riverside County residents should be outraged.

Riverside County Democrats should also be aware that Democratic Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington, who endorsed Bianco for sheriff in 2018, is actively touting Bianco’s endorsement of him in his 2024 re-election bid.

These problems are bigger than one person. It’s systemic.

Riverside County residents need to choose better county officials. The ones they have now are a disaster.

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Department employees will be on-site to provide career information and assist anyone interested in a career in law enforcement and all current career openings within the Sheriff’s Department such as Deputy Sheriff Trainee, Correctional Deputy, 911 Dispatcher and more.

Department members from specialized teams and divisions, will be available to provide information about their assignments within our department. There will be static displays from various specialized teams such as SWAT Team, K-9 Unit, Aviation, SERT, Dive Team, and more.

For those ready to begin a career with the Department, written examinations and physical agility testing for Deputy Sheriff Trainee and Correctional Deputy will be administered during the event and applicants passing both can begin the background process in one day. Interested applicants can pre-register at joinrsd.org or using the QR code on the attached flyer. Walk-ins are also welcome to attend and will be assisted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please visit our Facebook page or Instagram at Join RSD for information about this and future recruiting events.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department | Contributed

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Details:

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is excited to announce the release of its mobile application. This app will serve as a new way to connect with Riverside County residents and visitors, providing information quickly and efficiently.

The app offers quick access to items of public interest and is easy to use. In just a few clicks, users can:

• Submit anonymous tips
• Receive push notifications
• Connect to the organization’s social media platforms
• Read the latest news and press releases
• File reports

Our mobile app will offer a better way to alert, inform and prepare the public.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department app is available to download for free in the App Store and Google Play by searching “Riverside Sheriff’s Department” or by clicking here.

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Search: Riverside Sheriff’s Applicatio

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