The Irwindale Metropolis Council is contemplating a citywide curfew in response to a raucous, late-night Christmas celebration at a metropolis councilman’s house the place a departing mariachi band member allegedly shot off two “volleys” of gunfire.
Irwindale police initially responded to the realm in response to the pictures about 2:30 a.m. Dec. 25 and noticed a 2021 Dodge TRX pick-up truck driving away at excessive velocity, based on a press launch. Officers performed a felony cease and located a loaded handgun, two ammo magazines and a “variety of spent and unspent rounds of ammunition contained in the pick-up truck,” based on the discharge.
An proof report obtained via a public data act request signifies officers discovered 16 bullet casings on the road and one unspent 9mm spherical within the heart console of the car.
Police arrested the truck’s passenger, Jorge Alvarez, 36, of Los Angeles, for negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm in a car and possession of a managed substance. Alvarez allegedly had greater than a gram of cocaine.
Alvarez is the proprietor of Mariachi Los Reyes, a gaggle that has carried out at Irwindale occasions prior to now and reportedly is a frequent act at Councilman Mark Breceda’s well-known Christmas soirees. A consultant of Mariachi Los Reyes acknowledged she would supply a reporter’s contact data to Alvarez, nonetheless, he didn't reply.
The pick-up truck, which was registered within the firm’s identify, was impounded.
Alvarez posted $35,000 bond the day of his arrest. His case has not but been introduced to the District Lawyer’s Workplace.
Dispute led to capturing
Irwindale police allege a “dispute at a vacation celebration between the passenger of the pick-up truck and the occupants of the residence” prompted Alvarez to allegedly hearth his handgun whereas leaving the Fraijo Avenue house. He allegedly fired off one other set of pictures because the truck sped away.
Council members on Feb. 23 will talk about a possible curfew for the town, although early discussions prompt most have been towards the thought. The subject got here up at their final assembly in January when three council members requested what choices there have been for shutting down disruptive events.
“That is the criticism I had from residents on Fraijo: they really feel the police ought to have stopped the celebration after the capturing,” Councilman H. Manuel Ortiz mentioned throughout a Jan. 26 council assembly. “The celebration nonetheless went on after 3 within the morning.”
It’s unclear from the police data if the celebration continued, however radio logs present that the instant investigation continued till almost 5 a.m.
Sheriff’s Division introduced in
Although Irwindale dealt with the arrest, the division handed the case off to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division after Metropolis Corridor reopened in early January, based on Police Chief Ty Henshaw.
“Any time we’re introduced with a case that has potential to garner consideration, we wish to farm it out to our companions,” he mentioned.
Henshaw mentioned it's his understanding that the pictures have been fired into the air outdoors of Breceda’s home. Nobody was injured and it didn't appear that the gunfire was directed at any folks or property, he mentioned.
Henshaw didn't know if the celebration had ended, what led to the gunfire, or who was concerned within the dispute talked about within the press launch.
“We handed every little thing over. What I do know might be the identical quantity as you understand,” Henshaw mentioned. “Proper now, it’s all rumour and hypothesis and rumors and innuendo.”
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division confirmed that the case was handed over and that it's nonetheless underneath investigation. Henshaw and neighbors have acknowledged that sheriff’s deputies later went to the scene and performed extra interviews.
Information offered by the police division have been closely redacted to take away witness testimony. An electronic mail launched by the town indicated that the Police Division had misplaced copies of audio recordings of 911 calls and radio site visitors from Christmas Day.
Councilman denounced
Although Irwindale’s press launch doesn’t establish Breceda because the home-owner, different council members and neighbors publicly denounced Breceda for the incident at council conferences in January.
Breceda, nonetheless, has acknowledged that he barely heard the gunshots and that his celebration was over once they occurred. The councilman mentioned he was “equally disenchanted” as his friends, however that he didn't know what occurred.
“What you’re saying occurred, occurred on the street,” Breceda beforehand informed his colleagues Jan. 12. “My gathering was over.”
Breceda didn't return a number of requires remark.
Residents have criticized the councilman at council conferences since Christmas Day, with some residents alleging his events are steadily disruptive and have concerned medication prior to now. Others have come out in assist of Breceda, arguing the matter was out of his management and is getting used as a political assault.
Breceda ‘thought he was Scarface’
Neighbor Dena Zepeda, throughout a Jan. 26 council assembly, alleged Breceda’s celebration continued for hours after the arrest, with police making no effort to close it down. Zepeda accused Breceda of beginning a combat over cash lacking from his house.
“Our councilman went at a few folks like he thought he was Scarface,” she mentioned.
One other resident, former Planning Commissioner Carmen Roman, accused Breceda, whom she described solely as an elected official, of steadily having giant events the place company don't put on masks. “This one specific resident feels he's above the regulation,” she mentioned.
Breceda was not current on the Jan. 26 assembly to deal with the allegations.
‘Can occur wherever’
Two weeks earlier, resident Linda Marez mentioned she has attended Christmas events at Breceda’s home for the previous 25 years. She referred to as him very beneficiant towards his company.
“There’s all the time meals, there’s music,” she mentioned Jan. 12. “What occurred has no bearing on Mr. Breceda, as a result of it may occur wherever.”
She mentioned “the mariachi,” in reference to Alvarez, had performed on the senior heart, different metropolis occasions and “for the final 10-15 years at Mr. Breceda’s.” “If I had the cash, I’d have employed that mariachi, however they’re too costly for me,” Marez added.
Mariachi Los Reyes performed on the Hollywood Bowl in 2019 and 2021, based on the venue’s web site. A blurb describes the band as “probably the most sought-after mariachi group in Hollywood” and states they've appeared in “movie, tv and numerous sold-out reveals.”
The band was one of many headliners on the “Pleasure of the Valley,” an open streets occasion placed on by Irwindale, Baldwin Park and LA County in 2018.
Breceda has served on the Metropolis Council since 1999 and because the metropolis’s mayor 9 occasions, based on his profile on the town’s web site. His present time period expires in 2024. Collectively, members of his household have served on the Metropolis Council since no less than the Nineteen Seventies and have been residents earlier than the town included in 1957.
Previous troubles
The councilman has confronted his share of controversy prior to now. The Los Angeles County District Lawyer’s Workplace charged Breceda, Councilman Manuel Garcia and former Councilwoman Rosemary Ramirez with misappropriation of public funds, battle of curiosity and embezzlement in 2010. Prosecutors alleged the officers had spent greater than $200,000 of taxpayer cash on costly inns, eating places, Broadway reveals and limousine providers throughout journeys to New York Metropolis from 2001 to 2005.
However many of the prices have been dismissed in 2015 after the protection efficiently argued that the statute of limitations had expired. The remaining prices of embezzlement have been dropped a 12 months later by prosecutors who acknowledged they not felt they may show the case past an affordable doubt.
Town officers had denied the allegations and mentioned the journeys have been taken in an effort to assist enhance the town’s bond score.
Breceda mentioned the dismissal of the case was a shock and a aid in 2016.
“It’s been a very long time and really lengthy street, however we’ve all the time maintained our innocence,” he mentioned.
Voters have been seemingly satisfied, too. They voted him again into workplace in 2015 and 2020.