Toddler beaten to death by his father

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By Zirana staff writer

Late Father’s Day Eve, a Stanislaus County man took his2-year-old son to a darkened road near Turlock and beat him to death before aModesto police officer, arriving on the scene by helicopter, shot him to death. The Modesto Bee identified the father as Sergio Aguilar, 27.

An elderly couple who happened on the scene of the horrificbeating placed the first 911 call. A short time later the chief of the CrowsLanding Volunteer Fire Department was passing by and he tried to stop theattack. As he wrestled with the father, the chief said he railed about “demons”in the child. The chief described “a total hollowness in his eyes” to the Bee.

A Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, with a Modesto policeofficer on board, was on duty nearby. Responding to the call for help, thehelicopter landed and the Modesto police officer jumped out.  Withhis gun drawn, he shouted at Aguilar to stop from about 10 feet away frombehind a set of electric and barbed wire fences. He fired when the mancontinued to kick and stomp at the child. Thetoddler was rushed to Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, where he waspronounced dead. Authoritiessaid on Sunday that DNA testing may be required to identify the toddler becausehis body was no longer recognizable. Thechild’s mother was contacted Sunday but she did not make a public comment.
Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 06-16-08 · No Comments »

Steve Adams- Riverside City Councillor

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Here is Zirana’s interview with Steve Adams: Councilmember of the City of Riverside

riverside_-_adams.jpgQ: What’s the best thing about your job?
A: Working with and for the people of La Sierra and the City of
Riverside

Q: What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
A: Time, there never seems to be enough of it and how long it takes to get projects done.

Q: How long have you lived here and why you chose to settle here?
A: I came to Riverside in 1958 when my father was stationed at March Air Force Base.

Q: What’s the most interesting thing about you?
A: My daughter, my passion and my since of humor.

Q: If you could change one thing about your community, what would it be?
A: I would love to get more of the community involved in the ward because working together we can do so much.

Q: What’s the one thing that you wouldn’t change?
A: The amazing mix of people that make Riverside such a unique and wonderful place to live, grow up and to work in.

Q: What are the “hot button” issues in your community?
A: Traffic, taggers, parks, quality of our environment and smart growth.

Q: What else would you like to tell city residents about yourself?
A: It has truly been an honor and privilege to represent the people of
La Sierra and to have been able to serve the people of Riverside for 20 years, first as a Riverside Police Officer and now as their Councilman.

My e-mail is: sadams@riversideca.govThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Steve Adams
Riverside City Councilman Ward 7
951-826-5991
Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 05-12-08 · No Comments »

Interesting Facet of Celebrity Character

Zirana often gets interesting content from users that would be of interest to readers beyond the city it was posted in. We will feature some of that content here also. This one is a review that was posted for Gold Metal Martial Arts in Belmont, about the boorish behaviour of a Olympic Gold Medal winner.

“Do you know who I am?
THAGAME Not since the likes of Sensei John Kreese of the Cobra Kai Dojo (The Karate Kid) have we seen a man like 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist Master Herb Perez. You remember the guy who said:

Sensei John Kreese: We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: A Man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy…

Let me tell you a little interaction I had with Master Perez on a Beautiful Sunday (March 30, 2008) afternoon while I was on my way to lunch with my wife…and then you decide if this is the man who you want teaching “your” kids ethics and morals and values of martial arts:

Any one who has been to the Edgewater Shopping Center in Foster City knows what it is like to park on a weekend (let alone any weekday). We drove around in my Jeep (which I admit can be intimidating at times with 35″ tires and a 4 1/2 inch lift kit and has been referred to before as a tank…lol…but I digress…

We found a spot, I opened my door for my beautiful wife, and we started walking hand in hand towards Chevys…

All of a sudden, out of nowhere this guy (Master Herb Perez) is walking towards me very quickly and stops 4 inches from my face, puts his finger in my face and says “you just blew through that stop sign (the one on the corner between Gold Medal Martial Arts and Chevys)”…I immediately said “OH I did I apologize for that (knowing in my head that I was a little lightheaded and hungry and very well could have)…Then I asked him with all the anger management I could muster to please back up out of my face (knowing where it could go and not wanting it to go there), he immediately responded with “Do you know who I am, you don’t know who I am do you?”…I told him at that point I don’t care who you are get out of my face…Then he starts to take his jacket off (woah, hold the bus, slow your roll, I would expect a guy with 38 years of martial arts training to have a lot more patience then to want to fight someone who “blew through” a stop sign (and admitted in, and apologized”…

I said “you are going to fight me because I went through a stop sign”, really confused and at that point I put my hands in my pocket and said OK if that is what you want to do, go ahead…………..

Rest of the review is on Zirana at -http://www.zirana.com/belmont/after_school_activities_and_daycares/gold_metal_martial_arts/view_details.html#rev-328

Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 05-07-08 · No Comments »

Riverside City Councilwoman - Nancy Hart

Zirana interviewed Nancy Hart, member of Riverside, CA, City Council. Among other things, she was asked about the major issues facing the city council.

What are the points of debate that the council has? Annexation and converting old areas into re-use. After years of empty space next to their property they begin to see it as an area that will always be vacant open space for them. When you want to finally develop it they fight it, even when it’s to a good purpose such as a park.

It is interesting to see that folks and their behaviour is the same everywhere, so City Councils face similar issues in many cities. There should be a forum for these city councils to share their innovative solutions to city problems. It would help everyone, if good approaches to common problems were adopted everywhere and folks in different geographies can bring their unique perspectives to bear on these problems.

Nancy Hart’s interview is at-http://www.zirana.com/riverside/city_news/nancy_hart_riverside_councilwoman.html

Continue reading » · Rating: · Written on: 05-02-08 · No Comments »