Reedley Exponent 3-29-18 E-edition

Reedley’s Jayden Ortiz films spot with Valley Children’s
Coach savors his alma mater’s section soccer championship
Vol. 129, No. 13 | Thursday, March 29, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654 | 50 cents Reedley man killed in Fresno County Jail
Lorenzo Herrera’s death
under investigation
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
Detectives are calling the March 24 death of a 19-year-old Reedley man in the Fresno County Jail a homicide that they say could be gang-related.
The cause of Lorenzo Herrera’s death had not been released and no arrests had been made as of March 27, according to spokesman Tony Botti of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Of- fice. Detectives were investigating to deter- mine if gangs were a motive to the homicide.
Council checks out electric aircraft
Staff Report
On March 26, the Reedley and Mendota City Councils and city managers got their first look at four new electric airplanes that are part of a groundbreaking joint project be- tween the two Fresno County cities.
The two councils came together for a special afternoon joint meet- ing at one of the hangars at Chan- dler Airport near downtown Fresno. There, the four fully assembled planes were on display. After the meeting, attendees watched as one of the planes took a brief test flight.
Reedley city leaders in atten- dance were City Manager Nicole Zieba, Mayor Pro Tem Frank Pinon and Council Members Bob Beck and Mary Fast. Mayor Anita Betan- court was absent, but the city also was represented by Assistant City Manager Paul Melikian and interim Community Services Director Sarah Reid.
Mendota Mayor Rolando Castro opened the meeting and was joined by City Manager Vince DiMaggio, Mayor Pro Tem Victor Martinez and Council Members Jesse Mendoza. Oscar Rosales and Robert Silva.
Joseph Oldman, executive direc- tor for the CALSTART Clean Trans- portation Center, was the primary speaker and talked about the his- toric value of the planes. The four aircraft are the lone electric planes operating in the Western Hemi- sphere.
Oldman and a student intern took the first flight to show off the two-person aircraft to the councils. The plane took off, made a pair of flybys over the airfield and then re- turned to the hangar.
A more extensive story on the new electric planes will publish in the April 5 issue of The Exponent.
Herrera was found in- jured inside a cell in the main jail shortly after noon on March 24, according to Botti.
Medical attempts to
revive Herrera were un- successful and he was pro-
nounced dead at about 12:30
p.m. He had been fine dur-
ing a routine check of the
cell by jail officials at about 11:30 a.m.
Botti said paramedics with American Am- bulance and Fresno Fire Department worked on Herrera for more than 20 minutes.
Herrera had been in jail since his arrest on Jan. 17, following a hot prowl burglary and
pursuit from near Kingsburg to a rural area near Parlier. He was facing felony charges of burglary and assault on an officer.
Botti said homicide detectives with the sheriff’s office spoke with inmates, correc- tional staff and medical staff inside the jail. Detectives also were reviewing surveillance video inside the general pod area where Her- rera was housed. Each pod area houses dozens of jail inmates. Botti said cameras do not re- cord video inside the two-man cells.
“Anytime someone is booked in the jail, they go through a heavy vetting process to see if there is any connection with or threat from a gang,” Botti said. He said the processing into the classification unit is done with all inmates.
Roxie Herrera-Hernandez, a cousin of Lo-
renzo Herrera, told The Exponent on March 27 that the family is his voice now.
“There is always two sides to every story,” she said.
In the Jan. 17 incident, sheriff’s officials said that Herrera and two other Reedley men — 20-year-old Baldemar Ambriz and 19-year- old Morgan Bray — were involved in the bur- glary of a rural home east of Kingsburg. Ac- cording to law enforcement, the trio smashed a glass door and entered the home.
A woman was inside the home at the time and ran to a nearby business to call 911. The woman’s husband arrived home and pursued the suspects as they fled in a vehicle. After
See HOMICIDE on page A3
Lorenzo Herrera
Tiger ROmP success
ABOVE: Reedley High School’s Annie Ayers applies tape in sports medicine competition at Reedley College’s Tiger ROmP. Ayers took first place in the individual competition. BELOW: From left, RHS sports medicine team coach Kirby Kauk, second-place finisher Cynthia Delgado, champion Annie Ayers, and third-place finisher Jonah Chapa.
Reedley High School’s sports medicine team prevails again
By Jon Earnest
jon@midvalleypublishing.com
It wasn’t the usual scene March 21 at Reedley College’s annual Experience Expo.
The event that normally fills the college’s outdoor Quad Area was driven indoors by the second day of a storm system sweeping through the region. Because of the rain, the college caf- eteria became a hub of activity as booths and tables were set up in a perimeter around the din- ing area.
That didn’t discourage students from visiting and getting advice and encouragement in a vari- ety of career fields.
Ellyce Parento-Garcia, career counselor and coordinator for the college, said attendees adjust- ed well to the changes.
“We really improvised, and we had an excel- lent turnout,” she said midway through the event. “We had more employers and agencies come in, so we’ve pulled in extra tables and have just made it work. It’s been a great turnout and event so far.”
Parento-Garcia said the Experience Expo kept to its primary mission of providing career oppor-
Classified - A6-7 Directory - A5
tunities to all students.
“Many of them come in undecided on their
major,” she said. “Even if they’re not looking for a job, the whole premise behind Experience Expo is to get students engaged in networking and get involved in internships.
“We want to help them start building that re- sume because so many employers are looking for students who have experience or extracurricular activities beyond just the classroom.”
Diana Infante of Dinuba has returned to col- lege after 12 years and was checking out career options although she is planning to major in early child development.
“I’m in the stage where I know what I want to do. I don’t have time to be undecided,” she said.
Infante spent a few minutes at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office booth talking with repre- sentatives. She said she once considered being a correctional officer and just wanted to know more details.
“I’ve heard it’s hard to get into that field. But you never know until you try,” she said.
See EXPO on page A8 Legals - B5-6 Sports - B3-4
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
Reedley College student Diana Infante from Dinuba asks a question about Arise, LLC, a gaming corporation out of Fresno, during the March 21 Experience Expo at the college cafeteria.
Lights & Sirens - A3 Obituaries - A2 Opinion - A4
Staff Report
Another Tiger ROmP meant another victory for Reedley High School’s dominating sports medicine team.
The school’s team swept the top 10 individual places in the compe- tition featuring six schools and 46 competitors.
Sports medicine was one of 21 competitions held in various career fields at Reedley College. Organizers
of the annual event — put on by the county’s Regional Occupation Pro- gram — say their vision is to create a safe and healthy environment where high school students can be chal- lenged, compete and be recognized for using their career tech skills.
The event attracted 11 schools – Reedley High, Immanuel, Reedley Middle College High School, Orange Cove, Parlier, Orosi, Dinuba, Sanger,
See ROmP on page A8
Jon Earnest / The Exponent
RC Experience Expo moves indoors, still draws a crowd