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Blog Entry 5 of 28 Where's Mario

Mario was 18 months old - he was rushed to emergency room. Mario was admitted to the emergency room at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara from St. John’s Hospital in critical condition and unconscious; bruising on face, cheek area, under chin, corner of mouth & right ear; a fracture of the right wrist. CAT scan showed subdural hematoma (bleeding causing pressure on brain.) Doctor said the injuries were non-accidental. Surgery performed to relieve pressure on the brain. He also had a broken wrist that occurred 6-10 days before the head injury - also non-accidental. He was placed on life support & not expected to live. Gaudalupe spent a mere 6 months in the county jail. When she was released, she went back to Mexico. Mario was placed in foster home in the care of a nurse who had experience with post-op brain surgery patients. He thrived for over 2½ years. Foster mom taught Mario how to walk, talk & feel safe, even though he continued to have night terrors about his mother. It was during a Christmas party when 3 social workers arrived - unannounced. Driving in a county vehicle, they removed Mario from his safe haven & drove him to Tijuana, Mexico. Even though Mario’s mother had an outstanding felony warrant for her arrest that was featured in the Ventura County Star newspaper three weeks earlier, they still walked little 4-year-old Mario across the border & handed him to his abuser. Why hasn't social workers & judges been held accountable? What about his safety?

Blog Url: http://vc.yourhub.com/~TheInjusticeFiles

POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION -MEDAL OF VALOR AWARDS

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Contributed by: Jane LeMond-Alvarez on 4/19/2007

Terrorism
When we think of terrorism, we usually think in terms of the 911 bombing in New York, Alqada and suicide bombers, Nazi's who ran death camps and other groups who torture, maime and kill innocent people with total disregard of human life. Terrorism comes in all forms.

This evening I attended the Police Officers Association of Ventura County's Medal of Valor Awards. District Attorney Greg Totten delivered a speech in honor of these heroes as he described what valor and bravery meant. You could hear a pin drop in the audience as he spoke. Some of the people that were honored were civilians, Park Rangers, and police officers and deputies. I heard passionate stories of citizens in our County who made "extraordinary contributions to our community at personal expense and risk to themselves" and went above and beyond to help strangers in desperate and dangerous situations.

I heard stories of two juveniles who came to the aid of two victims when their plane crashed and moved them from the blasting heat; men risking their lives to remove unconscience victims from vehicles and homes that were totally consumed in fire, four men scaling a sheer rock cliff hundreds of feet high to rescue three victims - in total dark with makeshift ropes. I heard a story of a man who was awarded postumsously because he jumped into a monsterous ocean swell and held a child above his head until help arrived - he later perished. Also mentioned were deputies who entered homes where suspects with guns shot victims; two Oxnard Police Officers who stopped a parolee who drew a gun, shooting both of the officers. Although seriously wounded and on the ground, both officers continued to fire until the suspect was taken down. After listening to many of the stories it became apparent that our officers are dealing with terrorism each and every day. Please take time to write or call our police, Sheriff's and Park Ranger departments to thank them for keeping Ventura County safe. They risk their lives on every call they respond to not knowing what awaits them when they arrive. My sincere thanks and appreciation to these outstanding citizens. I am proud of each and every one of them.

Adam Darough - Simi Valley Police Department
Guy Peach - Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Rich Lamb - Simi Valley Police Department
Anthony Nagy - Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Cesar Zuniga - Simi Valley Police Department
David Dickey - Ventura Police Department
Ryan Hamlin - Simi Valley Police Department
Adam Delgado - Ventura Police Department
Tom Carney - Simi Valley Police Department
Dirk Boon - Ventura Police Department
Norm Johnson - Los Angeles Probation
Mike Purdy - Oxnard Police Department
David Spiker - Ventura County Sheriff's Department
Gene Martinez - Ventura County Sheriff's Department J
ack Ortega - Ventura Police Department
Jesus Fernandez - Ventura College Police
Robert Ortiz - Ventura Police Department
Chris Wilson - Ventura Police Department
Matthew Cain - Ventura

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