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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2015)
REGION Tuesday, June 16, 2015 Umatilla man flees from justice in manslaughter case Drive outside Hermiston. Umatilla County sheriff’s deputy Mike Smith arrived A Umatilla man facing at the scene, the documents manslaughter and more for state, where he found a 2013 deadly crash may be Mendoza wearing only black socks and “lying out of the country. on his stomach Casimiro DSSUR[LPDWHO\ Armenta Mendoza, feet from the west- 23, was to appear bound shoulder.” March 25 in The crash ejected Umatilla County Mendoza onto the Circuit Court, ground. Hermiston to Smith checked change his plea the overturned in causing the 2006 Toyota death of Edgardo Scion and saw “Edgar” Carlos Mendoza Cornejo, still in Cornejo. He never his seatbelt, where he died. showed. Umatilla County Sheriff Smith concluded the Honda Terry Rowan said Mendoza crossed into the oncoming PD\KDYHÀHGWR0H[LFREXW lane and smashed into the car he was not certain. Fugitives Cornejo drove. Mendoza recovered from WU\LQJ WR JHW LQWR 0H[LFR often will hold up near the his injuries and pleaded not U.S. border, he said, or try to guilty in late January 2014 WR ¿UVW DQG VHFRQGGHJUHH slip through customs. “A lot of times if we can PDQVODXJKWHU¿YHFRXQWVRI prove it, we’ll get a UFAP DVVDXOW ZLWK H[WUHPH LQGLI- ² XQODZIXO ÀLJKW WR DYRLG ference, and two counts of prosecution warrant,” he GULYLQJ XQGHU WKH LQÀXHQFH said Saturday via cellphone. RI LQWR[LFDQWV 0HQGR]D Rowan said he did not know who lived at 47 Elderberry if there was a UFAP for Court, Umatilla, has been free on $30,000 bail since Mendoza. The state accused then. The case took a turn Mendoza of driving drunk early on July 28, 2013, March 20, records show, near Hermiston and killing when the defense asked Edgardo “Edgar” Carlos IRU D KHDULQJ LQ ¿YH GD\V Cornejo, 30, of Irrigon, in so Mendoza could change a head-on crash. The colli- his plea. When Mendoza sion also seriously injured skipped out, Circuit Judge Mendoza and his passenger, Eva Temple issued a bench Francisco Cancino, 24, of warrant for Mendoza’s arrest. Until Mendoza is back Hermiston. Court records show in custody, that’s where the Umatilla County’s dispatch case remains. ——— center received a 9-1-1 call Contact Phil Wright at at 2:08 that morning about a vehicle crash at East Punkin pwright@eastoregonian. Center Road near Alpine com or 541-966-0833. By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian MILTON-FREEWATER 0DQZKRWKUHDWHQHGH[ with bat is free on bail that Rubio backed a black Chevrolet pickup into her A Milton-Freewater man gray Volkswagen Jetta while facing criminal charges after she was in the car, then crashing his pickup into a followed her when she tried former girlfriend’s car is out to get away. Rubio caught up with her in the on bail. area of Northeast Gerardo Rubio, 6L[WK $YHQXH DQG 31, pleaded not Robbins Street, guilty Monday, according to her June 8, to coercion statements to DQG ¿UVWGHJUHH police, then Rubio criminal mischief, drove his truck both felonies, nose to nose with and initiating her car, threatened a false police her with a baseball report, menacing, bat and made her hit and run, and Rubio get into the pickup. three counts of Court records identify the reckless endangerment, all misdemeanors, and viola- woman as Nicole Metcalfe, tion of a restraining order. and in early May she Umatilla County Circuit obtained a restraining order Court records also show against Rubio. According to Circuit Judge Christopher Boedigheimer, two minor Brauer set Rubio’s jail bond children also were in the at $30,000. Rubio posted pickup with Rubio at the $3,000 as bail Thursday time of the incident. Milton-Freewater police to leave the county jail in that day also received a Pendleton. M i l t o n - F r e e w a t e r report at 9:02 p.m. the Jetta police arrested Rubio for had been stolen. But Rubio, second-degree kidnapping police reported, made that as well; the Umatilla County false report. Rubio remains free on 'LVWULFW $WWRUQH\¶V 2I¿FH has not charged him with bail but under certain restric- tions, court records show, that felony. Milton-Freewater Police including staying in Oregon Chief Doug Boedigheimer H[FHSW WR JR WR:DVKLQJWRQ reported Rubio on June 5 for medical purposes. His had a scary confrontation QH[WFRXUWDSSHDUDQFHLV-XO\ ZLWK KLV ³IRUPHU VLJQL¿FDQW 7 at the Umatilla County RWKHU´ 6KH WROG RI¿FHUV Courthouse, Pendleton. East Oregonian C! Sw imming Le ssons at the RA Session I • June 29 th – July 10 th Session II • July 13 th – July 24 th Session III • July 27 th – Aug. 7 th Session IV • Aug. 10 th – Aug. 21 st Small Class Sizes! Indoor facility - No cold weather! Open to members and non members East Oregonian HERMISTON Donkey basketball a slam dunk Firefighters compete in charity game for Desert Shrine Club By SEAN HART EO Media Group Just before tipoff of a charity basketball game in Hermiston, the players mounted their donkeys, and the action began. Hermiston and Umatilla ¿UH¿JKWHUVIDFHGRIIIRUWKH second year Saturday in a donkey basketball game EHQH¿WLQJWKH'HVHUW6KULQH Club at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo grounds. Umatilla charged to an early lead, up 8 to 4 at WKH HQG RI WKH ¿UVW TXDUWHU before Hermiston pulled ahead by a nose with a 10-8 lead at the half. In the second half, Umatilla was running away for the win until Hermiston made D ¿QDO SXVK LQ WKH KRPH stretch. Hermiston could not get their asses in gear, however, and Umatilla claimed a 29-26 victory. Sean Hart photo Firefighters from Hermiston and Umatilla battled in a game of donkey basketball to raise funds for the Desert Shrine Club Saturday at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo grounds in Hermiston. The club supports the Shriners Hospital in Portland, which provides free care for children. 7KH¿UH¿JKWHUVVDLGWKH\ enjoyed the game, but the real winner was the Desert Shrine Club. Vice President Jim Leitch said the event in PENDLETON City to consider new contract with drone range management manager after John Stevens left to become the chief RSHUDWLRQVRI¿FHURI62$5 After spending the past Oregon, a statewide not-for- WZR PRQWKV WDONLQJ H[WHQ- SUR¿WIRFXVHGRQGHYHORSLQJ sively about marijuana, the the UAS industry. The range is currently Pendleton City Council is WXUQLQJ WR DQRWKHU IUHTXHQW being remotely managed topic of discussion at its by a Peak 3 employee from Tuesday meeting — the Palmer, Alaska. Steve Chrisman, Pendleton Unmanned Aerial economic development Systems Range. The drone test range director and airport manager, located at the Eastern has said a few companies Oregon Regional Airport interested in testing their will re-enter the conversa- drones at the range have tion as the council considers already received autho- a three-year contract with rization from the Federal Peak 3 Technical Systems, Aviation Administration. While that would mean the Anchorage-based company that manages the the UAS range could start accepting business, a fee range for the city. between the According a report structure from City Attorney Nancy University of Alaska Fair- Kerns, Peak 3’s manage- banks and the three Oregon ment services will be paid test ranges is still being through contracts with range negotiated. The university customers and will in turn acts as an administrator to pay the city to lease the test all test ranges in Oregon, range’s launch pads and Alaska and Hawaii. Councilors will also remote launch sites. The contract does not consider a local improve- H[SOLFLWO\ VWDWH KRZ PXFK ment district with the people each side will pay each other. behind the Pendleton Heights Either side can terminate housing development. As a way to jump-start the contract “if it doesn’t work out as we hope,” the Tutuilla Road housing development, the city wrote Kerns. The city originally hired fronted the costs of street Peak 3 in February 2014 to and utility improvements. Now that Pendleton manage the development of the range for $160,000. Heights is complete, Pend- Another contract and several leton Affordable Housing H[WHQVLRQV IROORZHG LQ LLC, a company owned by developer Saj Jivanjee, VXEVHTXHQWPRQWKV With a new contract in will have to repay the city hand, Peak 3 will be tasked $793,323 under the city’s with hiring a new range proposal. By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Derek Michael Marc & “Double AA” Friday, June 19th Saturday, June 20th 8:00 pm 304 SE Nye Pendleton 541-276-6111 Locally Owned & Operated Since 2001 New Location: 412 South Main Street Pendleton, OR 97801 541.276.8845 bmc@wtechlink.us Like us on Facebook 541-276-0880 1415 Southgate • RAClub.us Check out our other Summer Activities for Kids! Page 3A Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9 am - 6 pm Online Catalog: www.companycasuals.com/bluemountaincreations Hermiston last year raised about $2,400, and he H[SHFWHG D VLPLODU DPRXQW this year. He said the club supports the Shriners Hospital in Portland, which provided free care to about 200 children from the area in each of the last two years. “We work hard to get the money to keep that hospital operating,” he said. BRIEFLY :ild¿re EreaNs out in +ells Canyon National Recreation Area ENTERPRISE — It’s only the middle of June, but QRUWKHDVWHUQ2UHJRQLVDOUHDG\ZLWQHVVLQJLWV¿UVWZLOG¿UH RIVLJQL¿FDQWVL]H 7KH/LWWOH%DVLQ¿UHLVEXUQLQJRIIWKH'XJ%DUURDGLQ WKH+HOOV&DQ\RQ1DWLRQDO5HFUHDWLRQ$UHD7KH¿UHZDV ¿UVWUHSRUWHGDWDP0RQGD\PRUQLQJ2Q0RQGD\ afternoon it was 100 acres and burning in grass, the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest stated in a news release. 7KH¿UHLVEHLQJVWDIIHGE\WKH)RUHVW6HUYLFHDQGWKH 2UHJRQ'HSDUWPHQWRI)RUHVWU\7KH¿UHLVEXUQLQJLQVWHHS WHUUDLQDQGWKHUHLVDZLQGIURPWKHQRUWKSXVKLQJWKH¿UHLQ DVRXWKHUO\GLUHFWLRQZLWKVRPHVKRUWQRUWKERXQG¿UHUXQV 7KHUHZHUH¿YH¿UHHQJLQHVWZRKHOLFRSWHUVDKDQG FUHZDQGDVLQJOHHQJLQHDLUWDQNHURQWKH¿UH0RQGD\ Both the Union and La Grande hot shot crews were en route as well as additional air resources. Resources are OLPLWHGDFURVVWKHUHJLRQDV¿UHVHDVRQLVJHWWLQJXQGHUZD\ DQGQRWDOO¿UH¿JKWLQJUHVRXUFHVDUHLQDFWLYHGXW\VWDWXV BMCC to host apprenticeship council summit on Thursday PENDLETON — Blue Mountain Community College will welcome the Oregon State Apprenticeship and 7UDLQLQJ&RXQFLOEDFNWR3HQGOHWRQIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHLQ years on Thursday at 10 a.m. Brad Avakian, Oregon’s commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, serves as the council’s chair- person. The council’s eight governor-appointed members have the authority to oversee apprenticeship committees, programs and policies around the state. According to a press release from BMCC, an DSSUHQWLFHVKLSFDQEHWKH¿UVWVWHSWR¿QGLQJZHOOSD\LQJ work in their chosen industry. Apprentices usually start off with half the salary of so-called journey workers. Journey workers have a higher chance of securing a position in the industry, becoming a supervisor or even going into business for themselves. Apprenticeship committees facilitate apprenticeship programs, which are designed to give workers supervised RQWKHMREH[SHULHQFHDQGFODVVURRPLQVWUXFWLRQLQD SDUWLFXODU¿HOG The meeting in Room 200 of the Science and Technology Building is open to the public. For more information, and to view an agenda, visit www.oregon. gov/boli/ATD. Umatilla County Historical Society Presents: A Tour of Farms & Historic Barns in the Butter Creek Area Saturday, June 20 th 9:30 AM -- 4:00 PM $55 Members/$60 General Admission Call Heritage Station Museum for registration information and details. 541-276-0012 TRAIL TRAKKERS 2015 Summer Walking Program May 25 th - Aug. 27 th Morning Walks meet at Oxbow Trailhead (Intersection of 11th & Elm St.) Monday through Thursday 7:00 - 8:00 am Questions? Call 541-667-3400 ext 3050 or email healthinfo@gshealth.org
