NEWS
Wednesday, august 18, 2021
Police use stun gun to take down
Hermiston robbery suspect
HeRMIstOn HeRaLd
Hermiston police reported an officer on
Friday, Aug. 13, used a stun gun to take
down a suspect who tried to pull off an
armed robbery at a local restaurant.
Lamberto Chairez Soto, 31, of Hermis-
ton, faces numerous criminal counts in con-
nection to the events that began unfolding
shortly after 5 p.m. that day.
According to Hermiston police, a 911
call at 5:11 p.m. from Tienda La Comadre,
547 E. Main St., Hermiston, reported a male
brandishing a handgun entered the restau-
rant and yelled in Spanish for everyone to
put up their hands.
“The armed business owner defended
himself, and the suspect fled the store,”
according to the report from Hermiston
police.
The suspect took off running northeast
from the front of the business. Police began
looking for a stocky Hispanic man about 30
years old wearing a white shirt and jeans,
based on a description of the suspect.
Officers canvassed the area and located
a 53-year-old woman who lives on the 600
block of East Gladys Avenue. She gave a
similar description of the male and reported
he knocked on her door.
She told police she opened the door, and
a male showed a handgun and forced him-
self into her home, striking her in the head
and demanding money. The suspect took
her phone, keys and vehicle, a 2017 black
Ford SUV.
Soon after, a Hermiston officer spotted the
vehicle unoccupied at the Southgate Village
Apartments, 1150 S. First St.
“Upon speaking with people in the area,
video of the suspect exiting the car was
located on a Ring camera from one of the per-
sons living at Southgate Village and shared
with responding officers,” police reported.
A Hermiston officer found Soto in the
potato chip aisle at Safeway and attempted to
detain him. Soto, according to police, resisted
and the officer tried to stun him with a Taser.
The darts, however, did not make full contact
and Soto fled on foot.
The officer chased Soto out of Safeway,
and an Oregon State Police trooper joined the
rundown. The foot chase crossed Highway
395 and entered the parking lot of Pho Quan
Vietnamese, where the trooper pulled out and
fired a Taser.
“The deployment was successful and the
suspect was taken into custody,” Hermiston
police reported.
Police identified the man as Soto, and
found he had a no-bail warrant out of the
Oregon Department of Corrections. Police
booked Soto in the county jail on numerous
counts. The Umatilla County District Attor-
ney’s Office on Aug. 16 brought the following
preliminary charges against Soto: three counts
of first-degree robbery, two counts of unlaw-
ful use of a weapon and one count each of
first-degree theft, vehicle theft and second-de-
gree theft.
Soto’s next court event is probable cause
hearing on Aug. 23 in Pendleton.
Latino Night strums up tunes
for Umatilla County Fair
everything, from romantic to
Tierra Caliente and more, said
Velasco. He mentioned there
is a reason popular Mexican
songs stay in demand here.
“You really have to make
a hit in Mexican music,” he
said, “for it to stand the test
of time.”
By NICK ROSENBERGER
staFF WRIteR
HERMISTON — Music
almost is synonymous with
the Umatilla County Fair and,
after COVID-19 forced the
cancellation of the event last
year, music was back on the
table as the fair roared back to
life Wednesday, Aug. 11, and
finished Aug. 14.
Starting at 9 p.m. the first
day back, fans were welcomed
with a free concert featuring
Stone in Love, a Journey trib-
ute band, then Everclear on
Aug. 12 and Frankie Ballard
on Aug. 14. The widest mix
of the music events, however,
was the county fair’s Latino
Night on Aug. 13, which saw
a slew of Spanish-speaking
musicians and bands perform.
Running from 8 p.m. until
1 a.m., and headlined by Tierra
Cali, attendees had the oppor-
tunity to listen, dance and sing
along with Diana Reyes, Alfa
7 and Fortaleza De Tierra Cali-
ente — a Hermiston band.
“We try to hit all the major
genres,” said Andy Wagner,
the fair’s music director, but
mentioned the fair tries to get
classic and upcoming country,
rock and Latino music.
The organizers have their
work cut out for them.
Latino music alone is a vast
genre that spans continents and
centuries, with sounds rang-
ing from modern pop and
reggaeton, which blends hip-
hop and dancehall, to sounds
such as banda, bachata and
duranguense.
Miguel Velasco, the main
Latino talent scout for the fair
for more than a decade, looks
at what groups people want to
hear and groups that have a
good following, said his son
Mike. The Velascos, who own
Velascos Used Cars in Herm-
iston and sponsor the event,
formerly owned a nightclub
in Hermiston where the Ixtapa
Mexican Restaurant stands.
Through their contracts and
connections from the night-
club, they are able to find acts
for Latino Night.
As long as it falls within
their budget, Wagner is happy
to let Velasco do his thing
and pick acts he thinks are a
good fit. After reaching out
HeRMIstOnHeRaLd.COM • A7
Morrow County School District
announces new leaders
cialist for five years. A
Boise State University
The Morrow County graduate, Carbray has two
School District has a trio master’s degrees, one with
of new administrators for an emphasis in math and
the 2021-22 school year.
reading from Walden Uni-
The district in a press versity and an education
release on Tuesday, Aug. specialist degree in build-
ing leadership and admin-
17, announced the hires.
istration from
Erin Stocker,
Northwest Naza-
executive direc-
rene University.
tor of human
She recently
resources, said
relocated from
the leadership and
Nampa, Idaho, to
skill set within the
Boardman.
district continues
“I am eager
to be a source of
Carbray
to learn all about
amazement.
Morrow County
“These new
School District and
administrators
the community of
bring with them
Boardman,” Car-
proven
track
bray said.
records of being
student-first edu-
Vice principal,
cators, as well as
Riverside Jr./Sr.
the willingness to
High School
Sheller
take on new chal-
Steve Sheller is
lenges,” Stocker
the new vice prin-
said in the press
cipal at Riverside.
release. “I look for-
ward to the upcom-
He has 20 years
ing school year for
of teaching expe-
rience in math,
Morrow County
science and pho-
School District
tography, and pre-
with the addition
Turner
viously worked in
of these leaders to
the Hermiston and
our team.”
Morrow County school
Vice principal, Sam
districts as a teacher.
Boardman Elementary
Sheller received his
Jami Carbray is the master’s in educational
new vice principal at administration from Grand
Sam Boardman Elemen- Canyon University. For the
tary School. Carbray has last three years, he was the
an extensive background principal at Stanfield Sec-
in education, which spans ondary School. During
more than 25 years. Her that time, Sheller and
teaching background staff focused on improv-
includes 20 years in pri- ing graduation rates and
mary grades as a class- implementing highly effec-
room teacher and as a tive teaching strategies. As
literacy intervention spe- a result, Stanfield’s gradu-
HeRMIstOn HeRaLd
ation rate exceeded 94%,
which was an improve-
ment of more than 10%.
“I am excited to work
with the students, admin-
istrative team and staff
at Riverside Jr./Sr. High
School,” Sheller said. “Go
Pirates!”
Special education
coordinator and vice
principal, Morrow
Education Center
Marissa Turner, a long-
time MCSD special edu-
cation teacher, will be
stepping into the role of
special education coor-
dinator and vice princi-
pal at the Morrow Edu-
cation Center. Turner
has 10 years of teaching
experience at MCSD, all
in special education and
encompassing kindergar-
ten through 12th grade,
including life skills and
alternative school. In
addition to her K-12 spe-
cial education experience,
she has a strong back-
ground in behavior pro-
tocols and working with
classroom staff to develop
plans to support student
success.
Tu r n e r
recently
received her administra-
tive degree from Lewis
& Clark College. A Mor-
row County native, Turner
said, “I am excited to con-
tinue the commitment
to serve all our district’s
communities and work
with staff on the continued
improvement of our SPED
and behavior programs.”
All of the new admin-
istrators began their con-
tracts on July 1.
WINNERS PLAY FOR
A CHANCE TO WIN
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Members of Fortaleza De
Tierra Caliente perform
Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, during
Latino Night at the Umatilla
County Fair in Hermiston.
to promoters, Velasco “gets
contracts, tells us what they
need, how it’s gonna work and
then we’re good to go,” Wag-
ner said.
As for the genres they
pick, “It just depends,” Mike
Velasco said. “Every year is
different.”
But, he mentioned they
aim to get a variety of groups
and something that everyone
will like. This year’s head-
liner, Tierra Cali, which is
comprised of five brothers
from Michoacan, highlights
the regional genre called
Tierra Caliente — the band’s
namesake.
The genre has origins in
technobanda and heavily uses
keyboards, drums and bass.
Alfa 7 is similar to Tierra Cali,
said Velasco, but it does a lot
of romantic music as well.
“They’ve been around for
a long time,” he said. “They
have really good music.”
Diana Reyes, meanwhile, is
a well-known singer through-
out Mexico who performs
duranguense — an upbeat
genre with a type of dance
that has people moving and
spinning with partners.
Fortaleza de Tierra Cali-
ente, the local band from
Hermiston, plays a little bit of
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