The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

Sheriff’s official resigned rather than clear fired deputy

by City News Service • July 18, 2019 11 Comments

LOS ANGELES – A top official in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said she left the agency after 34 years rather than carry out what she said was a “highly unethical” and “unheard of” directive from Sheriff Alex Villanueva to reinstate a fired deputy and alter his disciplinary record, according to court papers reviewed by the Los Angeles Times.

Alicia Ault, who served as chief of the department’s professional standards and training division before her resignation last year, said she was told by the incoming sheriff’s chief of staff that it was Villanueva’s “No. 1 priority” to reinstate Caren Carl Mandoyan before Villanueva took office so it would appear to have been done by the administration of former Sheriff Jim McDonnell, according to a deposition she gave in the county’s lawsuit over the reinstatement, which was filed in court Wednesday.

Ault’s deposition is part of the county’s unusual legal action against Villanueva, Mandoyan and the Sheriff’s Department. County supervisors and watchdogs, including the county inspector general, have criticized the sheriff for rehiring Mandoyan after he was fired in 2016 for domestic violence and for lying about his actions.

Supervisors asked Villanueva to rescind the hiring, saying it sends a troubling message to victims of domestic abuse, but the sheriff has refused.

The sheriff has defended Mandoyan, arguing that the deputy was punished unfairly under McDonnell’s tenure, and said the rehiring was approved by an independent “truth and reconciliation” committee.

The legal filings Wednesday also include a deposition from Villanueva’s former second-in-command, Ray Leyva, who was abruptly fired in March. Leyva said under oath that he reviewed video evidence in Mandoyan’s case that showed the deputy tried to pry open a woman’s door and had indeed lied about it, as investigators initially found.

Leyva said he believed the sheriff’s reconciliation committee deliberately “skewed” evidence to justify reinstating the deputy. He said he repeatedly clashed with Villanueva in disputes that he said arose after he told the new sheriff he had to adhere to policies and procedures on various issues.

Late Wednesday, Villanueva said, “At this point in time, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on pending litigation,” The Times reported.

Mandoyan, through his attorney, Greg Smith, has denied wrongdoing and said his initial firing was unfair. Smith said Wednesday he disagrees with the way Ault and Leyva have characterized events, noting their testimony should be viewed in light of their fraught departures from the department.

Ault said in her deposition that the directive to reinstate Mandoyan came in a phone call from Villanueva’s incoming chief of staff, Lawrence Del Mese, on Nov. 26, seven days before Villanueva’s swearing-in Dec. 3. She said Del Mese told her he was looking at her picture on an organizational chart as he gave the order, a comment she perceived as a threat that her job was on the line.

Ault also said in her deposition that Del Mese sent her an email Nov. 26 or the day after containing a settlement agreement that had already been drafted that called for Mandoyan’s misconduct to be labeled “unfounded” and for a separate use-of-force case by the deputy to be changed from “founded” to “unfounded.” The proposed agreement also provided for the deputy to receive more than $200,000 in back pay, according to a brief included as part of the filing.

“To request to have someone’s distant past discipline altered without any formal proceeding or fact-based documentation is highly unethical, and it’s completely outside of our standards,” Ault said, adding that by the evening of Nov. 26, she had decided she would step down. She said felt she had no future in an administration that made such decisions.

Previous related story: Official: LASD deputy reinstatement was rushed, ignored key evidence

–

 

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Home

11 comments

11 comments for "Sheriff’s official resigned rather than clear fired deputy"

  1. Alexis says

    July 23, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Villanueva is dirty to the core.

    Reply
    • East Lancaster says

      July 23, 2019 at 1:01 pm

      Villanueva’s dirtiness pales in comparison to what we have going in Wreck’s Lancaster.

      Reply
      • Nadia says

        July 23, 2019 at 2:53 pm

        Two different subjects. No, Villanueva’s actions don’t pale in comparison

        Reply
        • Auston Knows says

          July 23, 2019 at 3:28 pm

          Absolutely pales!! Only those eating from the food trough of Rex think otherwise.

          Reply
          • Tin Tin says

            July 23, 2019 at 4:08 pm

            You’re expecting too much from these local yokels, Nadia. Villanueva and what he does will come around to him one day. I suspect these commenters that continually talk about their beloved mayor are a group of old hens that can’t have him.

          • East Lancaster says

            July 23, 2019 at 4:14 pm

            Local yokels? Look that up in the dictionary and you will see photos of Wrecks, Marv, DUI Drew, Raj, Austen Bishop, Wrecks’ Lil Bro Rob, Vose, and the rest of the crew.

  2. CORY WITHERS says

    July 21, 2019 at 4:55 pm

    WHOEVER TALKS BAD ABOUT SHERIFF VILLANUEVA IS BECAUSE THEY ARE RACIST AND SUPPORT DONALD CHUMP IF YOU DONT LIKE HOW OUR FULLY ELECTED OFFICIAL YOU CAN MOVE OUT OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES.

    Reply
    • Trumpist#1 says

      July 22, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Villanueva shamelessly panders to Hispanic voters to the detriment of all others. B4 you call me racist, Villanueva is Puerto Rican as is most of my family so GFY.

      Your mindless whines of racism is so f_____g old and tired and has no credibility.

      Reply
    • Tim Scott says

      July 22, 2019 at 6:48 pm

      Ummmm…no. Villanueva’s actions in this matter are grotesque, and seeing that and saying so doesn’t have anything to do with D’ump one way or the other. Or race.

      Reply
  3. Alexis says

    July 18, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    Alicia Ault is truly a courageous woman. Ray Leyva, a courageous man.

    Reply
    • Observation says

      July 18, 2019 at 9:56 pm

      Alex Villanueva is a trickster.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Comments

  • L.A. County opts into refugee... (38)
    • William { @Wars that solve nothing It looks like Trump will be impeached as... } – Dec 13, 1:18 PM
    • InDepends { Whatever happened to the poster using handle Trump 2020*? We could use... } – Dec 13, 1:05 PM
  • L.A. County Democrats endorse Gascon... (16)
    • William { @InDepends Are you serious? I didn't do it. The question is...."If it... } – Dec 13, 12:58 PM
    • Alexis { The Republicans don't keep putting Rex Parris back in office. The very... } – Dec 13, 8:01 AM
  • Two sheriff's deputies charged with... (4)
    • One of many the department *ucked { Hang in their Berk and Fisk, I know you both and you... } – Dec 13, 9:31 AM
    • LACSD News Brief { In the news again... } – Dec 12, 9:48 PM
  • Officials celebrate Upper Amargosa Recharge... (2)
    • All about the Money { Great idea to sink millions of gallons of water virtually right into... } – Dec 13, 8:51 AM
    • Jason Zink { $17 Million to turn on a water valve that was sitting there... } – Dec 12, 9:16 PM
  • L.A. County to adopt boycott... (3)
    • Alexis { AV Illegal: Great comment! It's all about the revenue over results. } – Dec 12, 3:43 PM
    • Gross Polluter { I remember those smoggy days too but cars back then were real... } – Dec 12, 1:22 PM
  • Older »

© 2019 · The Antelope Valley Times. All rights reserved. Terms of Use