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CALIFORNIA
ANAHEIM: Rosario Rios Villagomez (51, husband Freddy) died after refusing a blood transfusion at Martin Luther King Hospital in early 1999 and a Watchtower representative blamed her gallstones instead of the bleeding+ http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml ARROYO: Tony Mendez died 6-6-95 at Arroyo Grande Community Hopsital after refusing blood transfusions + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml CAHOGA PARK: Brendon Hood (4 years old) died late January or early February [year not supplied] after parents refused blood transfusions + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml CHINO HILLS & Chino North: Steve Morales a former Bethelite was convicted for serial rape * (courtesy of Kent Steinhaug and verified in news account) COSTA MESA: on/about June 2001 a 17-year-old girl was arrested after she drove by on a bike & threw a homemade bomb into a Kingdom Hall in the 2200 block of Canyon Drive about 9:20 PM though it bounced so that there were no injuries or property damage DOWNEY: Downey North Congregation: Gary L Kreider (in late 40s) hanged himself 12-96 # FRESNO: Lenae Martinez (12) died 9-22-93 at Valley Children's Hospital agreeing with her parents in refusing blood transfusion GRIDLEY: alleged pedophilia*
HOLLISTER: Trail of abuse preceded murder Tuesday, September 30, 2003 By Jed Logan/Assistant Editor Murder victim Stephanie Rodriguez had been trying for months to move away from her estranged and abusive husband before he killed her. Several neighbors and longtime friends who were close to Stephanie, 37, said she was in the process of divorcing her husband Leo Rodriguez, 40, when he apparently took matters into his own hands Saturday night. Local courts had She ordered her back to Hollister where Leo Rodriguez still lived because the custody of their son was still in question and they reportedly did not want her changing the youth?s school until a decision was reached, her friend of more than 25 years said, adding, ?The court system failed her.? The article does not note that he was also a Jehovah's Witness but the forum discussion makes it clear that he was although his victim may or may not have been ! (Hollister Free Lance in Benito County, California USA) http://www.freelancenews.com/news/newsview.asp?c=76086
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/59814/1.ashx)
LOS ANGELES: doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles were successful in 2001 when having to use bloodless surgery to save 7 month old Aiden Michael Rush who was born with an obstructed bile duct & had developed liver disease www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/141news.html) MARTINEZ: Carey Verse, a JW convicted of sexually assaulting teen-aged boys and a homeless man, was released in the late 1990s from prison to Atascadero Mental Health Hospital. In August 2003 Martinez residents expressed alarm that he might be set loose in their town. In Contra Costa Times of California. Contact staff writer Corey Lyons at 925-977-8418 or [email protected] http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/56860/1.ashx * MIRA MESA alleged extreme nepotism then separated out
MOUNT SHASTA: Don and Kim Clemens of Mount Shasta, California, say that in 1996 their son accused his babysitter, Alizum Varium?a neighbor and a fellow Witness?of molesting him frequently for six years, beginning when he was 5 years old. The family informed local Witness leaders. "It was my son's words against her words," Kim Clemens remembers. "The elders filed it away and said there's nothing they can do." When the Clemens family saw Varium volunteering at a daycare center, they hired a private investigator to gather information. "Our goal is to keep her completely away from all kids," Kim Clemens says. "If there are more children who come out of there having been abused, I don't want to say 15 or 20 years down the road that I didn't say anything." http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/004/11.23.html *
SACRAMENTO VICINITY (Loomis, Rocklin, Sunset Congregations): Derek Packowski and the Watchtower Society corporations were sued in November 2003 by the legal firm of Nolen Saul Brelsford of Sacramento, California. The child molestor and corporations headed by the Governing Body over Jehovah?s Witnesses, were charged with not reporting to law enforcement and systematically conspiring and suppressing information about sexual molestation committed by Packowski when he was in a congregation in Des Plaines, Illinois, also after about 1984 and later in California at the Loomis Congregation from which formed the Rocklin and Sunset Congregations. At Loomis and Sunset congregations he was allowed unsupervised interaction with children including plaintiffs Tim C, Robert C, Andrew C and Trevor L about 1986-1998. Later as a Ministerial Servant he was allowed unsupervised contact with congregation children. Defendants routinely maintained secret archival files regarding sexual abuse by Elders, Ministerial Servants, Pioneers, and other leaders. The file's existence and contents were not disclosed or made available to law enforcement or others in order to investigate the crimes. Refer to Rudy Nolen, Esq SBN 59808 Jonathan Saul, Esq SBN 189271 William Brelsford, Esq SBN 202839; Nolen Saul Brelsford; 350 University Ave Suite 280; Sacramento, California 95825 Telephone: (916) 564-9990; Facs (916) 564-9991 http://silentlambs.org/newsletter/NewsLetterItem.cfm?SendoutID=159 *
SACRAMENTO: "I have received information relating to individuals who allegedly molested children at Sacremento State Prep School in Sac, California, a JW school. If you have any information please contact me. Kimberlee D. Norris, attorney at law, kdnorris@ airmail.net, 817.335.2800
Reports of multiple offenders at this institution..."
(www.lovenorrisattonrneys.com) *
PLACERVILLE: The following is an internet posted allegation: "I am not a JW, nor have ever been one, or ever plan on being one. I admit to knowing nothing about the religion. But I will admit to having been a victim of a JW member. And yes, I will submit his name, which is of public record. He was a high school teacher. In the city of Placerville, California. He molested many female students. Unfortunately it took many years and students, before one brave soul was able to speak up. Then the 2nd brave soul, and so forth. His name is Norm Van Brocklin. Not the football player, his uncle. He was prosecuted in the early 1980s, and was last known to be living in the Davis, California area. He also had been a teacher in the Orange County area. Lord knows how many victims he left there. I only found this site while researching the laws on 'Mandated Reporters.' As I am a victim and a mandated reporter. Prayers to all his vicims." Feb 1, 2001 http://www.exjws.net/sexabuse/abusearchive2001b.htm *
REDDING: By a female poster who says she was a child when abused: "And the father was doing sexually abusive things to me any time he could, which was pretty often. ( I believe this man is even now and elder in the Redding congregation)" http://www.silentlambs.org/personal_experiences/abused_lambs.cfm *
SAN LUIS OBISPO: Judy Granvold (38) died May 1985 after refusing blood transfusion + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml SANTA BARBARA NORTH, SOUTH & SAN ROQUE: soap opera-like intermarriage intrigues SANTA CRUZ NORTH -- also in Santa Barbara at Cottage Hospital Frank Blanchet (49) bled to death 5-20-98 from abdominal gunshot wound after refusing transfusions + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml Santa Barbara "News Press" 5/21/98 article "Wounded insurance agent dies" by Dawn Hobbs, as found Thursday May 21, 1998, at the newspaper's online edition website http://news.newspress.com/local/murder.htm STOCKTON: John Alson (47) died August 1992 at San Joaquin General Hospital after refusing blood transfusion
VISALIA: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses at 5310 Caldwell Ave: a jury was not able to convict Jehovah's Witness elder Louis Angiuano of molesting a 12 year old girl + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml Discussed at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/52139/1.ashxhttp://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/news/stories/20030517/localnews/318666.html http://www.fresnobee.com/local/crime/story/6028329p-6984534c.html
WOODLAND: Plaintiffs Daniel West and Steve and Amber Pence alleged Watchtower Defendants knew of sexual abuse yet failed to report complaints to law enforcement officials or remove the offending leaders from interaction with children, threatened victims with punishment if they warned others and, in at least one case, accused of homosexual activity, which violates church policy.
The action followed a previous criminal case by the state against Timothy Silva of Woodland who in 2001 pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct against Shane Pence, one of the three plaintiffs, who was a minor when the abuse and the plea occurred. The Woodland Congregation of JWs was also named a defendant. Elder Paul Pfotenhauer said said Silva was publicly reproved but not excommunicated or ?disfellowshipped? and denied church members had not reported the abuse to police. * (Staff writer Becky Trout can be reached at 406-6231 or [email protected].(July 2003 in Daily Democrat of Woodland California)
IN GENERAL IN NAPA, YOLO, TEHAMA COUNTIES: The law firm of Nolen Saul Brelsford filed civil lawsuits against JW heads in Napa, Yolo and Tehama counties, accusing elders in the organization of molesting children entrusted in their care more than 20 years ago. Elder Ed Villegas (53 at death)had sexually abused children.* http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/56453/1.ashx ; also see
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/07/31/BA38148.DTL for "Jehovah's Witnesses hit with rash of sex-abuse suits" by Don Lattin, writer for northern California's biggest paper the Chronicle; in Yolo County the lawsuit was brought by Daniel West (26), Shane Pence (18), Amber Pence (23) who said they were molested by Timothy Silva, a Book Study leader with the JW congregation in Woodland. Paul Polidoro, associate general counsel for JWs, said "The majority of these lawsuits are parishioner-on-parishioner incidents." Polidoro said. Silva, according to plaintiffs' attorney William Brelsford, was convicted in 1995 of lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor. The lawsuit alleges JW leaders were told West had been molested from 1991, when he was 13 years old, through 1993 but did not notify authorities nor take steps to hold (Silva) accountable and exacerbated the trauma to West by accusing him "of participating in homosexual activity." Also alleged were that Shane Pence was 7 years old when Silva "committed continued and repeated sexual battery" on the boy 5 years until 1997, his mother reported the abuse to the Watchtower defendants and was told not to contact the police herself, that the church would take care of the problem. The only other named, living perpetrator in the four lawsuits filed last week is convicted child molester James Henderson of Red Bluff, who, Brelsford said, is alleged to have molested then-15-year-old plaintiff "Tim W." in 1994. E-mail Don Lattin at [email protected]
CALIFORNIA IN GENERAL: Anita Brown died 6-17-1980 after refusing blood transfusions + http://ajwrb.org/victims/index.shtml if you were molested by "Jim Sims in Northern California.... 14-Nov-03 15:56 Post 94 of 94 since 07-Jun-02 United States, Texas ... or if you have knowledge of this perpetrator, you may be a fact witness in this California case. Please contact Kimberlee D. Norris attorney at law [email protected] 817.335.2800" http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/61983/1.ashx
Diane Wilson: "I started having all kinds of doubts and disagreements. But you have to be very tight-lipped about it, you can?t talk to anybody about it. Because Witnesses, before they?re baptised, they have to promise that after they?re baptised they?ll participate in this sort of spying on each other, and if any Witness has a doubt and expresses it to another, then they have to be turned in to the elders." > Comment: extract from interview with Diane Wilson of California, the author of Awakening Of A Jehovah's Witness which also gives an example of JW elders' secret Theocratic Warfare tactic allowing lying for the Watchtower http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s871756.htm
Wilson's website is dianewilson.net and her book is at http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1573929425/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-7140158-1652109#reader-link
SPECIAL COMMENT: The state of California probably has the most or greatest percentage of JW's in the United States. The anti-cult internet work by Randall Watters (http://www.freeminds.org) has been especially intensive and effective. His freeminds.org website includes current information and books about the WTS including the book Letters to the Editor-Book Two: 1989 to 1995 which tells of spying among JWs as also do publications by Diane Wilson, William Schnell (JW Zone Overseer in early 1900s) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/ref=s_sf_b_as/102-7140158-1652109 and other writers.