Ever wanted to stay updated with small but essential news stories but didn’t want to search for them? Look no further; here, as of March 2024, is some of the most recent local news that may or may not interest you.
Victorville pastor hires a hitman
A dedicated follower of religion and a self-proclaimed pastor was accused of hiring a hitman to attack his daughter’s boyfriend. The shooting itself happened October last year (2023), about a week ago; however, in mid-March, Riverside police arrested Pasillas and one of the two alleged hitmen. There were two ‘hitm
en’ involved in the drive-by. However, the second suspected hitman’s whereabouts are unknown.
After his arrest, the church where Pasillas claimed to be a pastor was visited; however, upon arrival, it was clear that the man was lying, as the ‘church’ was a pastor’s home. When interviewed, Pastor Rafael Porras claimed Pasillas was not a pastor but a dedicated volunteer and offered no further thoughts on the situation. The victim had no criminal history and was attacked in his car during a ‘drive-by,’ and while it wounded the victim, he was able to drive himself to the hospital, where he recovered.
According to ABC7;
“As for the target of the shooting? He’s out of the hospital and still recovering.
And he’s not dating Pasillas’ daughter anymore.”
On the first few days of March, a house party in Riverside resulted in a teen being stabbed to death. There were two victims; one was rushed to the hospital, and the injuries were not life-threatening. The second victim was 17 years old and was declared dead on the scene. Both of the victims were minors, so their identities will not be revealed, but there was a video circulating online. A suspect has been arrested, Alexandro Romero (19), but the investigation is still ongoing.
On February 28th, a male nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside, California, was arrested for sexually assaulting an unconscious patient. Immediately following his arrest, his position at the hospital was terminated, and shortly after, the hospital released a statement claiming that “As soon as we [the hospital] learned of this serious accusation, we immediately cooperated with law enforcement and started an internal investigation.”
Theresa Copple, a special needs teacher for deaf and hard of hearing students, won the Council of Exceptions Children’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, a national award. She was shocked to win the prize as she didn’t have a classroom. Instead, she travels throughout the Alvord Unified School District, teaching students in various settings, some of which are inside closets, outside at picnic tables, or even sometimes in the teacher’s lounges.
When presented with the award, she said, “You know the saying, ‘It takes a village?’ I can’t do anything without everyone who’s with me.” as seen in an ABC7 article. As a humble teacher who truly cares about her students and her fellow teachers, it’s no wonder she won the award for her hard work and dedication.
