Latest news with #OmarTorres
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Let this be a lesson': SF Chinatown SRO owners to pay $810K for illegal, unsafe units
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The San Francisco City Attorney's office said the landlords of three Chinatown single room occupancy (SRO) hotels will have to pay $810,000 in civil penalties for forcing tenants to live in 'unsafe and unhealthy living conditions' for several years. Omar Torres convicted for sexually molesting minor in 1999 City Attorney David Chiu said the settlement agreement resolves an October 2023 lawsuit over the condition of the properties that alleged the SRO owners caused a 'public nuisance.' City Attorney Chiu said Jeff Appenrodt, Shailendra Devdhara, and Kamlesh Patel own the hotels — located at 1449 Powell St., 790 Vallejo St., and 912 Jackson St. — that house 85 authorized SRO rooms. However, since 2018, Chiu said several City departments have issued Notices of Violation (NOVs) for health, safety, and building violations at the three hotels, saying the owners 'illegally converted, combined, or added unauthorized SRO rooms and dwelling units.' Chiu said the laundry list of violations at the properties include 'unpermitted work, broken and rusted plumbing, exposed electrical wiring, insect and rodent infestations, mold and mildew, unsanitary shared restrooms, malfunctioning appliances, lack of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, seismic safety risks, insufficient emergency exits, broken doors and locks, missing hardware, broken windows and frames, damaged paint with lead risks, and damaged ceilings, floors, and walls.' 'Let this be a lesson to all landlords who profit off of the suffering of their tenants,' said City Attorney Chiu in a news release. 'In San Francisco, there are consequences for depriving tenants of a safe and healthy place to live. I'm proud our collective actions held the owners accountable and addressed the many issues at the properties.' Chiu said the three owners will have to repair the conditions at the three SRO hotels per the settlement agreement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-San Jose councilman pleads no contest in sex abuse case
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A San Jose councilman who resigned because of sex abuse charges pleaded no contest on Tuesday to abusing a child in the 1990s, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said. Omar Torres entered three no-contest pleas on the same day a special election was being held to choose a replacement for a vacant seat on the council. "Omar Torres has pleaded no contest on Election Day, which I hope gives the victim and all District 3 residents some measure of closure," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. "We likely won't know who our next D3 Councilmember is for a few more months, but we do know that the future of our Downtown, the heart of our city, will be in better, safer hands." Torres was told to come back to court on May 29 to schedule a sentencing date. The maximum punishment he could face is 24 years in prison. A no contest plea is essentially a guilty plea. The Mercury News first reported the news. Torres has been in custody at the county Main Jail since his Nov. 5, 2024, arrest. The DA charged Torres with two felony counts of child sexual assault and one felony count of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 dating back to November 1999. Torres, who was a teenager at the time, molested the victim many times starting when the child was 4 years old, according to the evidence.
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Former San Jose city councilman Omar Torres convicted of child molestation
The Santa Clara County District Attorney confirmed that former San Jose City Councilman Omar Torres was convicted Tuesday of sexually molesting a minor in 1999, the same day a special election was being held to fill his vacant seat. The former city councilman, who had been under fire since last fall and was arrested on Election Day a short time later for alleged child sex abuse , entered a no contest plea to multiple charges of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor under the age of 14 in a court hearing Tuesday morning, resulting in a conviction. The 43-year-old Torres, who was a teenager at the time the crime was committed, molested the victim numerous times starting when the victim was 4 years old, according to the evidence. Torres served as city councilman for downtown San Jose from 2023 to late 2024 when he was charged. He will be sentenced at a later date, and faces incarceration as well as lifetime registration as a sex offender. "It is heartbreaking that someone elected to represent and serve thousands of San Jose residents had previously molested a small child," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in the press release issued by his office . "Children are vulnerable and precious, and my Office will do everything in our legal power to fight for their safety and fully prosecute those who hurt them." The victim contacted police last year after reports came out about a separate department investigation into potential sexual abuse of minors by Torres. The investigation revealed that Torres abused the minor between 1990 and 1999. The criminal charges against Torres involve alleged acts from Nov. 25, 1999, about a month after Torres turned 18 years old. Torres, who had previously worked as a school trustee, resigned from the city council in early November hours before his arrest. The special election to fill his city council seat is being held Tuesday .
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Jose voters to decide District 3 council seat in special election
Voters in San Jose's City Council District 3 will decide Tuesday who will fill the seat vacated by former councilmember Omar Torres. A special election was called after Torres was arrested last fall for alleged child sex abuse . The seven candidates running to represent the downtown district are: Adam Duran, Philip Dolan, Irene Smith, Gabby Chavez-Lopez, Anthony Tordillos, Tyrone Wade and Matthew Quevedo. If a candidate garners 50% of the vote, they win the seat. Otherwise voters will decide between the top two vote-getters in a June runoff. Election results will be available at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website at . Voting centers will be open until 8 p.m. on Tuesday; mail-in ballots were previously sent out. The voting centers are located at: the Joyce Ellington Branch Library Community Room, 491 E. Empire St.; the Olinder Commuity Center Community Room, 848 E. William St.; and the Center for Employment Training Banquet Room, 701 Vine St. The deadline to register to vote and receive a mailed ballot was March 24, but voters can still register and vote through conditional voter registration, which is available at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters' Office and at all vote centers through Election Day.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Preparations underway as storm hits San Diego this week
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Communities across the county are gearing up for the anticipated rain, with many taking proactive steps to safeguard their properties. Southcrest, one of several neighborhoods in the Southeast prone to flooding, is still recovering from last January's historic flooding. For those still reeling, stormy weather isn't taken lightly. 'Personally we just kind of put a little bit of sandbags around the places that did get flooded last time just to prepare because I seen a flood warning on my phone and everything,' one Southcrest resident said. Ahead of the rain, the City of San Diego issued a statement noting crews with the stormwater department were out street sweeping and clearing storm drains. 'I seen a couple probably last week and this week too. It's hard to do it while it's raining, I did it last time when it was raining, it was really hard,' the Southcrest resident said. The city says stormwater staff will monitor more than 46,000 storm drains citywide for issues. Meanwhile, others are keeping an eye on conditions, but aren't being as proactive. However, the impact of last year's storm still runs deep in an area not fully recovered. 'I used to like the rain more. I still like bringing my dog out, but I will think about it like having a to-go just in case,' another Southcrest resident said. And still others aren't concerned about feeling the direct impacts of rain. 'Thankfully we're on a raised elevation so the water doesn't get to us, but our neighbors are at ground level and last time they got flooded out. If I can stay home I'll stay home,' Southcrest resident Omar Torres said. Again, sandbags can be picked up at 11 recreation centers throughout San Diego and at other sites in the county. Residents can also report storm-related issues by using the Get it Done app. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
