County mental health specialist suspected of armed robbery

A mental health specialist for the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following her arrest Wednesday on suspicion of armed robbery.

A Los Angeles County sheriff's detective, accompanied by Ontario police officers, arrested Rachel Lorraine Davis, 39, at her place of employment - the county's Integrated Health Clinic in Ontario - about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. She was booked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Walnut station and subsequently taken to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.

It was unclear Friday is Davis had posted bail, which was set at $100,000. She was scheduled to appear in Pomona Superior Court Friday for an arraignment, according to booking information posted on the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Web site.

Spokesmen for both the Ontario Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department could not provide any information Friday as to the circumstances surrounding Davis's arrest or specifics on the armed robbery she has been accused of.

County spokesman David Wert said he too had no knowledge of the robbery for which Davis is accused.

"All we know is she was arrested at the clinic where she worked," Wert said. "The county doesn't have any details on the crime she is suspected of having committed."

Davis has been employed by the county since Feb. 18, 2006 as a mental health specialist for the county's Community Crisis Response Team. She is on unpaid administrative leave pending a human resources investigation, Wert said.

Joseph Ralph Ortiz, deputy director of the Department of Behavioral Health, declined comment Friday.

On Thursday, Ortiz advised several county employees of the incident via e-mail. He said in his e-mail that the program manager and clinic supervisor for the Community Crisis Response Team in the west end of the valley met with other staff members to debrief them on Davis's situation.

Ortiz concluded his e-mail by stating that Department of Behavioral Health management will work with human resources on any future developments in the case.

Davis couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com, (909) 386-3874