R.C. couple seeks bail reduction in inheritance theft case
Attorneys representing a married couple accused of stealing more than $750,000 in inheritance money from three children in their care are asking a West Valley Superior Court judge to lower the couple's bail amount.Richard and Yvonne Reyes, of Rancho Cucamonga, are currently jailed in lieu of $1.4 million bail on charges that they depleted the inheritance money over an 18-month period starting in September 2006.
The couple was granted temporary guardianship of three children whose parents died in a murder-suicide in June 2006.
This morning, Yvonne Reyes' defense attorney urged Judge Elia V. Pirozzi to lower bail from $1.4 million to $100,000.
David Goldstein, the attorney, said Reyes, a 48-year-old mother of five, has no prior criminal record, has never failed to appear at a court hearing, does not own a passport and is not a flight risk.
Goldstein told the judge he has clients charged with murder and other violent crimes with bail set lower than $1.4 million.
Pirozzi told Goldstein he wanted more time to consider the bail-reduction request, and ordered the Reyeses to return to court May 12.
After the hearing, James V. Reiss, Richard Reyes' attorney, said he intends to argue May 12 for his client's bail to be lowered.
The three children allegedly victimized by the Reyeses were orphaned on June 13, 2006 when their father, Monrovia fire Capt. Fernando Rodriguez, 41, shot and killed his wife, 33-year-old Katherine Rodriguez, in a parking lot at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte.
The Rancho Cucamonga couple had separated, and they would often meet to have conversations in the hospital parking lot.
In his suicide note, Fernando Rodriguez said he wanted the Reyeses to raise his children, according to an attorney who represents Fernando Rodriguez's parents.
The wife's parents and the children themselves also wanted to live with the Reyeses, said the attorney, Casey Hull.
Sissy Barker, the attorney who represents the children in their guardianship case, said she doesn't know what the Reyeses did with the money they allegedly stole.
"I can only indicate that the Reyeses have been given many, many opportunities to respond to that question in the guardianship proceeding, and they have either obfuscated the question, Ms. Reyes absented herself from some of the hearings, or they invoked their Fifth Amendment rights," Barker said.
"But they did confirm that all but a very small amount was left," Barker added.
Barker said the couple was ordered to provide Barker's office the money that was left from the $750,000 inheritance, which consisted of the parents' pension benefits, life insurance, and social security.
They delivered a cashier's check of $30 to $40, Barker said.
Reiss said this week that he's in the process of obtaining financial documents related to the case. He said he would have the documents reviewed by a forensic accountant.
He said he can't disclose what the Reyeses told him about the inheritance money.
Both Richard and Yvonne Reyes were dressed in orange jail-issued jumpsuits during this morning's hearing. In San Bernardino County jail facilities, orange indicates that an inmate is housed in a general population area.
Richard Reyes, 50, was wearing thick-framed black eyeglasses. The couple sat in the jury box and spoke to their attorneys for about 10 minutes before their case was called.
Wednesday's court hearing was a short one, with Goldstein requesting a bail reduction, the prosecutor responding, and the judge setting the next court date.
Deputy District Attorney Glenn Yabuno, the prosecutor assigned to the case, told Pirozzi the bail should remain set at $1.4 million because the law allows bail to be set at twice the amount allegedly stolen.
THIS IS ALL SO INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE I SAT NEXT TO YVONNE FOR 4 YRS AT BASEBALL GAMES LISTENING TO HER TALK ABOUT OTHER PARENTS AND OTHER PLAYERS AND HOW HER AND HER FAMILY WERE HOLIER THAN THOU.....I NEVER SAID A WORD BECAUSE I FELT THAT BEHIND THE HOLIER THAN THOU FACE THERE WAS A FAKE PERSON AND NOW LOW AND BEHOLD THAT PERSON IS IN AN ORANGE JUMPSUIT PROBABLY GOING TO DO SOME SIGNIFICANT TIME IN JAIL. AND I KNOW ALOT OF YOU OTHER BASEBALL MOMS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN......
That is interesting as I too have known the Reyes thru baseball and saw wonderful people that donated alot of there time and efforts...Never Never did they show holier than though...Not to say people don't change, but lets not judge until we know the facts....
I too met the Reyes' as a baseball parent. I have heard them talk so much trash about other people, so i know wut you mean about keeping your mouth shut "INTERESTED". I have sat with these people many times.
I truely feel they will get wut they deserve if convicted, but for now we should all wait to see the outcome before we lower ourselves to their level especially the the harsh profanity in this blog.
don"t get me wrong, they should pay for wut they are accused of but lets not get out of hand. be adult about this matter.pz21kp
WHERE IS THE MONEY?
Again I stated in the other article...Kathy was my very best friend and spoke of these people to me, but wasn't too positive what she spoke of them to me. My friend will want nothing but peace with all of this, as she must be turning in her grave. She would want happiness for her children, seeing that they have been through so much and do not derserve all of this. As I stated before, Fernando did what he did and we can't bring either one of them back and will be hurt over this for the rest of our lives. The kids meant the world to her and we need to just pray that if the Reyes are guilty, they will serve there time. I believe in Karma, and if they did wrong with the money and others are involved, God will do what he needs to do. So, let's just hope and pray that the kids are safe and Kathy is watching over them as their guardian angel.
Her Best Friend
Again I stated in the other article...Kathy was my very best friend and spoke of these people to me, but wasn't too positive what she spoke of them to me. My friend will want nothing but peace with all of this, as she must be turning in her grave. She would want happiness for her children, seeing that they have been through so much and do not derserve all of this. As I stated before, Fernando did what he did and we can't bring either one of them back and will be hurt over this for the rest of our lives. The kids meant the world to her and we need to just pray that if the Reyes are guilty, they will serve there time. I believe in Karma, and if they did wrong with the money and others are involved, God will do what he needs to do. So, let's just hope and pray that the kids are safe and Kathy is watching over them as their guardian angel.
Her Best Friend
I would like to make a comment,I pray for those three children who's life has not been fair to them ,may God always be watching them, but I also pray for Yvonne's children and family and hope within time they can put this behind them.And some people are so easy to judge but if the Reyes were such bad people why did the Rodriguez leave their children to them, why not their families? And if their had been any kind of neglect or harm done to the children while living with the Reyes family I think we would of heard of it.We as humans all have made mistakes some not as big as others but we are not God to judge and seek punishment for what we think is fair.GOD bless all the families who's life's has been affected due to this tragic circumstance.
I would like to make a comment,I pray for those three children who's life has not been fair to them ,may God always be watching them, but I also pray for Yvonne's children and family and hope within time they can put this behind them.And some people are so easy to judge but if the Reyes were such bad people why did the Rodriguez leave their children to them, why not their families? And if their had been any kind of neglect or harm done to the children while living with the Reyes family I think we would of heard of it.We as humans all have made mistakes some not as big as others but we are not God to judge and seek punishment for what we think is fair.GOD bless all the families who's life's has been affected due to this tragic circumstance.
I would like to make a comment,I pray for those three children who's life has not been fair to them ,may God always be watching them, but I also pray for Yvonne's children and family and hope within time they can put this behind them.And some people are so easy to judge but if the Reyes were such bad people why did the Rodriguez leave their children to them, why not their families? And if their had been any kind of neglect or harm done to the children while living with the Reyes family I think we would of heard of it.We as humans all have made mistakes some not as big as others but we are not God to judge and seek punishment for what we think is fair.GOD bless all the families who's life's has been affected due to this tragic circumstance.