Pasadena PD may have an embarassing scandal on its hands in the wake of an article that appeared in Thursday’s Pasadena Weekly.
Andre Coleman reexamines the investigation into the death of former police Lt. David Richter and turns up some interesting tidbits.
Here’s the lede:
Homicide investigators with the LA County Sheriff’s Department are taking a second look into the death of retired Pasadena police Officer David Richter — a case that, although initially thought to be suicide, has already been at the center of an internal affairs investigation in Pasadena and caused at least one person to lash out anonymously against Pasadena police leadership.
<snip>
As authorities were searching for the 30-year veteran Pasadena officer, Richter’s girlfriend — Noah Beltran, who works as an assistant to acting Pasadena Police Chief Chris Vicino — was placed on paid administrative leave from the department in January for allegedly giving false information to police in Arcadia, where Richter lived.
Vicino, who would not comment on the case this week, has said Beltran was not considered a suspect in Richter’s disappearance. Beltran, who remains on leave, could not be reached for comment.
More recently, Beltran’s name resurfaced in an anonymous letter mailed to several newspapers on July 2 in which Vicino is accused of eliminating minorities from the department — and being “out to get” Beltran and manufacturing the internal investigation against her.
BTW, The Star-News didnt’ receive that letter… But I did receive another one that I’ll post after 10 a.m.
I should feel good the police are FINALLY looking away from suicide…but yet I fell sickened by the lack of respect he has received during this investigation.
I miss my uncle so much
Lisa Lee
My Dad went to school with David, I worked with him at the PD. Our prayers are with him and his family. So sad the PD did not post anything on their webiste in honor of him…he did dedicate his life to that department…at least his HS John Muir gave him som respect. He was a good man.
Same thing happened with Jim Ciriacks at Monrovia PD when he took his own life. Not one person spoke at the PD or any council meeting of his career accomplishments and there were plenty. Not Johnson, Miglia, the council, the city manager or anyone spoke up for the guy who put more bad guys in jail than most of the rest of the department combined during his years there.
He’s still thought of and missed.
I agree about the comment for Ciriacks, I made a report to this officer when he was alive. Shortly after his death my home was searched. I made a court order violation report to Ciriacks on 10/08/06, Monrovia pd searched my home {only a half a block away from monrovia pd} on 10/01/07, officer Verna also here that day. I have had continuing problems with monrovia pd from them stopping and ticketing me unjustly, to them calling children services. The list goes on with this police force who is here “to protect and serve”. They don’t!I hope someone up in the top of the county of LA is able to see something needs to be done to this independantly run pd Monrovia pd. They are not affilliated with LAPD or sheriffs they are paid for by the city of monrovia, and backed by them too. try to file a complaint and be directed to chief johnson who is also mentioned in the verna scandals. I have even tried calling federal buero of investigations on their force but no one wants to acknowledge there’s a serious problem with monrovia pd and civil rights violations. What do you do when people in high places turn the other cheek? pray I’m not the next to commit “suicide”? My brakes have already gone out once two days after the pd searched my home.
I agree about the comment for Ciriacks, I made a report to this officer when he was alive. Shortly after his death my home was searched. I made a court order violation report to Ciriacks on 10/08/06, Monrovia pd searched my home {only a half a block away from monrovia pd} on 10/01/07, officer Verna also here that day. I have had continuing problems with monrovia pd from them stopping and ticketing me unjustly, to them calling children services. The list goes on with this police force who is here “to protect and serve”. They don’t!I hope someone up in the top of the county of LA is able to see something needs to be done to this independantly run pd Monrovia pd. They are not affilliated with LAPD or sheriffs they are paid for by the city of monrovia, and backed by them too. try to file a complaint and be directed to chief johnson who is also mentioned in the verna scandals. I have even tried calling federal buero of investigations on their force but no one wants to acknowledge there’s a serious problem with monrovia pd and civil rights violations. What do you do when people in high places turn the other cheek? pray I’m not the next to commit “suicide”? My brakes have already gone out once two days after the pd searched my home.
If anyone sees this post, I just want to say thank you so much for the kind words about officer Ciriacks. I am a blood family member of his, he was like my other half. After his death, he had so many awards, placks most everyone in the family was able to have a little piece of his success. You do not even have the slightest clue on how much the Monrovia police department screwed him over. I miss him so much and he was such a great asset to society. I am sure the streets of Monrovia will never be as safe 🙂
I am an ex Monrovian and I would like to also pay my respects and praises to Jim Ciriacks. He was a very personable and hard working police officer who should be deeply missed. I was in shock to hear of his death and wondered how such a thing could happen. Did no one see it coming? He was on leave for quite some time and their were rumors that it had to do with drug use. I wondered if it was not a suicide, but rather if foul play was involved. He arrested many major drug dealers in the city and made many enemies for doing so. He seemed to love his job and did it with an enthusiasm that has not been seen since by other officers. The article in the paper had statements of Department Officials that sounded more like cop outs to their lack of recognizing that they had an officer in trouble. Here is a quote from the article by Cereceres: He called the incident “horrible” and said many in the departments wished they could have recognized a problem in time. “People were asking how and why something like this could have happened?” “It’s hard to recognize something like this in someone and confront them. Especially a police officer who is trained to maintain a facade of control, especially with co-workers.”
Sounds kind of weird. I would think that the opposite would be true. That officers would be more close considering that they depend of each other out in the field and trust that they have each others backs because their lives lay on the line. I would think that if anyone would recognize a problem like this it would be the department. He was on leave for over a year and no one noticed that maybe their were obvious warning signs? Or was it foul play??
To end my post I will say that I have prayed that the Lord took you to be with Him in Heaven. You are so very missed by myself and the department and citizens should also miss your dedication to keeping the city free of the scum that pollutes it today.
R.I.P
I am an ex Monrovian and I would like to also pay my respects and praises to Jim Ciriacks. He was a very personable and hard working police officer who should be deeply missed. I was in shock to hear of his death and wondered how such a thing could happen. Did no one see it coming? He was on leave for quite some time and their were rumors that it had to do with drug use. I wondered if it was not a suicide, but rather if foul play was involved. He arrested many major drug dealers in the city and made many enemies for doing so. He seemed to love his job and did it with an enthusiasm that has not been seen since by other officers. The article in the paper had statements of Department Officials that sounded more like cop outs to their lack of recognizing that they had an officer in trouble. Here is a quote from the article by Cereceres: He called the incident “horrible” and said many in the departments wished they could have recognized a problem in time. “People were asking how and why something like this could have happened?” “It’s hard to recognize something like this in someone and confront them. Especially a police officer who is trained to maintain a facade of control, especially with co-workers.”
Sounds kind of weird. I would think that the opposite would be true. That officers would be more close considering that they depend of each other out in the field and trust that they have each others backs because their lives lay on the line. I would think that if anyone would recognize a problem like this it would be the department. He was on leave for over a year and no one noticed that maybe their were obvious warning signs? Or was it foul play??
To end my post I will say that I have prayed that the Lord took you to be with Him in Heaven. You are so very missed by myself and the department and citizens should also miss your dedication to keeping the city free of the scum that pollutes it today.
R.I.P
James did not have a drug problem….he had a problem with the Monrovia PD. He underwent multiple surgical procedures due to work- related injuries and was out on disability from his last bone graft (spinal). Jim was informed that the city of Monrovia was not going to put him on permanent disability and were going to take him to court instead. This is how they tried to pay him back for his stellar years of service.
The court proceedings were accompanied by a revocation of his right to carry a concealed weapon. Former police officers are almost always afforded this right and courtesy in their states of service. This move by the Monrovia Police department caused James to lose the job that he had lined up as a body guard for the CEO and president of Abraxis pharmaceuticals. The combination of his losing his pension and his new line of work in one day caused him extreme mental anguish….He went over the edge.
James leaves a plethora of loved ones behind that miss him greatly. He was one of those people who loved his job, but this time his job did not love him back.
The Monrovia Police Department were negligent and are thus liable for damages in this case, In addition, his family believes the CA state district attorney’s office should be looking further into this case to see what legal action, if any, ought be taken against the Monrovia Police Department. Police Departments have the obligation to act in good faith and in accordance with guidelines deemed prudent in the wake of officer dismissals and suspensions, and their affect on the officer’s life, safety and welfare. Police officers have one of the highest rates of suicide in the professional world, mostly due to the means being at hand…in this case Jame’s service revolver. This is a clear case of predictable cause and effect.
Psychiatric case officers should be assigned to any disciplinary or disability case involving police officers to ensure their safety and welfare as they are forced to transition to new careers. Its the least that can be done in the wake of these brave men and womens’ dedication and service.
In this case the Monrovia PD is Negligent, they will be brought to justice.
I don’t know all the details surrounding Jim’s problems with the MPD. I know he was out on disability for over a year, recovering from surgeries due to injuries inflicted on the job. Up to that point, I could tell he really enjoyed his work. I was there with him during the academy and I remember helping him with spelling and grammar when he wrote his papers. I went on ride-a-longs several times with him and I could tell how good he was at what he did and the joy it brought him. I saw the respect he received from the citizenry and it felt powerful. Jim was always like that. He had a magnetic attraction that was eminently likable. Almost nobody disliked Jim and everybody respected him. They respected his integrity and his sense of honor and duty.
I was the only little brother Jim Ciriacks had. Everything I learned about being a man, I learned from him. From the time we were kids, he would let me tag along with him and I would learn from him. Right and wrong, earning respect and being respectful of others, being strong for your family… the bedrock of my personality which was formed by the greatest man I ever knew. James Andrew Ciriacks… father, brother, teacher, protector, outdoorsman, lover of his family, animals, cars and an occasional cold beer or nice bottle of wine. Rest in peace, big brother. I’ll see you again soon.
I have come upon this web site while missing my husband. I have searched his name several times possibly trying to get him back in my life. I can tell anyone reading this blog my husband James Ciriacks did not have a drug problem. How shameful for anyone to even consider something like that. My husband was a proud and dedicated Police Officer. Jim will be missed by his family and friends.
I worked w/Jim at MPD. I looked up to him as a role model — a lot of people did. I thought of him as “supercop,” almost like a tv or movie character cop: larger than life — except he was the real deal. He was a hardworking, charismatic, extemely likable tough-guy. Even crooks he took to jail couldn’t help but like Jim, and that’s what made him so good at his job. I’m stunned and saddened to learn of his death. My prayers go out to his family and friends.
I don’t lnow how to explain….other than a dream….This officer suffered foul play. HE DID NOT COMMIT SUICIDE. How funny cheif Johnson is not the cheif any more and there are tons of new faces at MPD lets hope they are just and here to “protect and serve”
it has been a year since anyone has posted on this site which shows how no matter what happens, people always move on with their lives. last year i had a window into this process as i became friends with jim’s wife. the most disappointing and heartbreaking things that i have have experienced is listening to her while she spoke of how whe was deserted by his employers and so called friends in the mpd after he took his life…how they lost their home and other property and couldn’t even get one of the so called friends to even come over and fix a gate. what happened to the so called “blue loyalty” or “blue code” or whatever that is? i guess that only applies to protect the bad behavior and misdeeds of cops that are alive. as many civilians know, or should, most police officers are just egocentric cowards schrouded in a blue uniform, a baton and a gun. without most would be nothing of note. most with the exception of jim ciriacks. monrovia police dept…you should be ashamed
I just came across this blog….Its a trip how a person is thought about and you just so happen to come across his name. I personally know Ciriacks,and what I do know about him, is that he was a good cop, as well as a good person.I have never heard of any negative come from anybody in Monrovia about him, and trust me I have been here all my life. It was Unfortunate that we meant under bad circumstances but…the ending it was all good. After my inccident with MPD was resolved We established a relationship with him,he would periodically come to Our house, My husband And I and see “How we were Doing”. He established a relationship with us as well as our son at the time, about 5 years old. He came through our alley and see us out there and Ask Where is The lil one, he would come out and he would talk to our son about a Race car he was building at the time and talk about his love that he had for it…all he wanted was to be comfortable in our neighbor hood and do his job, as well….He will be dearly Missed….
I did not know Jim myself but i knew his daughter. From all the stories shes told about their time together i truly believe Jim was and always will be that nice, strong, loyal, loving, father, friend, and husband from her stories.