Less a week ’til election day … Irwindale City Officials arrested

It took more than three years but with a week to go before the statewide general election …

IRWINDALE — A San Gabriel Valley Tribune article from 2007 resulted in the arrests of four Irwindale city officials, including a current council member, officials said Wednesday.

The four have been charged with misappropriation of public funds after they allegedly attended Broadway shows and baseball games during trips to New York to get a better bond rating for the city, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said.

Charged are City Councilman Mark Breceda, 50; retired city manager Steve Blancarte, 56; finance director Abe De Dios, 65; and former councilwoman Rosemary Ramirez, 49, said Deputy District Attorney Nipa Cook with the Public Integrity Division.

Defendants Breceda, Blancarte and Ramirez are scheduled to appear this morning in Department 30 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center for arraignment.

De Dios, who is out of town, is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.

Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_16445212#ixzz13aF3z6QY

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