Victor Valley News 2014 Review

Here is Victor Valley News 2014 at a glance. The things that touched your heart, sparked your interest or caused outrage. Together, Victor Valley News will bring in the new year sharing the news that matters to you!

January 5, 2014
Body Found in Aquaduct floating face down by a mountain biker in the area of Ranchero Road by the Hesperia airport.
The following day, the body was discovered to be that of Ruben Albert Hubacek, 47 who had got in a single vehicle collision on December 23rd 2013. The vehicle was recovered the day the accident was reported.

January 18, 2014
Hesperia newborn Andrew Jacob tips the scales at 15 pounds at birth.

January 20, 2014
Alhambra High School District Assistant Principal resigns after confronted by Victorville woman about molestation that occurred 16 years prior to the confrontation.

February 8, 2014
First confirmed whooping cough death since 2010.

March 6, 2014
7-year-old Taylor Chriswell from Hesperia died after being struck by a vehicle on her way to her bus stop.

March 6, 2014
Ten children, ages 11 months old to 16 years old were removed from a home that also housed a registered sex offender. The home in the 9000 block of Chimney Rock Avenue in Hesperia was said to have extremely dirty and otherwise unpleasant living conditions.

March 7, 2014
Beijing-bound flight Missing with 239 on Board.

March 11, 2014
Massive Cocaine Bust in Hesperia worth $2.3 Million. Two men were arrested after officers found nearly $2.3 million in cocaine stashed inside the sleeper of a big rig truck.

March 14, 2014
Charley’s Urban Tactical Supplies located at 18838 highway 18, in Apple Valley raided for selling guns to felons.

March 18. 2014
Father & son arrested for Marijuana cultivation / concentrated Cannabis lab at a commercial business complex located at 13470 Manhasset Road in Apple Valley.  The location, consisting of nine warehouse suites, was being utilized to cultivate, process and sell marijuana. The property owner, John Kuczkuda – 62, Apple Valley, and his son Johnathan Kuczkuda – 32, Apple Valley were arrested at the scene.

April 13, 2014
K & G liquor in Hesperia sells Powerball Ticket worth  $1,120,480

April 19, 2014
Former teacher and pilot, Apple Valley resident Paul James Hultman, 57 was found guilty of molesting three girls ages 10-13 years old then attempting to flee in his private plane.

April 23, 2014
Two sixth-grade students from Rancho Verde Elementary School in Apple Valley were taken to Saint Mary’s Medical Center after eating brownies that contained marijuana.

April 27, 2014
Detectives responded to a home on the 8800 block of Del Rosa Road in Phelan, where  Shirley Thompson, an female in her late 70’s was found brutally attacked and strangled. The son, Michael Thompson, presumed to be in his late 40’s, was identified as the suspect.

April 28, 2014
JP’s Liquor Store and Amargosa Smoke Shop and Mini Mart located at 14477 Amargosa Road, Victorville was raided for the sale of Spice. Various packets of the product, labeled Funky Monkey, Joker, Diablo and Scooby Snacks, were not on display at the store, but were located in the store.

May 4, 2014
Elderly Man Attacked in Apple Valley Stater Bros. Parking Lot

May 5, 2014
Ranchero Interchange Bridge burned after high winds carried sparks from a workers torch onto the wood frame. The $60,000,0000 (60 Million dollar) project closed the freeway for over 24 hours, creating a traffic nightmare for commuters.

May 9, 2014
CHP has issued a sig alert and shut down all lanes of the northbound 15 freeway. Due to a major traffic collision involving a semi that occurred just after the Oak Hills bridge.  For unknown reasons, the semi truck transporting carrots collided into the back of another semi. The collision caused carrots and fuel to spill all over the roadway.

May 11, 2014
A fatal traffic collision claimed the lives of a family of five that included two adults and three juveniles.  Gerardo Jimenez was the driver of that Honda, Angela “Angie” Garcia, 25, was the passenger along with 3 children 9-year-old Freddy, 4 year-old Cynthia, and 2-year-old Ivan. All  5 family members died as a result of the accident. All were residents of Hesperia and lived up the street from where the accident occurred. The collision occurred on Main street and Balsam in the city of Hesperia on Mother’s Day Sunday May 11, 2014. The family was heading to Disneyland that mother’s day to celebrate, Cynthia’s 5th birthday that was the following day.

May 13, 2014
14.5 Ounce 10” long Baby, Decklen James Maize was Born at Apple Valley’s St. Mary’s Hospital.

May 14, 2014
Walmart at Crossroads at 395 on Palmdale Road and Hwy 395 in Victorville opens.

May 23, 2014
Elliot Rodgers, 22-years-old, and son of, Peter Rodgers, assistant director of a Hunger Games film went on a rampage through UC Santa Barbara and surrounding areas killing 7 and injuring 13.

May 27, 2014
Apple Iphone Find My Iphone Hack Reaches the Victor Valley.

June 2, 2014
Eight Injured and One Dead in Ft.Irwin Accident. The accident left 8 injured and one deceased. Two soldiers were among the 8 injured as a result of this accident. The accident involved what the reports state was a Victor Valley Transit bus and a 5-ton tractor-trailer.

June 4, 2014
18-year-old Donaven Webb drowns in Spring Valley Lake.

June 7, 2014
El Mirage small plane crash kills 47-year-old Brian Lee, an off-duty LAFD Helicopter Pilot/Firefighter Paramedic. On June 12, 2014 the passenger Sebastian Joshua Grewal, age 8 also died as a result of his injuries due to the crash.

June 14, 2014
Victorville mother, Silvia Guzman gives birth to Baby Austin, weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. on the 210 freeway on their way to the hospital.  Baby Austin came with his dad driving and his two big brothers in the backseat of their Nissan Altima.
June 18, 2014
Over 400 Counterfeit Items Seized From Local Sports Store. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, executed the search warrant at “Get In Tha Game” sports apparel store located on Bear Valley Road in Apple Valley.

June 22, 2014
Inmates 22-year-old Brian Kountz and 49-year-old Robert Ferguson were found murdered and hidden under the bed at the Federal Bureau of Prison complex in Victorville. The two were found after a routine prison count that came up short, initiating a cell search, which lead to the discoveries of their bodies.

June 24, 2014
Accident near Highway 138 near the 15 freeway onramps kills two local teens and severely injures three others. Five friends were heading to the beach when a 80,000 pound, 3-axle dump truck loaded with a fresh load of concrete lost its brakes as it was exiting the southbound 15 freeway then crossed through an intersection and struck a PT Cruiser that was traveling westbound on Highway 138. The truck then carried the car down an embankment subsequently crushing the vehicle before coming to a stop on top of the vehicle in the parking lot of a Shell gas station. 18-year-old Nicole Brittany Lyle and 16-year-old John Cabrera died as a result of the accident. The three other passengers, 15-year-old David Castaneda, 20-year-old Mikey Baker, and 19-year-old  Shane Gretzner were transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center with severe injuries.

June 25, 2014
Officer Involved Shooting Leaves Murder Suspect Dead. The Apple Valley incident was caught on tape as several driving through the area watched in fear as the shooting took place ultimately leading to the death of the murder suspect.

June 28, 2014
Adelanto Proposes Tax Hike to Avoid Bankruptcy.

June 29, 2014
$21,239 Winning Super lotto ticket purchased at Chevron on Mariposa in Hesperia.

June 29, 2014
Micro-preemie, Baby Decklen lost his fight for his life on Sunday, June 29th due to a heart blockage, causing his heart to stop. “They tried for an hour to save him, but sadly nothing worked. He fought so hard, I am truly blessed to be his mother. My sweet boy touched so many hearts and we couldn’t be more proud. He fought a huge battle that I wish he could’ve won,” said Carrie.

July 8, 2014
Victor Valley High School Graduate and 5 -year-old Daughter Murdered. 24-year-old Facunda Velenzuelaleon and her 5-year-old daughter, Dayanna Valencia were found strangled to death in their Post Falls, Idaho home on Tuesday, July 8th. The suspect in the murder was the husband of Facunda, Angel Albertico Morales-Larranga, 24.

July 9, 2014
Pillow Case Rapist Release Causes Public Outrage The “Pillow Case Rapist” 62-year-old Christopher Evans Hubbart was released to his home town of Los Angeles County on a conditional release.

July 14, 2014
West Nile Virus Detected in San Bernardino County.

July 15, 2014
14-Year-Old and her 1-Year-Old Daughter Missing after seven days of searching the mother of a 14-year-old Indio reached out to Victor Valley News. The mother had suspected that the girl was with an adult male in Victorville and had provided a photo, mentioned his name and where she believed he had worked. Within minutes of sharing the story, Victor Valley News readers had said they had recently seen the man and the girl was returned home shortly after.

July 16, 2014
Pilot Customers Getting More Than They Bargained For Pilot in Oak Hill paid for the vehicle repairs of several customer vehicles after fuel damaged them. Many reported their vehicles stuck in several different areas. Some vehicles were left on the freeway, while others made it to their destination, but were unable to start their vehicle to leave.

July 17, 2014
Electrocution of Apple Valley resident 23-year-old, Daniel James Pohl  shocked many. The young father just had recently started his job and lost his life on a job at Mission Viejo High School when he was electrocuted by a wire when hanging a banner.

July 22, 2014
Substitute Teacher Arrested for Sex Crime with Juvenile During a suspicious vehicle check, a deputy found a 40-year-old male and a female juvenile inside the vehicle engaged in sexual activity. The male, later identified as 40-year-old Rakshannah Ranney, from Apple Valley and a 16-year-old female juvenile, also from Apple Valley were transported to the Hesperia station.

July 25, 2014
Phelan horse owners become concerned about possibly tainted hay making their horses ill.

August 4-15, 2014
3,389 Marijuana Plants Seized and Multiple Suspects Arrested in Phelan and Pinon Hills areas.

August 5, 2014
Pedestrian Struck and Killed on 15 Freeway Howard Anthony Wedderburn, 39, of Las Vegas, was identified as the man killed Tuesday morning in a hit-and-run car accident on the southbound Interstate 15 Freeway between Nisqualli and Palmdale Road. The man pulled over the vehicle to check on a sound the vehicle was making and got hit by a big rig while on the side of the freeway. The man’s wife and two young children witnessed the fatal accident that not only killed but decapitated their loved one.

August 8, 2014
Beginning of “Cajon Crawl”. These were mile long closures each weekend from Hwy 138 to Oak Hill Road. The 65 hour long closures from Friday at 10:00pm until 3pm on Monday for several weeks caused a traffic nightmare for commuters.

August 8, 2014
Daily Press Sportswriter, Mark Peinado, 41  charged With child molestation. He was charged on four felony counts of child molestation with special allegations that substantial sexual conduct occurred.

August 11, 2014
Actor Robin Williams Found Dead in Apparent Suicide.

August 12, 2014
Brothers Found Guilty in 1991 Cold Case Murder. Victorville E-Z 8 motel cold case murder of 39-year-old John Richard Miller.

August 12, 2014
Victorville Man Dies After Being Tased Due to Resisting Arrest 36-year-old Dante Parker from Victorville died while in custody at a local hospital after a taser was used by Victorville Police to subdue the man.

August 15, 2014
Police have arrested Adrian Toriz, a 28-year-old campus assistant at Ranchero Middle School who is also a walk-on coach at Sultana High School for committing lewd acts on a child and penal code 288(B)(2) – oral copulation. Suspect plead not guilty on all charges, currently being held at the Adelanto Detention Center. A pre-preliminary conference is scheduled for 1-08-2015.

August 17, 2014
Robert Limon, from Helendale was found dead at a Tehachapi BNSF industrial building where he had worked.

August 20, 2014
Two Human West Nile Virus Cases in San Bernardino County.

August 23, 2014
Three Women Assault 71-year-old Man Over a Gas Pump. The women are out on bail and jury trial is set to begin on January 12, 2015 at 9:30 p.m. in the San Bernardino County Superior Court, Victorville.

August 27, 2014
Razor Blades Found on Playground at Oro Grande Park.

August 29, 2014
Six Children and Over 60 Animals Removed From Residence.

August 29, 2014
Physician’s Assistant Arrested on the 2011 Murder of Local Mother. The 2011 murder of Rhonda Desha McClain finally brought on the arrest of Rafael Ubaldo Chavez,  an Apple Valley Physician’s Assistant. Rafael Ubaldo Chavez is currently out on $1,000,000 bail, next court date. Trial readiness conference is set for February 4, 2015.

September 4, 2014
Youth Ministry Leader Sentenced for 2013 Child Abuse Case. 29-year-old youth ministry leader Cesar Omar Melgar, also known as Jay, at Our Lady of the Desert in Apple Valley Church was found guilty and sentenced for child abuse.

September 10, 2014
Hesperia Unified School District Approves its First Service Dog. 10-year-old Serissa Gonzales was approved to take her Type-1 Diabetes service dog to school with her.

September 11, 2014
The players of Victor Valley College football team had just finished practice when they returned to find that their locker locks had been cut. The thieves got away with cell phones, credit cards, wallets, ID’s, Keys, cash and all of the other contents of the approximately 60 lockers, only four left untouched.

September 16, 2014
Two Hesperia men both members of the Centro Cristiano de fe Church in Victorville have been arrested for various sex crimes involving minors.

September 18, 2014
Preteen Brings Home School Library Book Containing Sexual Content.

September 21, 2014
Happy Ending for a Man Searching for His Birth Mother. Sean Gosney located his birth mother with the help of Social Media.

September 17, 2014
Scorched Hands Lead to Coach’s job Going up in Flames. Coach required vollyball players to do an on ground drill in high temperatures causing burns to hands of the Jr. Varsity team members of Oak Hills High School.

September 22, 2014
58-year-old Milad Anis Shenouda an Apple Valley Postman Sentenced on Lewd Act With Child Charges.

October 1, 2014
Deputies received a call at 8:09 A.M. on October 1, 2014 that the body of a deceased baby girl was found mixed in trash by Advance Disposal employee.
October 2, 2014
SB 1159 signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. Requires all 40 licensing boards under the California Department of Consumer Affairs to consider applicants regardless of immigration status by 2016.

October 4, 2014
Child Severely Injured in Helendale Boating Accident.

October 7, 2014
Victorville Teazers Bar and Grill Closes Immediately and Permanently.

October 9, 2014
Stolen Vehicles, Guns, and Drugs Seized in High Desert Sweep.

October 10, 2014
350,000 Acres of the San Gabriel Mountains Declared a National Monument.

October 13, 2014
Phelan Man Wanted for Attempted Murder. Monday, October 13th, 2014 at approximately 7:58 p.m., deputies from the Apple Valley Police Station responded to a business in the 21500 block of Bear Valley Road reference an attempted murder. The suspect identified as 53-year-old Jose Pinella III, a resident of Phelan had been involved in a prior dating relationship with the female victim and had found out she was now dating someone new. The suspect Jose Pinella showed up at the victims work and used the butt of the shotgun to break out the glass door which was locked. He entered the business and fired approximately 4 to 5 rounds at the female victim and her male friend.

October 15, 2014
Daughter of Fire Chief Dies in Phelan Accident 18-year-old Allison Diane LaVogue, a resident of Wrightwood lost her life following a traffic collision at the intersection of Beekley Road and Nielson Road in Phelan.

October 20-21, 2014
Inmates File Lawsuit Against Deputies For Mistreatment. Over 6 months into the investigation ordered by Sheriff John McMahon, regarding the mistreatment of West Valley Detention Center inmates four deputies were placed on paid administrative on October 20th and October 21st.  Prior to that, of April 8, 2014, three deputies assigned to the West Valley Detention Center are no longer employed by the Sheriff’s Department.

October 22, 2014
Daily Press Pressman Dante Parker Cause of Death Released. The incident where the 36-year-old man died after being tased captured the thoughts of many not only in the community, but nationwide. Some took to the belief was a racially motivated police brutality and others patiently waited for answers as the autopsy was conducted. The cause of death was determined to be acute phencyclidine (commonly known as the street drug PCP) intoxication with a noted significant condition of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. The manner of death was determined to be accidental.

October 22, 2014
35 Batteries Stolen From Victor Elementary School District Buses.

October 29, 2014
Loss of the Historical Atolia District Union #1 Mine.

November 3, 2014
Guilty Plea in Chili Powder Murder of Apple Valley Toddler.

November 7, 2014
Press Conference Planned with New Information Surrounding the McStay Investigation Charles “Chase” Merritt charged with the quadruple murder.

November 10, 2014
Victorville Woman Charged for Counterfeit McDonald’s Burn Claim.

November 11, 2014
Apple Valley Ranchos Celebrates Passage of Prop. 1 Apple Valley Ranchos Water announced its support of the passage of Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion statewide bond issue referred to as the “Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014.”

November 12, 2014
Gay Man Beaten in Victorville Hate Crime.

November 19, 2014
Wife of Robert Limon and Firefighter Arrested on Murder Charges.

November 20, 2014   
Serrano Student Sends Death Threat to Fellow Student; Allowed to Remain in School.

November 20, 2014
All charges Against Sabrina Limon Dropped.

November 20, 2014
San Bernardino Mother Gives Birth as her other Two Children Die in a House Fire.