Indexes
November 21st, 2009
November 20th, 2009
November 19th, 2009
November 18th, 2009
November 17th, 2009
November 16th, 2009
November 14th, 2009
The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.
- The country's mess is our fault (169)
- Obama is not a moderate (130)
- Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
- Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
- Public health care is a Christian option (33)
- The haves should help the have-nots (30)
- Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
- Government-run health care is a bad idea (20)
- Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
- Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)
ADVERTISEMENT
Suspects in Thornton bullfighting confrontation to be arraigned today
Two men arrested in connection with an altercation at the Thornton bullfighting arena Friday night will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today in San Joaquin County Superior Court in Lodi.
The two Merced County men allegedly attacked a man described by authorities as an officer from a Los Angeles-based organization called Animal Cruelty Investigations, but a board member from the Thornton chapter of Our Lady of Fatima says it was the ACI whose conduct was uncalled for.
Cesar Simoes Rocha, 38, of Gustine, was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, assaulting a peace officer and inciting a riot, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department. And Darren Ponceano Nunes, 23, of Los Banos, was arrested on suspicion of battery and assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily harm, according to a sheriff's report.
Rocha and Nunes are suspected of attacking a man described as a "humane officer" by ACI, an organization that wants bullfighting — even the so-called "bloodless" bullfighting — ended in California.
Frank Pimental, a Lodi dairyman who lives in Galt, said on Monday that the humane officer jumped into the bullfighting ring and attempted to disrupt the event, and Nunes pulled him down.
The man, who Pimental described as an "animal activist," jumped on Nunes, who was part of Friday night's show. Rocha, a spectator, yelled at sheriff's deputies who responded to the attack before 2,000 to 2,500 spectators, said Pimental, a board member of Our Lady of Fatima in Thornton.
Our Lady of Fatima had rented the arena, called Praca Sao Joao, to the Elk Grove Soiodade Do Espirito Santo, a Portuguese organization celebrating its annual Holy Ghost Festa.
The Festa was held last week in Elk Grove except for the bullfight, which was held in the Thornton arena.
Thornton is home to two days of bullfighting each October as part of its Our Lady of Fatima Festival, which draws thousands to Thornton.
"This is the first time we've ever had a problem," said Eria Martins, of Galt, president of the Elk Grove Portuguese organization that rented the arena. "Our tradition is to have a bullfight at the end (of the festival)."
The humane officer attended the Thornton bullfight to investigate an allegation that matadors were using pointed nails in their poles, inflicting pain on the bulls, according to ACI spokeswoman Jane Garrison. He refused medical treatment, according to Thornton Fire Chief Vince Tafuri.
Garrison maintains that bullfighting, with or without the nails, is illegal in California. She cites Section 597m in the California Penal Code, which states that bullfighting is illegal — unless it is part of a religious celebration or event.
The bullfights were part of the Elk Grove Portuguese organization's Holy Ghost Festa, which included Mass, Rosary, a parade and other activities in Elk Grove, plus Friday's bullfight in Thornton.
Pimental said in a phone interview Monday that matadors, in fact, use a small nail to divert the bull's attention to avoid injuring the matador, but it feels no worse than a hypodermic needle.
The so-called "bloodless" events have matadors doing everything that Spanish or Portuguese bullfighters do, such as riling bulls with their capes, except that they don't kill the bulls. To avoid violence, matadors use Velcro on the bull's neck and on the tips of the poles. If the matador connects his pole with the Velcro on the bull's Velcro, he's pretending that he stabbed the animal.
Woodbridge attorney Randy Thomas, representing Rocha and Nunes, questions whether the ACI representative is a legitimate peace officer, since ACI is a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals.
"That guy's no more an officer than you are I are," Thomas said. "If he's not an officer of the law, he's impersonating one. And they've got the wrong guy."
ACI is accredited and licensed by the state through the SPCA, Garrison said, and the humane officer, who was not named, is licensed by Los Angeles Superior Court.
Meanwhile, Thornton residents weren't aware that there was even going to be a bullfight on Friday.
"I attend the bullfights in October," said Joe Pineda, a 14-year Thornton resident. "Kids love it. It's a family-oriented thing. It's something they look forward to."
Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.
Search for Ads 
Today’s Print Ads 
RSS Feeds
Reader Feedback
Wowerzz wrote on Jun 2, 2009 1:31 PM:
redonkulous wrote on Jun 2, 2009 10:17 AM:
The sad part is that this whole incident has shed a "negative" light on an otherwise festive celebration. I just hope that it doesn't deter future bullfights in this area! I know that there is another planned soon in conjuntion with another religious celebration locally. I think these people deserve an apology from this ACI group if the truth is uncovered that they were acting legally within their rights. "
Galtguy wrote on Jun 2, 2009 9:53 AM:
"Galtguy wrote on Jun 1, 2009 11:22 AM:
" The term "Officer" used to describe these "Investigators" is an insult to all of the Sworn Peace Officers out there who have to come to these guys rescue ALL the time. These "Officers" are not POST certified, nor do they take an oath, the only reason they have arrest powers is due to a special law ( California Corporations Code 14502) that under very special circumstances grants them a very specific set of authorities. Most of the time they get way in over their head and need to be "rescued".
Notice how the story today has a hole different slant to it. Looks like the LNS finally did what's known as RESEARCH.
These whack job, cop wannabes are not "Officers" by any definition. They work for a Non-Profit 501 C3 and have not only a political agenda that borders on extreme they also have personal agendas as well. They by law have very limited authority that they commonly exceed. "
redonkulous wrote on Jun 2, 2009 8:20 AM:
ra wrote on Jun 2, 2009 6:59 AM:
ra wrote on Jun 2, 2009 6:57 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.