The Democratic mayor of California has resigned after allegations surfaced online that he attempted to engage in sexual activity with an underage boy. The allegations against the mayor were exposed in a video shared on social media that allegedly showed Wasco being assaulted.
On July 24, a video purportedly involving Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia was posted to a private Facebook group. Independent. San Joaquin Valley Sun In the Facebook post, Garcia is accused of arranging to meet with a 15-year-old boy, but Garcia was reportedly speaking with a man posing as a minor in an effort to catch child sex offenders.
“Given Alex’s sexual orientation, this may have been some type of hate crime or homophobic attack.”
Davon Bradley said, Wasco Tribune He allegedly met Garcia on the gay dating app Sniffies, where he posed as a “very young” minor.
“Furthermore, this man was there to meet a 15-year-old girl. He brought marijuana, a pipe, a bottle of alcohol, sex toys and, upon investigation, a bottle of what we call ‘poppers,’ which had four or five pills floating in the bottom, which is very suspicious,” Bradley told the outlet.
Garcia was allegedly attacked by Bradley and another man. The altercation was captured on video and at one point turned violent, with Garcia being seen in a chokehold by one of the men. video According to the report, footage shows Garcia being punched and hit multiple times in the head.
Garcia’s lawyer, Jared Thompson of the Bakersfield law firm Humphrey & Thompson, said: statement Garcia claimed the former mayor was “tricked” and “lured” into being confronted by men who may have carried out a “homophobic attack.” It was the first An openly LGBT public official in Kern County.
“Based on the information currently available, it appears that two individuals tricked Alex into going to a location in Bakersfield and then attacked him,” Thompson said. “The video that is circulating shows two individuals engaging in felony conduct, not Alex. Given Alex’s sexual orientation, this may have been some type of hate crime or homophobic attack. Essentially, this is what we hope the criminal investigation will focus on.”
“We did not meet with him to fight, and we did not want to hurt him. His claims are nonsense. He kept reaching into his bag as if he had a weapon. Of course, anyone would defend themselves in that situation,” Bradley told the Wasco Tribune.
Wasco City press release Earlier this week: “The Wasco Police Department has been in contact with the City of Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Police Department is attempting to contact those responsible for the social media posts.”
On Tuesday, the Kern County Democratic Party called for Mayor Garcia’s resignation.
a statement A statement from the Kern County Democratic Party read, “We are aware of the recent allegations against Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia. The Kern County Democratic Party firmly condemns any form of violence, sexual assault or harassment, especially when it involves individuals who are unable to consent, such as minors.”
“Therefore, the Kern County Democratic Party urges Mayor Garcia to immediately resign from his position as Wasco City Councilman so the city can focus on the work of serving its residents,” the statement said. Said.
Neil Sannappa, vice chair of the California Democratic Progressive Caucus, also called on Garcia to resign if he is guilty of the alleged crimes.
“Clearly, if he has committed the crimes he is accused of, he should definitely not serve any jail time,” Sannappa said. KGET.
Garcia resigned on Thursday morning following pressure from his own party.
Garcia announced his resignation. statement Here it is:
Dear Wasco Citizens,
As I continue to recover from the recent assault, I am finally able to speak with you all and announce that it is with deep sadness and profound regret that I am resigning as Mayor and City Council Member for the City of Wasco.
As many of you are aware, there is a situation that I personally need to address to my full extent. The allegations against me are misleading and inaccurate and do not reflect my character or my beliefs. However, the controversy surrounding these allegations has left me with no choice but to step down so that you can continue to move forward with your projects unhindered and make positive changes for the overall health and success of our great city. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me during this time and sent me messages of encouragement until I am able to heal from my injuries and accept this difficult decision.
I have had the pleasure of serving as your Mayor for the better part of the past decade and have enjoyed every moment of it. I am incredibly grateful for the privilege of serving this great community and am deeply sorry that my term is ending under these circumstances. I look forward to seeing the future of Wasco and all that the new City Council has to offer. I will continue to support and encourage our city and its wonderful citizens.
thank you very much,
Alex Garcia
Wasco Mayor Scott Herbert said: Kero TV The Wasco City Council will appoint a new mayor and city manager. Temporary The next board meeting will discuss the remaining period of the current term.
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