Sources say car theft involved in King City police corruption case

Monterey Herald

UPDATE 2:55 p.m.: At a press conference in Salinas, the district attorney’s office said the arrests were the result of a six-month investigation.

FBI aided in arrests. The scheme allegedly involved officers getting cars that had been impounded, then selling for a profit.

The non-police officer arrested was Brian Albert Miller, owner of Miller’s Towing and brother of King City Police Chief Bruce Miller.  

Many victims were low income Hispanic drivers who couldn’t pay impound fees.

The investigation came after years of citizen complaints and their lack of trust in King City police.

District Attorney has already had to dismiss at least three cases due to lack of credibility of arrested officers. Others being monitored.

UPDATE 11:45 a.m.: Sources close to the investigation of alleged corruption at the King City Police Department say the case centers around charges of selling stolen vehicles. The cars, many believed to be owned by undocumented immigrants, were taken and sold when the owners weren’t able to pay fines and towing fees, the sources said.

Sgt. Bobby Carrillo has been the focus of investigations in the past, and was served with a search warrant in January, several sources said.

Prosecutors confirmed that six King City police officers, including Carrillo and the former and acting chiefs of police, were arrested early Tuesday.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz said details of the arrests and charges against the officers would be announced at a press conference at 2 p.m. in Salinas. In addition to Carrillo, the officers arrested were longtime Chief Nick Baldiviez, who retired in September, Acting Chief Bruce Miller, and officers Mario Mottu Sr., Jaime Andrade and Mark Allen Baker.

Spitz declined to discuss the nature of the charges against the officers prior to the afternoon press conference. An official at the Monterey County Jail confirmed all had been booked on charges ranging from embezzlement by a public officer to bribery.

Baldiviez, 49, of Bradley was in the process of being booked on embezzlement charges. His bail was set at $10,000. Acting Chief Miller, 49, of King City was booked on suspicion of bribery; bail set at $20,000.

Carrillo, 44, of Soledad, was in custody and suspected of conspiracy to commit a crime and bribery by a public officer, with bail set at $60,000. Mottu Sr., 53, of Greenfield, was arrested on a warrant alleging embezzlement by public official. His bail was $10,000.

Andrade, 36, of Soledad, was booked on suspicion of possessing an assault weapon, with bail set at $30,000. Baker, 44, of Paso Robles posted $15,000 bail after being booked on a charge of making a criminal threat of violence. One source told The Herald the charge against Baker is unrelated to corruption case.

The arrests by Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies reportedly followed an investigation by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

http://www.montereyherald.com/news/ci_25223763/five-king-city-police-officers-arrested