Supervisor-elect Jaime De La Cruz spent all of last week in the
hospital for a kidney infection supporters believe is a result of
stress related to criminal charges stemming from his 2003 campaign
for supervisor. District Attorney John Sarsfield said if De La Cruz
is unable to take his board seat come January because of health
issues, the charges will still stand unless his attorney ponies up
an offer to whittle them down.
Hollister – Supervisor-elect Jaime De La Cruz spent all of last week in the hospital for a kidney infection supporters believe is a result of stress related to criminal charges stemming from his 2003 campaign for supervisor. District Attorney John Sarsfield said if De La Cruz is unable to take his board seat come January because of health issues, the charges will still stand unless his attorney ponies up an offer to whittle them down.
De La Cruz spent last week in Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital for an infection related to his kidney disease, and after being released on Friday had to go back in Sunday night, according to his campaign adviser Ignacio Velazquez. He was released Monday morning but was unavailable for comment.
De La Cruz has no functioning kidneys and has been waiting for a second kidney transplant since 2000. His kidney failure stems from chronic high-blood pressure that puts him at risk for further complications and on daily dialysis treatment.
Sarsfield charged De La Cruz on Dec. 8 with four felony counts arising from his campaign for supervisor in 2003. He filed an additional three misdemeanor charges a week later related to an investigation commissioned by the Board of Supervisors after De La Cruz beat Supervisor Bob Cruz by 10 votes in March’s hotly contested District 5 race.
Sarsfield said De La Cruz illegally signed a nomination petition circulated by someone else, but De La Cruz said the charges stem from three signatures worth a 75 cent discount toward his filing fee that he mistakenly signed and submitted to the elections office.
Velazquez said he could tell the stress of the criminal charges were taking a toll on De La Cruz.
“It’s like anything where there’s a lot of stress – you get sick,” Velazquez said. “It’s just a little more serious. His life is on the line.”
Sarsfield said if De La Cruz had to resign his seat because of his illness the felony and misdemeanor charges would stand. Sarsfield offered De La Cruz a deal to reduce the felony counts down to a misdemeanor charge on the condition that he give up all of his elected positions – including his supervisor seat.
De La Cruz passed on the offer that could have deflated the maximum five-year jail sentence to one with no jail time and has said he won’t make any deals to escape prosecution.
“We made an offer a couple weeks ago and that offer was made in good faith. When we say things like we won’t make another offer, we really mean it,” Sarsfield said. “I would consider an offer made – not to say we would accept it. But if it was a fair offer that met the needs of the people, in all likelihood it would be accepted.”
De La Cruz’s attorney, Arthur Cantu, said he won’t be proposing any deals. He said De La Cruz paid the elections office 75 cents on Friday, and believes the charges should be dismissed.
“As long as he can breathe he’s going to take that seat. Come Jan. 4, Mr. De La Cruz will be Mr. Sarsfield’s supervisor, and he’s going to start having to answer to Mr. De La Cruz, not the other way around,” Cantu said.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
