City May Award More Than $100K in Grants
City May Award More Than $100K in Grants
Hollister – The City Council will consider awarding $147,000 of federal grant money to nine local nonprofits at its meeting on Monday night.
According to city staff, Hollister has more than $1 million of unused funds from the repayment of Community Development Block Grant loans. The council targeted one-fourth of that money for community development grants – basically donations to local service groups – last year, to be spent over a two-year period.
From the 18 applications that the city received, a review panel selected nine recipients. The groups up for the most money are Emmaus House, the San Benito Health Foundation, the Homeless Task Force and the Community Pantry, who may receive $25,000 each.
The council will also consider redesignating a parcel of land at 320 Hillcrest Road from industrial to commercial zoning. Redevelopment Director William Avera said the goal of the change is to bring the city’s zoning in line with its general plan.
The council will meet at 6:30pm in city hall.
Man Arrested on 3 Felony Counts of Child Abuse
Hollister – A 58-year-old Hollister man was arrested Thursday evening by the Hollister Police Department on suspicion of molesting three Hollister girls.
Primitivo Ramirez was booked by police on three felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14.
He was arrested at his home in the 700 block of Riverside Road in Hollister at 8:49pm Thursday, said Officer Rosie Betanio, a spokeswoman for the Hollister Police Department.
The girls Ramirez is accused of molesting include a 5-year-old, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old in October and November of last year, Betanio said.
Ramirez is a friend of the girls’ family, Betanio said.
Ramirez is being held at the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail, according to jail personnel.
If convicted of felony lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14, Ramirez could face up to eight years in state prison, according to the Penal Code.
Pregnant Woman Gives Probation Officers the Slip
Hollister – A local pregnant woman is on the run after evading the Hollister Police Department on a petty theft charge Thursday afternoon.
Sophia Prado, a 21-year-old Hollister resident, was briefly taken into custody by police at 1:26pm on suspicion of stealing credit cards and a checkbook while in the office of the San Benito County Probation Department, said Officer Rosie Betanio, a spokeswoman for the Hollister Police Department. Police officers were called to the scene, took Prado into custody and had to take her to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for booking clearance due to her pregnancy, Betanio said.
However, officers had to wait too long for her clearance from the hospital and decided to cite Prado for the offense and release her, Betanio said. The officers informed the Probation Department of her pending release, Betanio said. The Probation Department then sent two officers to the hospital to also cite Prado for a violation of her probation, Betanio said.
Prado then told the officers that she needed to use the restroom, she said.
“The suspect went into the restroom and fled through the rear door,” Betanio said. “She never signed the citation.”
Unable to find Prado, police are seeking her on violation of probation, petty theft and escaping from custody, all misdemeanors, Betanio said.
From staff reports.
