Misperceptions
“I saw her light on and wanted to say hello,” Efren Carrillo told police. Carrillo’s girlfriend had just dropped him off at his Santa Rosa, Calif., home after a party and, he said, he saw his neighbor’s light on and went over for a drink. It was 3:30 a.m., and the frightened neighbor woman called police. Carrillo, a Sonoma County Supervisor, was arrested for attempted burglary and prowling, but that was reduced later to “peeking” into the neighbor’s window, a misdemeanor; he faces up to six months in jail. He has pleaded not guilty, and refuses to resign from office. It’s not just a simple misunderstanding, though. “It was a bad read,” he told police. “A misperception on my part.” Also, “In retrospect, I should have had my pants on.” (RC/Santa Rosa Press Democrat) ...In retrospect, voters misperceived his fitness for office.Story Update: Carrillo, who admitted he made “a terrible, terrible mistake,” went on trial. The jury ended up deadlocked, so the judge ordered them to reconsider the lesser charge of “attempted” peeking. With that, they found him not guilty. The neighbor wasn’t satisfied: she sued him for $2.5 million, claiming negligence, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual assault, and private nuisance. Meanwhile, Carillo stayed in office until his term expired at the end of 2016. The lawsuit was still pending at that time, but I didn’t find any conclusion.
Original Publication Date: 27 April 2014
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 20.
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 20.
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