[US] Federal Corrections Officer / Ex Barstow California Police Officer Richard Villegas...

...Tiara testified that [her husband ex-Barstow Police officer/ current Federal officer Richard] Villegas said, “If the police are involved, I will have nothing to live for, so I might as well pop, pop, pop,” gesturing towards his own chest with his thumb. Tiara said she had not called the police, fearing that it would jeopardize her husband’s current job as a federal correctional officer. He lost his job with Barstow Police Department in April 2008, and Tiara claimed it was partially due to a physical confrontation between the two in which she called the police... He's now a federal corrections officer...

Note to self:TERRORISTIC THREATENING

EX-COP FACES TRIAL FOR THREATS, KIDNAP ATTEMPT
04/23/2009
BARSTOW, Calif.-A former Barstow policeman and City Council candidate has been ordered to trial for allegedly threatening his wife and attempting to kidnap her alleged lover. Judge John Gibson ruled Tuesday that Richard Villegas will be tried for making criminal threats against his wife Tiara Villegas and attempting to kidnap her friend and co-worker [his name redacted]... Villegas lost his job as a police officer a year ago, allegedly because of repeated domestic violence allegations. He's now a federal corrections officer. [Full article here]

VILLEGAS PLEADS NOT-GUILTY, FACES ADDITIONAL CHARGES
April 9, 2009
Former Barstow Police Department officer and one-time City Council candidate Richard Villegas pleaded not-guilty to a roster of seven charges against him at the Barstow courthouse Thursday. Barstow police arrested Villegas Tuesday on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, robbery, and making criminal threats. As of his arraignment Thursday, the District Attorney's Office had added several new charges... Villegas was charged with three counts of criminal threats and one count of dissuading a witness, with the alleged victim being his wife, Tiara Villegas. He was charged with second-degree robbery and attempted kidnapping against a second alleged victim, [his name redacted]. He was also charged with possession of an assault rifle... Eddie Garcia, a family friend who was also present, said only that the charges stemmed from "a domestic situation"... Villegas' next appearance to follow the bail hearing was scheduled for April 14 [Full article here]

VILLEGAS TO GO TO TRIAL ON MULTIPLE CHARGES IN CONFRONTATION WITH WIFE
April 9, 2009
Former Barstow Police Department officer and one-time City Council candidate Richard Villegas will go to trial on charges that he threatened his wife and tried to kidnap a man he believed to be her lover. At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Judge John B. Gibson ruled that Villegas, who was arrested April 7, will be held to answer in trial on three counts of making criminal threats against his wife, Tiara Villegas, and one count of attempted kidnapping against her friend and coworker [redacted]. Gibson reduced a charge of second-degree robbery - which stemmed from Villegas allegedly taking [her friend]’s cell phone and refusing to return it - to a charge of grand theft from a person. He also upheld a charge of dissuading a witness, with the alleged victim being Tiara. The District Attorney’s office elected not to go forward with a seventh charge for possession of an assault rifle that stemmed from an incident in July of 2008, but Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty declined to elaborate on the reasons for not pursuing the charge. A late-night text message from [her friend] to Tiara’s phone spurred a confrontation between the couple in the early hours of April 7, Tiara testified. Tiara said Villegas motioned at her with the keys to his gun safe while they were arguing and said something bad would happen if she did not give him the phone; and that later, after forcibly taking the phone from her, he told her that he would leave her in the desert before he would give it back. Other people who came to the house that night and witnessed parts of the confrontation, including the mothers of both Tiara and Richard and a friend of Richard’s, did not testify during the preliminary hearing. The following day, during a confrontation with both Tiara and [his name redacted] outside their workplace, Tiara testified that Villegas said, “If the police are involved, I will have nothing to live for, so I might as well pop, pop, pop,” gesturing towards his own chest with his thumb. Tiara said she had not called the police, fearing that it would jeopardize her husband’s current job as a federal correctional officer. He lost his job with Barstow Police Department in April 2008, and Tiara claimed it was partially due to a physical confrontation between the two in which she called the police... Officers found an unloaded pistol and a loaded magazine in the truck when they arrested Villegas later that day, Det. Keith Libby testified... [Full article here]


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