Hiker Cendoya Charged With Drug Posession (Santa Ana, Orange: felony, lawyers, live)

[cityx]

A few weeks ago I posted a thread about how these two OC hikers cost of rescue would end up bilking the taxpayers. Today's OC article says it all:
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SANTA ANA • County lawyers are trying to determine whether the Board of Supervisors can recover more than $160,000 in rescue costs from two lost hikers, including one charged this week with drug possession.

The four-day search garnered national media attention and required more than 1,900 man-hours before rescuers found Kyndall Jack, 18, and Nicolas

Cendoya, 19, who walked into the wilderness near Holy Jim Canyon on Easter Sunday.

News of the drug charge Wednesday sparked debate over the decision by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department not to seek reimbursement. At the urging of county Supervisor Todd Spitzer, the county counsel is looking into legal arguments for the board to attempt to recover the costs on its own.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s Department was left to explain Thursday why the media was repeatedly told that rescuers found “no criminal activity,” when in fact methamphetamine was seized from Cendoya’s green BMW during the search. Reporters repeatedly asked Sheriff’s Department officials if the hikers had taken drugs.

Cendoya was charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance.

“There’s a difference between getting lost and doing lines of cocaine. One is called an accident, and one is called negligence or recklessness,” said Spitzer, who favors reimbursement. So, too, does Supervisor John Moorlach.

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My original posting was deleted twice for being irrelevant and attacking. However, based on today's article I think it's extremely relevant. We have two young adults, one of which (the spoiled, religious one) ended up having a highly questionable character, and now bilking us for 160,000. Also, why did the Sheriff's dept. hide the facts surrounding the meth discovery?? Its infuriating.
My intent of working 45 hour weeks is not to pay for this!

[socalinnorcal]

They should charge the hikers. They were irresponsible and while I am relieved they were found alive, they probably wouldn't have been in this mess had it not been for drug use.

[Fontucky]

Spitzer should learn the difference between cocaine and meth.

[russlancea]

I remember your original post. How are these foolish teens ever going to pay off $160k?

[ysr_racer]

Day one of the search I thought this was absurd. Getting lost in Trabuco Canyon is like getting lost in a Wal-Mart Parking lot.

Nobody is that stupid.

[cityx]

Originally Posted by ysr_racer

day one of the search i thought this was absurd. Getting lost in trabuco canyon is like getting lost in a wal-mart parking lot.

Nobody is that stupid.

exactly!!!!

[goozer]

I thought the same thing. They had to be high to have gotten lost on a well-traveled trail like the one to Holy Jim Falls. Also agree that there is not way these kids can pay off the $160k. Although if they have to reach into their pockets and pay off even 10% of that amount they will have learned an important lesson. It's particularly disappointing when one of the search and rescue crew sustained pretty serious injuries in the rescue effort.

[CAVA1990]

You really think the search cost $160K? They used people who were sitting around getting paid anyway. Not like they went out and hired folks for the assignment.

[cityx]

From abcnews - dot go - dot com:
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"He said he was disoriented and hallucinated while he was lost, at one point believing tigers were stalking him.

Police found 497 mg of meth in Cendoya's car, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office."



-A real standup guy. Just another privileged, OC punk with trashy morals and too much time on his hands.. And now we're all going to be flipping the bill for this.

[ysr_racer]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

You really think the search cost $160K? They used people who were sitting around getting paid anyway. Not like they went out and hired folks for the assignment.

Welcome to the decline of America. No personal responsibility at all.