Update: Yadira Perez No Longer Employed at RSO

Lost in Hype, Sensationalism of Arrest of Local Man is Accountability for Yadira Perez

COACHELLA — Yadira Perez is no longer a sworn deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff’s office, Sheriff Chadd Bianco confirmed for Uken Report on Wednesday evening.

“We were made aware of the arrest and the post on social media,” Bianco told Uken Report. “We are currently working with federal law enforcement officials to determine the facts concerning the arrest by immigration officials. The involved deputy is no longer employed by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.”

On Thursday, Bianco told Uken Report, “We have relinquished the investigation to the DA’s office public corruption team and the federal government. We are conducting an internal affairs investigation, but any potential criminal investigation will be handled by those agencies.”

The story has now made national headlines.

The future of her tenure on the Coachella City Council remains uncertain. It’s an interesting turn of events for a woman who just last month was part of the majority on City Council that voted to 3-2 to place City Manager Gabriel Martin on administrative leave immediately. There was no public explanation.

During the November election, Perez was the darling of the Democrats, She was endorsed by Rep. Raul Ruiz, Denise Delgado, Frank Figeruoa, Democrats of the Desert and Desert Stonewall Democrats. The Desert Sun also endorsed her.

As a deputy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Perez took an oath of office to uphold the law.

In all of the breathless coverage of her husband’s arrest this week, no one mentioned the fact Yadira Perez was a sworn deputy for the Riverside County Sheriff’s office.

Perez’s husband is a previously deported Mexican undocumented immigrant with a lengthy rap sheet of several felony convictions, including possession of a controlled substance (meth) for sale, inflicting corporal injury to a spouse, DUI, and assault with a deadly weapon, according to ICE.

Isidro Jimenez-Ibanez is also now looking at prosecution for felony re-entry, as federal authorities are now charging him with violation of 8 USC 1326, illegal alien found in the US after deportation, which was the reason for his FBI/ICE arrest in the Coachella parking lot. The FBI had a criminal warrant signed by a federal magistrate when they arrested him. It is a felony to re-enter the US illegally after deportation, punishable by up to 2 years in prison on the first offense. A judge has since released him on bond.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.