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By Carissa Marshcmarsh@theacorn.com

Just two months after its parent !"#$%&'( )(*+,( -".( /%&0.1$2!'3( 45#5(6%**+'78(9"#+:";&(<1--+2(=%8(!*"8+,>( :=+( *%2+(?%.!=( 8=122+.5&@( *+%A+8(2=+(!52'(;52=(%&"2=+.(A%!%&2(8$%!+(2"()(**3(#".+( .+85,+&28( "12( "-(;".0( %&,("&+(*+88(%--".,%/*+(,5&5&@("$25"&>( <1--+28(B&!>3(2=+(?5&&+8"2%C/%8+,($%.+&2( !"#$%&'("-(9"#+:";&(<1-C-+23( )(*+,( -".(D=%$2+.( EE( /%&0.1$2!'(

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SIMI ALLEYV

Opinion ..................................... 4Police Blotter ..........................12Neighbors ...............................13Dining & Entertainment ........19Movie Listings ........................19School Days ............................21

Health .....................................23Faith ........................................23Sports .....................................25Spotlight on Business ............26Real Estate ..............................27Classi! eds...............................28

ServingSimi Valley

and thesurrounding areas

www.simivalleyacorn.com | Volume 8, Number 14 | 34,152 Circulation

Simi youngster clubs more than 100 home runs

— Page 25

Local legendSimi Valley High students recognized for good work

— Page 21

Making the grade

April 6, 2012

www.facebook.com/simivalleyacorn

SUPER SELLER—Simi ValleyBrownie makes most of annual cookie fundraiser — Page 13

Weekend Forecast

Friday71o/45o

Saturday77o/49o

Sunday 75o/49o

City allows Free Clinic late shot at grant money

City hall expansion

uncertainty led to request

SVPD makes major heroin bustThree suspects arrested as result

of months-long investigation

— PLEASE SEE PAGE 7

— PLEASE SEE PAGE 9

— PLEASE SEE PAGE 8

Simi HomeTown Bu! et no more

By Carissa Marshcmarsh@theacorn.com

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Photos by WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers

QUITE THE HAUL—Above, Simi Valley Police Department officers guard evidence during a press conference on March 30 to release information pertaining to a six-month investigation that resulted in three arrests and the seizure of more than 5 pounds of heroin and $120,000 in cash. Below right, SVPD Interim Chief Ron Chambers addresses the media.

By Carissa Marshcmarsh@theacorn.com

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EAT ELSEWHERE—The windows of Simi Valley HomeTown Buffet bear signs explaining that the restaurant is “permanently closed” and inviting patrons to try the restaurant’s Fallbrook Mall location.

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Arrests ‘send message to dealers’FROM PAGE 1 —

the investigation occurred in the cities of Arleta and Sylmar in L.A. County, with three search warrants executed in the three weeks before the press conference.! "#!$%&'(!)*!+,-.!/01'2&34!with the assistance of narcotics /01'2&3!0&/5!6(2!7/3!8#92:23!-/­lice Department’s Topanga Area station, arrested three people on suspicion of narcotics violations: Jose Alfredo Carillo­Flores, 23, of North Hollywood; Joseph Ramirez Ortiz, 19, also of North Hollywood; and Jose Medina Zepeda, 39, of Sylmar. All three were booked on charges of possession of illegal narcotics for sale, transportation of illegal narcotics for sale and conspiracy to commit a crime. They are being held at LAPD Valley Jail in Van Nuys on Immi­gration and Naturalization Service holds pending the investigation. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles district attorney’s /01'2!6/!;262&5<#2!=(%6!'&<5<#%:!'(%&923!=<::!>2!1:2;? In addition to arresting the three suspects, officers seized more than 5 pounds of heroin— 4.5 pounds at one location—with a street value of nearly $300,000, Livingstone said. The amount of heroin confiscated could have supplied 192 people with the drug for about one year. More than $120,000 in U.S. currency, believed to be proceeds from drug sales, was also seized, as were five vehicles officials said were used to transport illegal narcotics.

“At the rate they were doing business, over a one­year period that would equate to a $6­million business,” Livingstone said. “So <6@3!%!A2&B!3<9#<1'%#6!'2::!6(%6!=%3!shut down because of our investi­gation.” On display during the press conference was the department’s bounty: bound stacks of cash, clear >%93!1::2;!=<6(!>:%'C! 6%&!(2&/<#!and numerous evidence envelopes filled with colorful balloons—each packaged with one dose and ready to sell for $15 to $30. Capt. John McGinty said the average addict would use two bal­loons a day. “Most users, if they’re a chron­ic user, will use in the morning and the afternoon,” he said. Black tar heroin, a manufac­tured synthetic version of heroin that can be injected or smoked, is the most common form of the drug /01'2&3!%&2!322<#9!/#!6(2!36&22634!Livingstone said.! "01'<%:3!3%<;!6(2!>D36!<3!><9!0/&!Simi Valley, especially in regard to the recent spate of heroin overdos­es and deaths, particularly among Simi’s teens and young adults, as well as increased public attention on the drug abuse issue. Living­stone said he wouldn’t call the suspects in custody main suppliers but shutting down a $6­million­a­year criminal enterprise is “huge.” “Any time we can close off a cell like that, that’s transporting narcotics of any kind into the city, it’s a success,” he said. While Not One More—a grassroots campaign led by resi­dents who’ve been personally

affected by addiction and are dedicated to stamping out drug abuse—has brought new aware­ness to the issue, Livingstone said the department has long been committed to getting narcotics off the street. “This is something that the police department always has been very diligent on,” he said. Susan Klimusko, a Simi resi­dent who sparked the Not One More movement after her 23­year­old son Austin died of a heroin overdose in January, was at the press conference last Friday and was grateful to see Simi Valley police working hard to eradicate drugs in the community. “Simi Valley used to be the saf­est community, and we want that back. We want a safe environment for the kids coming up and grow­ing up,” she said. “I think publiciz­ing (arrests like these) helps us as a community kind of see what’s going on and educates all of us.” She said it also sends a message to the dealers. “I’ve heard . . . from other parents that things are getting quieter—that drug dealer down the street isn’t as active as he was. That makes us feel for the next (generation of) kids . . . maybe it’s not as attainable,” she said. “I think we’re sending messages, and that’s good.” Mayor Bob Huber had a mes­sage of his own. “We want the word to go out loud and clear: Come across our borders, hurt our children, we’re going to catch you and you’re go­ing to prison,” Huber said.