California Injury Lawyer Blog

CITRUS HEIGHTS - The Sacramento Bee reported this morning that Citrus Heights Police are investigating allegations that Robert B. Adams, principal at a private school in Citrus Heights, has molested 10 children - possibly more - since 1997. Adams, 60, has not been charged. However, claims by parents and former students, and at least one employee prompted authorities to shut down the Creative Frontiers School and begin an investigation.

The Bee interviewed Imra Mertens, a receptionist at the school, who claims she witnessed Adams abusing a young girl last summer. Mertens claims she reported the incident she witnessed to school administrator Cythia Higgins the next day in detail, and assumed Higgins would report to authorities, as state law requires.

Mertens heard of another instance of molestation in May, when she decided to contact authorities herself. The Social Services agency received the complaint May 31 and notified Citrus Heights Police the same day. The Department of Social Services filed a complaint against Adams, and Higgins, for failing to report the allegations of abuse.

The Bee article states that in addition to abuse allegations, many questions have been raised about aspects of Adams' background. In a bankruptcy filing in 1998, Adams stated he received a California teaching credential from California State University, Northridge, and attended UCLA and obtained a California administrative credential in early childhood education. Northridge officials stated Adams did not receive a credential from the school and UCLA officials told the Bee they have no record of Adams' attendance.

Adams' resume also stated he obtained a Masters Degree in 199 at Pacific Oaks Teachers College. Officials at Pacific Oaks stated Adams attended the school for one semester but did not receive a master's degree.

Protecting Child Molestation Victims' Rights

In August of last year, Estey Bomberger obtained a $30 million verdict for a victim of child molestation and negligent supervision in Santa Clara County. From experience, our attorneys understand the complex emotional pain and suffering that abusers inflict on victims and their families. We fight to protect victims' rights and to hold perpetrators accountable for horrific and unthinkable crimes against innocent children. If you are a parent and believe your child has been subjected to child molestation, contact our California child molestation victim lawyers for a free consultation. Our goal is to obtain justice for victims and ensure others will not be subjected to the same abuse.

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CITRUS HEIGHTS - A 21-year-old Granite Bay man tragically died in a solo-vehicle motorcycle accident Sunday afternoon on Sunrise Boulevard, the Sacramento Bee reported. The accident occurred on Sunrise Boulevard, just north of Arcadia Drive, at 5:51 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, 2011. The victim, Brandon Graham Roth, 21, lost control of his motorcycle and was ejected from his bike. Roth died at the scene of the crash. The cause of the fatal motorcycle accident remains under investigation by the Citrus Heights Police Department.

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CITRUS HEIGHTS - A 73-year-old woman was tragically struck and killed Wednesday night in a busy intersection, News 10 reported. The victim, Patricia Ann Erickson, was crossing the street at Auburn Boulevard and Halifax Street when she was struck by a white Nissan Altima heading northeast on Auburn Boulevard. The fatal car vs. pedestrian accident was reported around 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24, 2010. Erickson was taken by ambulance to Mercy San Juan Hospital where she died of her injuries. According to the Sacramento Bee, it was not clear whether Erickson was in the crosswalk when she was struck. The incident remains under investigation.

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A 22-year-old Sacramento woman was killed Sunday night in a crash on westbound Interstate 80 at the Antelope Road exit, the California Highway Patrol has reported. The crash involved a white 1993 Mercedes 190E and a 2003 orange Honda Element, and occurred at about 9:05 p.m. May 2. The Modesto Bee reported that the victim was identified Monday as Tessa Canavarro. Canavarro was driving a 1993 Mercedes that either clipped or was clipped by the Honda Element, driven by Jesse Oran, 32, of Carmichael.

The impact of the collision caused both vehicles to lose control and crash into the center median. Oran and three of his passengers, a 20-year-old woman, a 42-year-old woman, and a 25-year-old man were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Cause of the Crash

The cause of this fatal May 2 accident remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, and at this point, there are more questions than answers as to why this crash happened. The vast majority of collisions can be attributed to one of four factors: driver behavior, poor roadway maintenance, roadway design, and equipment failure. Many collisions involve some type of driver behavior combined with one of the other three factors. At freeway speeds, even a small collision between two vehicles can trigger a catastrophic chain of events, as we saw in this Sacramento County crash.

Wrongful Death Liability Issues

While this accident remains under investigation, the family of the young woman killed in this accident would be well-advised to contact a Sacramento accident attorney about their legal rights in a personal injury or wrongful death claim. If negligence on the part of the other driver of any other party caused or contributed to this Interstate 80 accident, the family may be entitled to compensation for their loss in a wrongful death action. An experienced attorney can look into liability issues and advise the family of their best course of action to protect their rights in a possible wrongful death claim.

Continue reading "Sacramento Woman Killed in Interstate 80 Crash in Citrus Heights " »