Photo: Pomona's City Council Department
POMONA (CNS) - A Pomona city councilman who was arrested last week on suspicion of possession of child pornography has not been in touch with the city since he was released on bail, and officials are expected to call for a special meeting to discuss the city's legal options regarding his status.
Rubio Ramiro Gonzalez, 45, was arrested at 11 a.m. Thursday and booked at 11:45 a.m. at the sheriff's San Dimas station on $100,000 bond. Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of "possession of child sexual abuse material and annoying or molesting a child,'' Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokesman Greg Risling said.
He later posted bond and was released at 5:50 p.m., according to the sheriff's Inmate Information Center.
"The City of Pomona is aware that the Council Member Rubio G. Gonzalez was arrested for possession of child pornography,'' read a statement on Pomona's official website posted Friday. "While it is important to allow the legal system to determine his innocence, we are stunned and deeply concerned by Mr. Gonzalez' arrest and the extremely serious nature of the criminal allegations." The city has not been able to reach Mr. Gonzalez to determine if he plans to remain on the Council while facing these charges. The investigation was conducted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigations.
"Mayor Tim Sandoval stated that he intends to immediately call for a special meeting of the City Council to discuss our legal options addressing Mr. Gonzalez' status as a Council Member. Remaining on the City Council while he faces these serious charges will present a distraction from the significant work the City Council has to perform for the community, especially as we search for ways to assist our residents and businesses and safely reopen our city.''
Rep. Norma J. Torres, D-Pomona, who added that Gonzalez is a substitute teacher for the Pomona Unified School District, released a statement Saturday saying that Gonzalez should resign immediately.
"He is entitled to a presumption of innocence in the eyes of the law, but he should not hold a position of power while under such an egregious cloud of suspicion,'' said Torres, whose eldest son Robert Torres, is also a Pomona councilman. "Not only did Pomona residents trust him to help lead our community as a council member, but we trusted him with our children as a substitute teacher."
"Abusing trust in the former is bad enough, but I'm most concerned that he abused trust in the latter as well,'' she said. "We need a full thorough investigation, and if either the City of Pomona or Pomona Unified School District are aware of current or past complaints of a sexual nature,they should disclose them immediately.''
Gonzalez, who was elected in November 2016 to represent Council District 1, has lived in Pomona for more than 35 years, according to the city's website. He was born in Fullerton, but raised in Pomona.
He has multiple degrees, earning a bachelor's in English from Cal Poly Pomona and a masters in anthropology from Cal State Fullerton.His wife Lorena is a former Miss Pomona. They have three children.