![]() ![]() Before that, the state of California filed a $29,000 tax lien against him in 2005 that was released in 2007. In July 2007, the IRS filed a $80,240 lien against Melanson, records show. Melanson was known to have financial problems. City Manager Harold Duffey said that as far as he was aware, no other city employees had been disciplined in connection with the incident.įire officials from Long Beach and Montebello investigated the potential arson, while the Sheriff’s Department looked into the embezzlement allegations. Melanson was placed on administrative leave shortly after the blaze and was fired in February 2013. ![]() The city eventually got about $300,000 back through insurance.īatiste said Melanson was the only firefighter at the station when the blaze broke out, and his co-workers wondered how someone with his training could have allowed the fire to get so far out of hand. Authorities allege Melanson stole many of the radios and then burned the rest. The fire broke out at a racquetball court at the city’s Fire Department headquarters, where the radio equipment was stored. But the police department was never established, and the city was stuck with the radios. ![]() The city spent at least $1.7 million on preparations to set up a department, including more than $1 million on Motorola communications equipment. The City Council voted in June 2010 to bring back the Compton Police Department, using bond funds reallocated from other projects. He sat on a three-person technology committee that was instrumental in the purchase of the police radios he is now accused of stealing. Those earlier charges relate to other equipment stolen from the city.Ĭity officials said Melanson was known as a communications wiz and an expert in emergency radio systems. The criminal complaint filed against Melanson showed the theft and embezzlement allegations dating back to 2008, well before the December 2011 fire. “I don’t believe my client committed this crime, and I’m concerned about an alleged expert changing his opinion,” Rico said. The investigator recently changed his mind, Rico added. Melanson’s defense attorney, Robert Rico, said that he is still reviewing the case but that a Long Beach Fire Department investigator being used as an expert initially determined the fire was not an arson. If convicted, he would face a maximum of 10 years and eight months in state prison, said Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. He pleaded not guilty and remained jailed, with bail set at $350,000. Melanson was charged Friday with arson, grand theft and embezzlement. Authorities allege that Melanson stole much of the equipment and set the rest on fire, hoping the missing radios would not be detected. The data is updated every month.The city came close to insolvency in 2011, and officials hoped to sell the equipment to recoup some much-needed cash. Map indicates the probability of accumulated snow or ices for next 3 days Weather Data since 1895Ĭounty-level monthly precipitation and temperature data since 1895 provieded by National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). ![]() This storm tracker contains data from 1851. Storm Tracker and Model MixerĪ hurricane watcher's guide to the latest track and model forecasts. The Air Quality Index (AQI) translates air quality data into numbers and colors that help people understand when to take action to protect their health. See a map of wildfires since 2017 Air Quality Index (AQI) Forecasts and Current Conditions 30 Drought Monitor and Historyĭata shows the location and intensity of drought across the country. Maximum heat index forecast for next 7 days. Weather Prediction Center forecasts the probability that rainfall will exceed flash flood guidance within 25 miles of a point. Real-time Streamflow Map: River Water LevelĬurrent data typically are recorded at 15- to 60-minute intervals. For more recent tornadoes, clicking deeper provides more details, damage estimates and whether someone was injured or killed in the storm. This interactive map, which contains data from January 1950, pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and traces its path of destruction. A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Florida since 1950s Rolling Storm Damage ReportsĪs storms strike, this interactive map is your guide to impacts and damage reports coming into National Weather Service stations nationwide. Track all current severe weather warnings, watches and advisories for Austin, Texas and other areas in the United States on the interactive weather alerts page. Weather Alerts: Warnings, Watches and Advisories It will automatically update every 15 minutes. As severe weather or blizzards threaten, this database scrapes power outage information from more than 1,000 companies nationwide. ![]()
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