Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper
Re “Has Another Water Boarder Scalded Himself with Hot Water?”
Members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. responded to the home of a family member of Central Basin Water District member Art Chacon on Monday after reporter Mike Sprague of the Whittier Daily News allegedly trespassed and made verbal threats to Mr. Chacon’s 80-year-old mother, niece and her boyfriend.
Mr. Sprague has been aggressively pursuing Mr. Chacon for the past several days with interview requests. He has personally visited Mr. Chacon’s home and members of his family who live at different locations in the City of Commerce.
Mr. Sprague was once again at Mr. Chacon’s house early yesterday, “banging on the door,” according to Mr. Chacon.
[img]2722|right|Mr. Chacon’s mother, in a wheelchair.||no_popup[/img]Mr. Chacon’s mother, fearing that Mr. Sprague would “harm her,” called 9-1-1 on Monday afternoon around 12:30 when Art Chacon said he “was verbally demanding information about me.”
After Mr. Chacon’s family caught Mr. Sprague’s actions via a video cell phone, Mr. Sprague fled the area literally minutes before a Sheriff’s deputy arrived at the scene.
Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper obtained a cell phone video of Mr. Sprague leaving the scene by sprinting down a Commerce neighborhood street. Mr. Sprague entered a blue 2013 BMW 525 and left the location.
Mr. Chacon said that Mr. Sprague has been “stalking me and my family for weeks.
“My mother is an elderly senior who suffers from advanced diabetes. She should not have be harassed by a reporter, especially a reporter like Mike Sprague who has an agenda to get me out of office,” Mr. Chacon said.
Mr. Chacon said that Mr. Sprague has been “camped out in front of my house, on and off, for the past couple of weeks.” He said he has been in “fear” of Mr. Sprague, whom he called “unstable.”
“Look, politics is politics,” Mr. Chacon said. “But I have a small daughter and a wife that I need to protect. When Sprague comes onto my property repeatedly, and knocks on my door and ‘demands’ that I speak to him, to me that is crossing the line of decency,” Mr. Chacon said.
Mr. Chacon said that he is contemplating legal action against Mr. Sprague, including a restraining order.
“I am weighing my legal options, and I am contemplating going to Superior Court to file a temporary restraining order against Sprague,” Mr. Chacon said.
“I understand the freedom of the press, but this is becoming criminal stalking in my opinion. My family is scared.”
Mr. Hews and Mr. Economy may be contacted at http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2014/08/26/whittier-daily-news-reporter-mike-sprague-evades-law-enforcement-in-commerce/
