A former Gardena city councilman was arrested Thursday
on suspicion of child molestation, authorities said.
The 47-year-old Oscar Medrano
resigned Tuesday night from his position by sending a resignation letter to the
City Council, claiming health problems.
“Due to the ongoing,
unpredictable health problems that I'm experiencing, it has become very
apparent to me that I am no longer able to serve in my current council member
capacity,” he said, as quoted by Daily Breeze.
In an interview with the above mentioned
newspaper, Medrano said that he has been suffering from degenerative disc
disease for three years. He underwent surgeries to replace vertebrae and fuse
his spine.
Medrano has been managing a family
business, Osmar Jewelry, since 1992. He was arrested at the jewelry store at
9:30 a.m., said Sgt. Dan Scott of the Sheriff's Department's Special Victims
Bureau. His arrest came after a two-week investigation of lewd and lascivious
conduct with a girl under 14.
He was booked at the Carson sheriff’s station
jail. Later he was transferred to the inmate reception center in downtown Los Angeles. His bail was
set on $100,000. Medrano has not been charged yet.
Medrano is married and is the
father of five children. He was elected to the City Council in 2003 and served
as mayor pro tem in 2006. Medrano’s cousin Ed Medrano is Gardena’s chief of police; therefore the
Sheriff’s Department led the investigation to avoid any misunderstandings.
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