 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch WEST COVINA - A 33-year-old woman was arrested December 14, booked on a number of charges stemming from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old male.
Sherry Bernal, a Glendora resident, was taken into custody by West Covina detectives with help from the Department of Homeland Security Child Exploitation Investigation Group. Bernal is also a preschool teacher in Glendora, according to the West Covina Police Department. Bernal was booked on suspicion of possession of obscene material involving a minor in a sexual act, use of underage person for obscene material, harmful matter of a minor sent with sexual intent, contact with a minor with an intent for sex and arranging to meet a minor for sexual purposes. Her bail was set at $180,000; however, she was released on bond pending a future court appearance. The West Covina Police Department urges anyone with information related to this case to call detectives at 626-939-8500.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A 18-year-old graduate of Glendora High School and star soccer player died in a hospital May 30 after becoming critically injured in a West Covina crash the day prior.
Kerry Welsh was reportedly struck and killed by another driver at the intersection of South Hollenbeck Street and East Vine Avenue May 29. Welsh reportedly was on her way to pick up her younger sister who was at a birthday party. Other details of the crash, such as potential cause, status of the other driver and any possible occupants and whether any arrests have been made are not immediately known. Welsh reportedly finished her first year at Loyola Marymount University after earning a full academic scholarship, according to Linda Rabitoy, who identified herself as a friend of the Welsh family. Welsh played varsity soccer all four years at Glendora High School and earned a 4.6 grade point average. A gofundme was established to help the Welsh family.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A plea deal was negotiated after a mistrial was declared in the case of a Glendora man accused of sexual battery and child molestation. Patrick Adam Nelson, 41, pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor lewd acts. Nelson was immediately sentenced to 30 days in jail, three years of summary probation, 30 days of community labor, 52 sex compulsion classes and he was ordered to move from his residence within 90 days, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. A no contest plea is treated as a guilty plea. Nelson was originally accused of one misdemeanor count each of child molestation and sexual battery against his then 17-year-old neighbor in 2018.
Jurors deliberated for about two and a half days and could not reach a unanimous decision on either charge, ultimately splitting the decision 9-3 on the child molestation charge and 11-1 on the sexual battery charge. After jurors were excused May 17, Nelson’s defense attorneys briefly expressed to Judge Robert Serna their intentions to strike a plea deal. Nelson was initially offered a plea deal before trial began which he never accepted. During pre-trial, the defense briefly mentioned a 50-foot stay-away protective order as an issue preventing the acceptance of the plea deal. In a secret recording the victim’s father made of Nelson recounting the molestation and sexual battery incidents from 2018, the father expressed desire for Nelson to move away from the neighborhood. Nelson lives across the street from the victim and her family. Appearing in the audience Friday were Nelson’s parents, Byron Nelson and Judy Nelson — the latter is mayor of Glendora.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - The defense came out with both barrels blazing Monday during closing arguments in a molestation and sexual battery case against a Glendora man. The suspect, Patrick Adam Nelson, 41, is accused of two misdemeanor counts each of sexual battery and child molestation against a then 17-year-old neighbor July 8, 2018. He faces a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail. Nelson’s defense team of Stephanie Johnson and Robert Ernenwein took a less vocal approach during days one through three of the trial as the prosecution, which has the burden of proof, called witness after witness and painted a picture that Nelson allegedly groomed the girl for years and desired her sexually. Ernenwein emphasized before the trial started that this was an unfair proceeding and during closing arguments stated the district attorney’s office overreacted and overcharged in this case. Monday, Ernenwein spoke about discovery introduced late in the trial. Some of the late discovery was learned just before testimony was set to take place with certain witnesses and some was learned on the stand with little opportunity for the defense to digest it. Allegations by the girl’s parents of Nelson slapping her buttocks while she wore a bikini and an awkward touching of her thigh during a family dinner, allegedly taking place before the 2018 incidents, weren’t included in any police reports and only came out during testimony, Ernenwein said. The parents’ accounts of who witnessed the slap apparently didn’t match, with both parents stating they individually witnessed the incident, Ernenwein said. Nelson is accused of touching the girl on her breasts and buttocks last year, the reason why Nelson was charged and facing jail time. Just before her testimony May 9, the girl said Nelson also allegedly touched her vaginal area after she awoke to him touching her buttocks -- information not disclosed during discovery. Some of the girl’s testimony focused on alcohol and marijuana edibles allegedly offered by Nelson. The defense emphasized that the items were only offered to her after the girl and her sister Cori spoke openly in Nelson's presence about consuming alcohol and marijuana. The use of the wax pen wasn’t even disclosed until last week, Ernenwein said. During her testimony, the girl stated she only remembered Nelson offering marijuana after a therapy session and on cross examination, she said she initially didn’t include it during a police interview to keep Nelson from being in more trouble than he already was in. Ernenwein also questioned why the prosecution didn’t put Nelson’s parents, Glendora Mayor Judy Nelson and her husband Byron Nelson, on the stand as percipient witnesses.
The cornerstone of the defense’s closing argument is that Nelson had no ill intent during the 2018 incidents, that touching the girl the way he did was done out of awkwardness and the prosecution did not prove criminal intent required for a sex offense. The girl’s father, Brian, on a secret recording, asked Nelson if he was aroused by touching her, which Nelson always denied. Regardless of the alcohol and marijuana consumption, Ernenwein emphasized Nelson is only being charged with child molestation and sexual battery, not contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The defense conceded that Nelson did make terrible decisions throughout his relationship with the girl and her family. Ernenwein acknowledged that Nelson’s texting of explicit messages to a teen girl is, in his words, totally inappropriate and that allowing a teen access to alcohol and marijuana is illegal under the law and he is likely guilty of battery, but a child molester he is not. “His conscience led him to speak to Brian [the girl’s father] ... Pat Nelson is a lot of things --some good, some bad -- but he has a conscience. His disclosure was complete and it was gut-wrenching,” Ernenwein said. The prosecution’s rebuttal to the defense's closing argument is scheduled for May 14 at 9 a.m. at the West Covina Courthouse before deliberation is set to begin. Prosecution: Suspect Accused of Molestation, Battery of Glendora Girl Groomed Her for Years5/12/2019  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Days two and three of the trial against a Glendora man accused of molestation and battery of his then 17-year-old neighbor revealed more details of what the prosecution believes is the suspect’s obsession with the girl. The prosecution led by Deputy District Attorney Mari Henderson alleges that suspect Patrick Adam Nelson, 41, groomed the victim for years in a variety of ways. The girl’s parents, a friend of the girl and two of the mother’s coworkers took the stand Thursday and Friday. In their testimony, the parents, identified as Brian and Maggie, and the girl said Nelson would give more expensive gifts to her, such as a necklace for her 17th birthday, and pay more attention to her than her sister. Maggie, said that when she first met Nelson about 11 years ago, she warned him not to harm her girls in anyway, which Nelson apparently assured her the girls would never be hurt. The girl and her friend alleged in their testimony that Nelson freely offered alcohol and marijuana edibles from his home, which was accessed through a rear unlocked door. The girl also would allegedly ask Nelson for Vodka through Snapchat messages. On Wednesday, the jury listened to 58 minutes of a secret recording Brian made of Nelson re-telling the accounts of July 8 when the alleged incidents occurred. Glendora Police Detective Michael Howell gave a recording device to Brian to get Nelson’s account. On cross-examination, defense attorney Stephanie Johnson believed Howell told Brian what questions to ask in order to force specific answers, but Brian denied the claim, stating he was only told how to operate the device and to get Nelson to recount the incidents in his own words. On Thursday, the girl said she was home with some friends and was tasked to watch her ailing grandmother July 7, 2018. The girl and friends had been drinking and Nelson allegedly did as well. The victim and her friends became ill and began throwing up. In the wee hours of July 8, the girl called Nelson to keep her company, because she felt physically sick and didn’t want to be alone -- she needed him there as a father figure and to help tend to her grandmother’s wound, the girl said. Nelson helped her as she threw up, talked with her for about two hours and allowed her use of his wax vaporizer pen to feel better, the girl said.
A vaporizer pen allows the user to inhale cannabis concentrate or wax. After the girl showered, Nelson allegedly offered her a back rub, which she agreed to. The girl said she heard nervous breathing from Nelson during the back rub and that he soon rubbed across her stomach and moved his hand across her breasts twice. She flinched, panicked and elbowed him to stop him. The girl said she fell asleep, but woke to Nelson allegedly rubbing her butt for several seconds. In the moments, hours and days after the alleged battery and molestation took place, the girl felt confused, sad and dirty about what happened. A series of Snapchat messages were shown by both the prosecution and defense between the girl and Nelson. The prosecution said the messages showed how Nelson would compliment the girl’s physical appearance, that if she were older he would marry her, how much he wanted to hug and kiss her and that he is so in love with her and everything she is. The girl would respond with platonic default emojis of two bears hugging, a heart and sometimes used an emoji stating “I love you,” the girl said. The girl once offered to kiss Nelson if he fixed his spa, which she wanted to use, although she said she never meant to follow through. Nelson, however, allegedly believed she would and in person, as well as Snapchat, would ask for kisses from her. On cross examination, the defense questioned the usage of the emojis in response to Nelson’s messages, possibly to emphasize a possibly misleading nature. Day three of the trial ended earlier than anticipated. The trial itself may possibly end six days ahead of schedule Monday, May 13. The girl’s sister may be called to testify, after which the jury may go inter deliberation and render a verdict. If convicted as charged, Nelson faces a possible maximum of one year in jail.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - The jury trial against a Glendora man accused of inappropriately touching a then 17-year-old girl began Wednesday. Patrick Adam Nelson, 41, is accused of one misdemeanor count each of child molestation and sexual battery, both allegedly occurring July 8, 2018. Deputy District Attorney Mari Henderson attempted to paint the picture that Nelson groomed the girl for years. The girl’s father took the stand Wednesday. The alleged molestation and battery took place in the girl’s home while her parents were away on vacation. Nelson visited the girl, which her father said was unusual when the father was not home. The girl was sick after allegedly drinking. Nelson offered the girl a back rub and during the back rub grabbed her butt and cupped her breast, the girl’s father said. Nelson and the girl’s family have known each other for 11 years. The father and Nelson met 11 years ago when the girl was 7 or 8 years old. Nelson had virtually become family and was referred to as “Uncle Pat.” The girl and her family also became acquainted with Nelson’s parents Byron and Judy Nelson: the latter is mayor of Glendora. The jury was shown a series of photos of the girl, her family and Nelson taken during those 11 years at get-togethers, day trips and holidays: each photo showed Nelson at varying degrees of physical closeness to the girl. The girl’s father claimed that the alleged acts were not the first by Nelson. When the girl was 15, Nelson allegedly placed his hand on her thigh. Nelson also allegedly slapped the girl’s butt playfully during her freshman year: both actions illicited enough concern from the father to warn Nelson, who pledged he would never hurt the victim.
A week after the alleged July 2018 incidents took place, Nelson asked the girl’s father over to his home where Nelson apparently confessed. Nelson also apparently admitted to what he did in front of his parents Byron and Judy during a subsequent meeting between the two families. The jury listened to 58 minutes of a recording made by the girl’s father who was given a recorder by Glendora Police Detective Mike Howell to capture a confession on tape. In the recording, Nelson repeatedly said what happened was a “horrible lapse in judgement” and that he had no bad intentions as both the girl and her father worked to get Nelson to state why he allegedly did what he did, sometimes going so far as to ask if he was aroused by touching her. In the recording, the girl claimed that friends would notice Nelson always looked at her differently and would always give her gifts. The trial resumes Thursday. |
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