The story has been updated 1:00 p.m. June 16 to reflect the arrest log the Glendora Police Department gave to a former Clarion reporter on December 5, 2019, to clarify what Cernal was charged with and to reflect his case was not filed.
The story has been updated 12:43 p.m. June 16 to reflect the correct positions of the assistant district attorneys for the victim, June Chung and Marine Tang.
The story has been updated 12:40 p.m. June 16 to reflect the rephrasing of the headline for truth and clarity.
The story has been updated at 10:00 p.m. June 14 to reflect the phone call between the detective of the sex offense case and a Clarion reporter and the detective’s response for the status of the case on June 12.
The story has been updated at 3:09 p.m. June 11 to reflect an email the Director of Human Resources Dr. Robert Sammis sent to the Clarion reporter on June 11.
A former Citrus College employee who was charged with an allegation of rape resigned from his position as an administrative assistant for Citrus College Foundation, the the Board of Trustees minutes said on March 17.
Clarence Cernal resigned ‘effective May 1,’ the Director of Human Resources Dr. Robert Sammis said in an email on June 11 responding back to a follow-up email sent by the Clarion reporter sent on June 10, asking for the status of the case.
A Clarion reporter called Michael Howell, the detective for the sex offense case from the Glendora Police Department on June 11. Howell said to a Clarion reporter the status of the case was ‘closed, declined’ and the district attorney ‘declined to file a case,’ on a phone interview the morning of June 12. The Clarion reporter asked why the DA declined to file the case and Howell said he wouldn’t know because that jurisdiction falls under the DA.
Cernal was not charged with ‘rape by force,’ Cernal’s arrest log Srgt. Henderson from the Glendora Police Department gave to a former Clarion reporter on December 5, 2019 said, because the case was not filed. It’s uncertain why the case wasn’t filed.
Dr. Sammis said the status of the District’s investigation, the college’s own investigation was ‘completed,’ and the Clarion reporter should contact the DA’s office and the Glendora Police Department for seeking information about criminal charges.
A Clarion reporter called Campus Safety to speak with Macias and a woman of Campus Safety, who did not provide her full name said to ‘email Macias,’ on June 10.
A reporter also called Sandra Coon, the confidential administrative assistant for Human Resources to speak to Dr. Sammis about Citrus’s separate investigation with the sex offense case, but the call went straight to voicemail and the reporter left a voicemail with their name and number on June 10.
A Clarion reporter also called the Manager of Human Resources and the Title IX coordinator, the person who deals with sexual assault and harassment compliances, Brenda Fink to ask about Citrus’s own investigation with the sex offense case. The call went to voicemail and the reporter left a voicemail with their name and number on June 10.
A Clarion reporter called the assistant district attorneys for the victim of the case, June Chung and Marine Tang of the Superior Court of California-Pomona Courthouse for the status of the case on June 9. Both calls were sent to voicemail and the reporter left their name and number.
A Clarion reporter called the Glendora Police Department a second time for the status of the case on June 9. Cadet Torres, who did not provide his first name, said the case was “not complete,” who then transferred the Clarion reporter to a Police Representative Cory Ennis. Ennis said to the Clarion reporter to leave their name and number to hear from Michael Howell, the detective of the case.
A Clarion reporter called the Glendora Police Department on May 28 and Cadet Andres Rodriguez said the detective of the case, Howell, would reach out to the reporter as soon as they’re able to do so.
A Clarion reporter emailed Dr. Sammis and Macias to seek more information on the status of the sex offense case on May 26.
The Clarion went to the L.A. Superior Court’s website to search for public records on May 26 to find Clarence Cernal’s case file, but no public records were found.
The Citrus crime log said the incident is still an open case. The Citrus College Campus Safety online crime log said the sex offense occurred at on Sept. 27, 2019, and was arrested at 1:52 p.m. Oct. 10, 2019, at Citrus College, an arrest log provided by the Sgt. Michael Henderson on Dec. 5, 2019, from the Glendora Police Department said. The Campus Safety Crime Log said the arrest occurred in the Center for Innovation building.
The Clarion is continuing to report on this story, and when more information is provided, the Clarion will update the story.
