LANDLORD HELD ON CHARGES OF CUTTING OFF WATER TO TENANTS.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer PALMDALE - A Palmdale landlord who turned off the water to hisapartment building, leaving its occupants without water for more than a week, is now facing criminal charges. Kevin Dillard, 35, is charged with 18 misdemeanor counts filed by the Palmdale City Attorney's Office alleging housing code violations. The real estate agent also is charged with grand theft and forgery forgery, in art forgery, in art, the false claim to authenticity for a work of art. The Nature of Forgery Because the provenance of works of art is seldom clear and because their origin is often judged by means of subtle factors, art in a separate, unrelated felony case filed by the District Attorney's Office regarding a Palmdale home sale. ``According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the victim, Dillard accepted money from the victim as adown payment on a home,'' said Detective David Bower David Bower (born 1969) is a deaf actor who is best known for his role as David, the younger brother of Charles, in the comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral. Born in Wrexham,North Wales, he is also a sign dancer and choreographer. , the investigator on the home sale case. ``While the victim was on vacation, he canceled the escrow escrow Instrument, such as a deed, money, or property, that constitutes evidence of obligations between two or more parties and is held by a third party. It is delivered by the third party only upon fulfillment of some condition. , took the money out of escrow that the victim had placed there, and deposited the check into his business account rather than return it to the victim. The forgery came in where he signed the cancellation of escrow papers.'' The incident occurred about three months ago, and the house was on the east side of Palmdale, Bower said. Dillard, who works for a San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. real estate firm and also has an office on Palmdale Boulevard, told deputies that he had originally loaned money to the victim to put down on the escrow but said he couldn't substantiate that with documents because it was unethical unethical said of conduct not conforming with professional ethics. for him to do so, Bower said. The home buyer said that was not true, Bower said. Dillard surrendered to the court Tuesday and was taken into custody, where he remained Wednesday on $15,000 bail for the city case and $20,000 bail on the felony case. He is scheduled to be arraigned today on both cases. In the city case, Dillard is charged with not having hot and cold running water and bath, shower and toilet facilities, and with maintaining a public nuisance public nuisance n. a nuisance which affects numerous members of the public or the public at large, as distinguished from a nuisance which only does harm to a neighbor or a few private individuals. , said Cesar Bertaud, senior deputy city attorney. Bertaud said a warrant was issued for Dillard's arrest after he failed to appear Monday for an arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted in the city case. Dillard had turned off the water June 15 to the four-plex in the 38700 block of Larkin Avenue. Service was restored only after the city of Palmdale reached an emergency agreement with the Palmdale Water District. A judge last month granted a preliminary injunction A temporary order made by a court at the request of one party that prevents the other party from pursuing a particular course of conduct until the conclusion of a trial on the merits. A preliminary injunction is regarded as extraordinary relief. requested by the city and ordered Dillard not to interfere with his tenants' water service. The tenants, four families with a total of six children, had water service restored June 23 under the agreement between the city and the water district in which the city guaranteed payment, officials said. City officials said it was not clear why Dillard turned off the water but that it apparently had to do with a rental dispute. Dillard, in an earlier interview, said he turned off the water because he couldn't afford to pay the water bill. The city alleged in its court filing that Dillard refused to permit the tenants to establish water service in their own names, records show. |
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