By Natalia Ruvalcaba
VENTURA, CA – Rosita Tumbarrios, through a Spanish interpreter, reported to Judge Nancy Ayers that she is the victim in her case this week in a Ventura County Superior Court hearing.
Tumbarrios, charged with arson, entered a plea of not guilty. Defense Attorney Jennifer Zide requested that bail be decreased from $20,000 to $10,000. The judge denied it.
Zide argued her client does not have the means to pay $20,000. This was followed by an angry Tumbarrios, with the help of the interpreter, asserting her innocence.
Tumbarrios stated through her interpreter, “It’s not my fault. Everything was taken from me, my house, my food. (inaudible) Why didn’t you arrest the people that did this to me? I am the victim here. I’ve had to clean homes and clean the streets.”
In response, Judge Nancy Ayers noted that Tumbarrios had scored a seven on the risk assessment test, and therefore is placed in the categorization of high-risk individuals. This category notes that individuals that score within the range that Tumbarrios did are high in their likelihood of reoffending.
Judge Ayers also recounted the two failures to appear that Tumbarrios has in respect to her current probation case.
“It was a tent, it wasn’t a house,” reported Tumbarrios in response to Judge Ayers’ remark about her previous arson charge.
Tumbarrios’ request was denied and bail was kept at $20,000.
Judge Ayers remarked that considering the suspect’s mental health, the severity of the incident, her failure to appear notices, and her transient status, bail was justified.
Judge Ayers stated, however, that if there were a residential treatment facility available for the Tumbarrios she would consider releasing the suspect, no bail.
