California state senator calls for Sanger mayor to resign after domestic violence arrest
A California state senator is calling for the Sanger mayor to resign after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat who is from Sanger, released a statement Wednesday evening that called for Eli Ontiveros to step down as Sanger’s mayor after he was arrested Wednesday morning from after what the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department called a domestic violence incident at his home.
“Domestic violence under any circumstance is unacceptable,” Hurtado said in a news release. “While we do not yet know the full details of this case, I am disheartened and disappointed, and call for Mayor Ontiveros to resign.
“The community stands ready to support Mrs. Ontiveros, and I pray for healing for her and her children during this difficult time.”
Ontiveros, 44, was released on a $25,000 bond from the Fresno County Jail by the afternoon.
There is history between Hurtado and Ontiveros.
Prior to being elected as the representative of California’s 14th Senate District, Hurtado served on the Sanger city council for two years alongside Ontiveros when he was a councilmember, too.
Ontiveros stated he was surprised Hurtado won her senator election back in Nov. 2018 and admitted that the two disagreed on things “90 percent of the time,” but nonetheless commended her for the victory.
Ontiveros went on to become the Sanger mayor in 2020; his term is set to expire in November 2022.
Hurtado was appointed in July 2020 to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.
A group of media members met Ontiveros as he walked toward a truck after he was released from jail.
He was asked a series of questions, including whether he was guilty of domestic abuse.
To which, Ontiveros responded with: “No, ma’am.”
“There was an altercation at the house,” Ontiveros said. “There was an incident. .... I got handcuffed. ...
“We’re going to get to the bottom of that.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 5:51 PM.