Challenger rails against Councilman Luis Chavez on Facebook, and police are looking into it
A candidate challenging Fresno City Councilman Luis Chavez for his District 5 seat posted an expletive-laced rant to Facebook on Friday, implying Chavez threatened his children by visiting a school on Read Across America Day and vowing revenge.
The first post on the Facebook page belonging to Paul "Paully" Condon, 42, was a "letter" to Chavez, calling him a "bitch" and "punk." The post, at times nonsensical, appears to accuse Chavez of defamation and rigging the election.
"Bring it on your (sic) part of filing false and slanderous defimation (sic) of character false police report," the post read. "…Go by my kids again bro. … You rigged the election against me costing my kids, myself, and everyone in my district? You actually did rob me!!"
Condon is challenging Chavez, along with Jose Barraza, a community advocate and former Fresno County economic development director, and Paula Yang, a Hmong community activist and anchor for a Hmong television channel. Barraza ran for council previously in 2010 and again in the 2016 special election, while Condon ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2012.
Chavez did not take Condon's alleged posts lightly, saying he would protect himself and his family.
Condon also shared an old post from Chavez's city council page on Read Across America Day, March 2, that included photos of Chavez in a green and yellow Dr. Seuss-style hat reading to preschool students at Balderas Elementary School. Condon shared the post with commentary, saying it was "proof" Chavez visited his children's school with Mayor Lee Brand.
"Here is proof he is at my kids school, with lee brand,the principle and on behalf of ed gomes (sic). To screw with my kids by allowing them to miss 178 days and my daughter to have straight 'f's' because i get pissed so they thought they would file a false police report, get me arrested," the post read.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the department's intelligence unit is looking into the postings.
"Based on the surface of the comments provided to me, there does not appear to be a crime involved as of yet," Dyer said. "However, our intelligence unit will make that determination with the District Attorney's Office."
In a phone interview, Condon denied making the posts on Facebook but then relayed similar details outlined in the posts about his daughter's absences and Chavez's visit to the school.
Condon said others are running his campaign social media accounts and he needed to check in with them to see if the posts were authentic.
Shortly after, the two posts disappeared from the Facebook page.
"This is crazy," he said in a subsequent phone call. "I don't know what to make of this."
Part of Condon's first posting referenced a 2017 incident where Chavez pointed a gun at an intruder and chased him down the street.
"You thought you were scared when chasing an unarmed guy for looking in your window down the street with a gun. Pull one on me. I'll take it try me," Condon said in the post.
"Everyone knows I’m not too fond of criminals, especially those that abuse women," Chavez said in a statement to The Bee. "I never look for trouble, but it’s no secret I’m licensed to carry a firearm and will protect myself and my family if attacked."
Chavez's statement is referring to Condon's long history of domestic violence. Court records dating back to 2000 show multiple women obtained restraining orders against Condon after accusing him of domestic violence and stalking.
In a 2000 domestic violence restraining order, Judge James Petrucelli ordered Condon to relinquish any firearms, enroll in a yearlong batterer's course and stay away from the woman's school. The restraining order says Condon, 24 at the time, continuously contacted a former high school girlfriend on her cellphone, pager and by mail.
The Bee does not identify victims of domestic violence.
The woman, in seeking an additional restraining order, said Condon called previous restraining orders "a joke" and said he "could kill me and the order wouldn't protect me." Condon insisted on knowing details about the woman's life, like where she lived and worked. When she met him at Starbucks once and asked Condon to leave her alone, saying she wouldn't have sex with him, he pulled his fist back as if to hit her, but stopped, the restraining order says. At one point, Condon pulled a knife on the woman, she alleges.
In 2008 Condon was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation for disorderly behavior in court, records show.
In 2009, the mother of Condon's two children took him to court over a child support dispute, records show. That woman also sought a restraining order against Condon in 2006. As part of the conditions of that 2006 restraining order, Condon was ordered to stay 100 yards away from his children's school. The restraining order was set to expire in three years if it was not renewed. It's unclear if the woman sought renewal.
This story was originally published March 30, 2018 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Challenger rails against Councilman Luis Chavez on Facebook, and police are looking into it."