Father of Slain Youth Held in Threats to Prosecutor, Police

A Newbury Park man who was unhappy about the investigation and prosecution of those involved in his son’s death was in jail Wednesday after allegedly making death threats against a Ventura County prosecutor and an assistant sheriff, authorities said.

Charles Flores, 47, was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail on suspicion of threatening an executive officer, Sheriff’s Lt. Kelli McIlvain said. If convicted, Flores could face up to a year in jail.

McIlvain said Flores was arrested at his home Tuesday night after calling the district attorney’s office and threatening to kill Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Holmes and Asst. Sheriff Oscar Fuller.

The threats were apparently motivated by Flores’ unhappiness over the handling of the death of his son, John Flores, 19, during a fight Jan. 20, 1989, at a party in Newbury Park, McIlvain said.

The death was investigated by the sheriff’s department and two men were arrested. Larnell Bush was later convicted of assault and placed on probation. John Yurek was acquitted of a charge of manslaughter.

The case was prosecuted by Holmes. Fuller’s only involvement was to handle complaints about the case from the elder Flores, authorities said.

“Mr. Flores has been embroiled with the district attorney’s and sheriff’s offices since early last year over the investigation and prosecution involving the death of his son,” McIlvain said.

Authorities said a Ventura County grand jury opened an inquiry into the case at Flores’ request last year, but concluded that it had been properly handled by investigators and prosecutors, Assistant Dist. Atty. Kevin McGee said. More recently, the elder Flores asked the state attorney general’s office to review the case and that inquiry has not been completed, he said.

Because Flores’ arrest involved a threat against Holmes, the case will probably be referred to the attorney general’s office for prosecution, McGee said.