Southeast : EMBATTLED COUNCILWOMAN

Trouble follows some people, but it seems to be dogging Pico Rivera Councilwoman Helen O’Hara lately.

When last we heard from the councilwoman, she was facing a recall effort and had been charged with misdemeanor battery on an elderly constituent. O’Hara, admittedly, yanked some papers from the woman’s hand in council chambers.

Now, O’Hara is facing two new misdemeanor charges--petty theft and vandalism--stemming from a separate, July 7 incident related to the recall effort against her, Deputy Dist. Atty. Daniel Lenhart said.

O’Hara allegedly began arguing with signature gatherers at a table set up in front of a grocery store, then grabbed a newspaper article and left, Lenhart said.

O’Hara, who could not be reached for comment, is scheduled to answer to all three misdemeanor charges at her arraignment in Whittier Municipal Court on Tuesday, Lenhart said.

Meanwhile, O’Hara’s opponents turned in 5,300 signatures to the city clerk last week. If 4,808 of those are valid, the recall measure could be placed on the ballot as early as November, City Clerk Christine Schaefer said.