San Gabriel Valley : ON GUARD
The West Covina City Council increased security at its Tuesday night meeting after three council members received death threats from the husband of a city employee.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was stopped in the city of Walnut on Oct. 30 for driving erratically and told sheriff’s deputies he was planning to kill West Covina Mayor Steve Herfert and Councilmen Mike Touhey and Brad McFadden and then drive off a cliff.
Police took the man to Charter Oaks Hospital where he was placed temporarily in involuntary custody.
A cadre of police officers attended Tuesday’s meeting and will be at future meetings indefinitely, authorities said. In addition, only uniformed officers will be allowed to sit on the council chamber’s second floor, overlooking the dais.
Touhey and Herfert said they have installed security equipment at their homes and Touhey said his family will no longer attend meetings. Touhey said he believes the man was upset over budget-cutting moves approved by the three council members to eliminate a reimbursement program for vacation days.
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