5 Plead Not Guilty to Home-Safety Charges
Owners of a group home for the mentally ill in Ventura pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of housing residents in structures with faulty electrical wiring, poor plumbing and, in one case, a dangerously unstable foundation, authorities said.
Five people affiliated with Ventura Garden Manor Inc. have been charged with 14 misdemeanors in connection with a Feb. 24 inspection that revealed problems at the facility, said Assistant City Atty. Karl Berger.
The defendants are Dominador Nicolas, the company’s chief executive; his wife and company co-owner, Loretta Ordanel Nicolas; co-owners Oscar and Nerida Ancheta, and facility manager Ariel Aguilar.
Authorities said the owners have agreed to a renovation plan to correct the problems, many of which the owners say they inherited after buying the board-and-care facility early last year.
A trial is scheduled for May 15.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.