School Board Member’s Homes, Truck Searched

The homes and truck of a West Covina school board member were searched by Los Angeles County district attorney’s investigators as part of a probe into whether he lives out of town in violation of state residency rules for public officials.

Peter Sabatino Jr., 48, on Monday denied that he lives at the Downey house he bought in 1996. Sabatino, a 13-year school board incumbent who is up for reelection next week, said he lives in a home owned by his mother in the West Covina school district.

“I spend time at the Downey house because my 17-year-old son lives there. There isn’t a bed there for me. When I stay there, I sleep on the sofa,” said Sabatino, who said he is a single parent and his son lives alone.

In recent months, a Huntington Park councilwoman and a South Gate City Council candidate have been charged with perjury for signing documents stating they lived in those respective cities when, prosecutors allege, they really didn’t.