Councilman addresses video controversy

CALEXICO — Calexico City Councilman Armando Real has found himself on the defensive in recent days in response to a pair of incidents that have attracted considerable public attention.

In one incident, caught on an electronics store’s surveillance camera, Real was apparently in the company of an individual engaging in activity that prompted a store employee to confront the unidentified man and escort him away.

The surveillance video seemingly appears to depict Real interacting to some extent with the other person prior to the arrival of the store employee, who removes an item from the man’s hands before they depart together, leaving Real behind.

For his part, Real vehemently denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the video’s release was politically motivated.

“There’s nothing on that video that shows me doing anything criminal at all,” Real said on Thursday. “And if there is something criminal, then I would expect law enforcement would do something about it.”

The video was disseminated on social media on Wednesday night by Jason Jung, a former Calexico police officer, City Council candidate and longtime critic of many of the city’s elected and appointed officials.

The video reportedly was taken at Best Buy on Nov. 27 and given to him by a person who asked to remain anonymous and for the video to be made public, Jung said.

His motivation for releasing the video was not to tarnish Real’s image, but to honor the request of the person who provided the video, Jung stated in response to a social media user’s question accompanying the video posted on the Adelante Valle Facebook page on Thursday.

“In the past, I have been outspoken about the corruption within the city,” Jung stated. “I am just trying to keep exposing the corruption.”

A representative of Best Buy declined to comment on the incident when reached for comment Thursday. Real also declined to comment about the individual apparently accompanying him.

The El Centro Police Department reported not having any record of any arrest or citation of any male subject for theft at Best Buy over the past month.

In the second incident, Real is alleged to have deliberately attempted to pay less than the total value of food items he purchased at the self-checkout queue at the Walmart in Calexico.

Although Real admitted he made a mistake when scanning the food items, he immediately paid the balance owed after the discrepancy was brought to his attention by a Walmart employee who reviews customers’ purchases and receipts as they depart the store.

“There was no crime,” Real said. “(Walmart) told me that happens all the time to a lot of people.”

That recent incident was soon brought to the attention of the Calexico Police Department, which felt it had no choice but to investigate in order to avoid any accusations of favoritism or corruption, said Chief Gonzalo Gerardo.

“We owe it to the citizens of Calexico to look into it,’ Gerardo said. “Also to prove not just guilt, but innocence if nothing wrong was done.”

Jung, too, was aware of that incident and has alleged that it resulted in Real filing a complaint with the city against the police department for alleged harassment.

Real denied filing any such complaint, while Gerardo confirmed no such complaint against the department had been filed by Real as of Thursday evening.

Jung also alleged that City Manager David Dale intervened and persuaded Real to drop the complaint, a claim that Real, Gerardo and Dale also denied.

“We are aware of the (theft) allegations, and are letting the matter take its course without any interference,” Dale stated in an email.