Assemblyman arrested on child cruelty charge
Fresno lawmaker is cited after child walks into a school office with an injury.
SACRAMENTO — Fresno police arrested Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) on Monday on a misdemeanor charge of willful cruelty to a child.
The arrest was made after police were contacted by Child Protective Services, which reported that a student at Fresno’s Dailey Elementary Charter School walked into the campus’ administrative office with an injury that occurred the night before, according to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
“The victim provided the officers with the circumstances around how the injury occurred and who was responsible for that injury,” Dyer said. “The person responsible for that injury was determined to be Joaquin Arambula.”
Dyer declined to provide identifying information about the child, including age, gender or relationship to Arambula, or details about the injury.
Arambula, 41, lives in Fresno with his wife, Elizabeth, and three daughters, according to his Assembly website.
Felicia Cousart Matlosz, a spokeswoman for Arambula, did not provide details of the arrest, but said in a statement on Tuesday that “Joaquin is a committed father who wants what is best for his children.”
“He is fully supportive of the process, which will show he is a loving and nurturing father,” she said.
Police arrived at the school shortly after 2 p.m. Monday and spoke with the child. Officers called Arambula and his wife, Dyer said, adding that Arambula followed the advice of his attorney and declined to speak with officers about the incident.
Arambula was arrested at the school later that day and was taken to police headquarters, processed and released with a citation, Dyer said.
“The child is no longer in a position to have contact with [Arambula] and is not in danger at this time,” Dyer said.
Dyer said police were working closely with the district attorney’s office with the intent of prosecuting the case.
Arambula “is a very reputable person in our community and well-liked,” Dyer said. “It is unfortunate that this incident occurred and we have been put in a position where we had to make an arrest. Any time there is a child involved as the victim, we take those cases very serious."
A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) declined to comment.
Arambula, a medical doctor, won a special election in 2016 to fill a seat left vacant by former Assemblyman Henry Perea in the 31st Assembly District. His father, Juan Arambula, also served in the Assembly and on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
The younger Arambula has focused much of his attention in the Legislature on healthcare and introduced a bill last week to extend MediCal coverage to all California residents without legal immigration status.