The juvenile Honduran drug dealers' escape was reported Tuesday by the San Francisco Chronicle. The paper had described the city's policies toward young undocumented offenders in its Sunday editions.
Residents and elected officials in San Bernardino County sounded angry Tuesday that young illegal immigrants were sent to their neighborhoods instead of being handed over to federal immigration officials.
San Bernardino County Sheriff's Capt. Bart Gray said he is frustrated that Yucaipa has become a destination for juveniles who have committed crimes. He said, however, that there is no active investigation to find and arrest them.
"It doesn't matter if it's kids from San Francisco or anywhere else; we are importing criminals," Gray said.
"It's frustrating to have convicted criminals imported into your community that then commit crimes in your community," he said.
Gray said he believed that all eight youths recently sent from San Francisco had walked away from the homes, though he said he had runaway reports on only five of them, from June 20 and June 22.
Many of the Hondurans were sent to Douglas House, which sits along a busy road in Yucaipa and is far shabbier than it appears on the Silverlake Youth Services website. Garbage cans and old pieces of furniture compete for space in the driveway.
A woman who answered the door at Douglas House refused to comment Tuesday, as did Zachary D. Fox, Silverlake's chief executive, but those living nearby were shocked to hear that drug dealers had lived in the house.
They knew the house was a home for troubled youths but not necessarily for criminals.
Dawn Schaefer, 36, moved into the quiet neighborhood about a year ago.
"If we knew who lived in that house, we probably wouldn't have bought here," she said.
It was also news to Yucaipa Mayor Dick Riddell, who said he was "very upset" by news of the Honduran escapees and complained that local officials deserve better notification from the state about who goes to his small city and under what circumstances.
"Right now they authorize them, and we have no idea where they go," Riddell said. "Most of the people aren't even from San Bernardino County. They overload our school systems and bring in problems we don't need."
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maria.laganga@latimes.com
david.kelly@latimes.com
anna.gorman@latimes.com
Times staff writer Sam Quinones contributed to this report.
Maria L. LaGanga reported from San Francisco, David Kelly and Sam Quinones from San Bernardino County and Anna Gorman from Los Angeles.
