Supervisor Don Knabe announced today that another one of LA County’s Most Wanted Delinquent Parents has been arrested and jailed. Fernando Zaldana was arrested last Wednesday by District Attorney Investigators. He appeared in custody last Thursday afternoon in Department 82, adjacent to the Twin Towers jail facility. Superior Court Commissioner John Green remanded Zaldana over to the Sheriff to serve his previously imposed sentence of 180 days in jail.
On October 28, 2008, Zaldana entered a plea of no contest for failing to support his 16 year old son. He was placed on probation for 36 months and was required to make monthly child support payments. Zaldana failed to make the payments required under the terms of his probation. At a hearing, he admitted to violating his probation. The court sentenced him to serve 180 days in jail. He was ordered to surrender on September 29 to begin his sentence, but he failed to do so and a $100,000 warrant was issued for his arrest.
The warrant was turned over to the Child Support Arrest Warrant Project, a joint effort of the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department and the District Attorney’s Office. On the morning of October 7, two Senior Investigators assigned to the Project set up surveillance outside a location believed to be Zaldana’s residence. After approximately one hour a woman arrived at the location. She identified herself to the investigators as Zaldana’s sister. She told investigators she hadn’t seen Zaldana for about six months. She gave her consent to search the residence, indicating that Zaldana was not there. When the investigators conducted a search of the home, they found Zaldana in the bathroom taking a shower. He was arrested without incident and booked at the downtown Inmate Reception Center of the County Jail.
Steven J. Golightly, Director of the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department, praised the work of the Child Support Arrest Warrant Project team. The arrest of this defendant demonstrates once again the professionalism and excellence of everyone associated with the Project, Golightly said. It was for successes just like this that the Project was honored by the Board of Supervisors in September with the prestigious LA County STARS award.
The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department maintains the Most Wanted Delinquent Parent List. It was developed as an initiative of Supervisor Don Knabe.