The Press Enterprise Goes After "Who Done It?"
Ever since the arrest warrants were issued for Daniel Navarro of Pomona, and Luis Sanchez of Chino on multiple charges of animal cruelty at the Chino slaughterhouse, we've said these individuals were perhaps guilty, but probably not the ultimate decision-makers.
Navarro and Sanchez are the guys seen in the Humane Society video that led to closure of the Hallmark/Westland slaughterhouse and shortly thereafter to the largest beef recall in U.S. history.
They are the guys fired by the Hallmark/Westland owners, and charged by the county prosecuting attorney under California law. Is anybody looking any higher up the food chain?
Yes, the Riverside-based Press Enterprise is on the case. Reporters Ben Goad and Janet Zimmerman today wrote this:
Irene Zamora, who said she worked as a Hallmark quality assurance inspector in 2004, blamed the problems on a manager at the plant. She spoke to a reporter Tuesday at her home in Riverside and was not part of the congressional hearing.
Zamora said the two men charged with animal abuse in the case, pen manager Daniel Ugarte Navarro, 48, and his assistant, Jose Luis Sanchez, 32, were acting on the other manager's orders.
According to Zamora, she was fired after six months because she was zealous about cleaning up the plant, making sure workers had new boots and gloves and were following procedures for cleanliness and safety.
Zamora, 41, said she went to Stan Mendell, the operations manager and brother of owner Steve Mendell, and complained about the manager, but Stan Mendell told her there was nothing he could do.
The plant's owners and top executives only visited the area called the kill floor once or twice a week, she said.
"I feel bad for Stan and the bosses. There's a lot of things Irene Zamora, who said she worked as a Hallmark quality assurance inspector in 2004, blamed the problems on a manager at the plant. She spoke to a reporter Tuesday at her home in Riverside and was not part of the congressional hearing.
Zamora said the two men charged with animal abuse in the case, pen manager Daniel Ugarte Navarro, 48, and his assistant, Jose Luis Sanchez, 32, were acting on the other manager's orders.
According to Zamora, she was fired after six months because she was zealous about cleaning up the plant, making sure workers had new boots and gloves and were following procedures for cleanliness and safety.
Zamora, 41, said she went to Stan Mendell, the operations manager and brother of owner Steve Mendell, and complained about the manager, but Stan Mendell told her there was nothing he could do.
The plant's owners and top executives only visited the area called the kill floor once or twice a week, she said.
"I feel bad for Stan and the bosses. There's a lot of things that man (the manager) did without anybody knowing. If you did not do what he said, you were out the door," said Zamora, who went to work for the city of Riverside's recreation program and also stocked shelves at a Food 4 Less after leaving Hallmark.
The Press-Enterprise is not naming the manager because he has not been formally accused of criminal wrongdoing or charged with any crimes.
that man (the manager) did without anybody knowing. If you did not do what he said, you were out the door," said Zamora, who went to work for the city of Riverside's recreation program and also stocked shelves at a Food 4 Less after leaving Hallmark.
The Press-Enterprise is not naming the manager because he has not been formally accused of criminal wrongdoing or charged with any crimes.
If true, the Westland/Hallmark empire was destroyed by not by the owners, but someone they hired to run their operations. And, they did not listen to warnings about it. This isn't all The Press Enterprise has to say. Check it out here.
"Canada confirmed a new case of mad cow disease on Tuesday, marking the country's 12th such case since the disease was first discovered there in 2003.
The animal-protection group's surreptitiously filmed video shows workers abusing non-ambulatory animals in an effort to get them onto their feet for slaughter. Cows too weak to stand were kicked, smacked in the eye with a paddle and shocked repeatedly. Some were taken to slaughter by forklift. 
A federal judge in South Dakota soon will making a ruling that could again close the United States to the import of all cattle from Canada. American cattlemen, who say they just want to keep bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) out of the USA , are trying to shutdown the program that allows cattle older than 30 months to come south of the border.
The Food Safety & Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture announced on Sunday afternoon that 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef products from Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company of Chino, CA were being "voluntarily recalled."
Meet Michael A. Ramos, San Bernardino County District Attorney. He has just filed criminal charges in the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company's mistreatment of downer cows.
other guy fired immediately by Westland/Hallmark after the Humane Society went public with its video tape.
Jaunary 28, 2008 from the human form of mad cow's disease. He died just ten weeks after he was told he had the rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and eight months before he was due to marry later this year.
"For the new Agriculture Secretary, Ed Schafer, the Hallmark/Westland Meat Company recall has been the perfect storm...
Schools across America were left pulling beef from their lunch menus after Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing was caught mistreating "downer" cows. In doing their reports on the local school districts, most television stations showed some images from the Humane Society video that was taken by an undercover operative.