Calif. Man Charged With Threatening DA in Newspaper Ad

By: A newspaper advertising representative was charged with threatening District Attorney Rod Pacheco in a garage sale ad promising proceeds would go to a Pacheco "memorial fund."

Chandler William Cardwell, 32, of Perris was charged Wednesday with threatening a public official, making criminal threats, forgery and two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy said.

Cardwell, who works for the Press-Enterprise, was arrested at his home last week. The classified section garage sale ad mentioned a "Rod Pacheco Memorial Fund" and included Pacheco's cell phone number and address.

The ad was published a day after Pacheco announced in a full-page newspaper ad that he was cracking down on the East Side Riva street gang. Cardwell was allegedly a member of the gang.

Cardwell was arrested after authorities executed search warrants at The Press-Enterprise and discovered that his cell phone was used to order the
ad, investigators said.

Ronald R. Redfern, chief executive officer and publisher of The Press-Enterprise Co., said earlier that the company conducts reference checks on job applicants.

"We had no idea the employee was involved in a gang and we still don't know that he is or that he was," Redfern said. "We certainly did not have information to that effect when we hired him."