About Town Redondo: Sea Lion rehabilitated, 27-year sentence, new city finance director

 

Sea lion found in King Harbor Yacht Club kitchen released 

A malnourished sea lion found in the King Harbor Yacht Club kitchen in January has been returned to the ocean after two months of rehabilitation at San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center.

The animal, named “King” for where it was found, was transported to and freed from a crate on the beach in San Pedro March 31.

Yacht Club members found the sea lion the night of Jan. 26 after it had crawled up a dock, up a ramp and around the clubhouse’s back patio, and into the kitchen. The animal was estimated to be six to seven months old. Yacht Club members called police, who then called the Marine Mammal Care Center and Veterinarian Lauren Palmer.

The Center used tube-feeding and hydration to help the sea lion back to health. Arriving at 31 pounds, it left at 95 pounds. 

 

 

Former Redondo Beach man sentenced to 27 years for exploiting minors

A former Redondo Beach resident was sentenced to 27 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of sexually explicit visual depiction.

Matthew Locher, 32, had targeted multiple underage girls online, sending thousands of messages to young girls, asserted federal prosecutors. Locher invited a 12-year-old Ohio girl to run away from home to California and engage in sex acts with him, first creating a plan for her that she would kill her parents. The minor set her parents’ house on fire, but did not kill them. He was arrested in Indiana in January 2022. He had moved there after a search warrant at his Redondo Beach residence the previous summer. Locher’s sentence also carries lifetime supervised release once he is out of prison.

 

 

New City financial services director

The city of Redondo Beach has appointed a new Financial Services Director. 

Wendy Collazo was chosen by City Manager Mike Witzansky “following an extensive search and recruitment process,” he said.

Collazo spent eight years in the United States Marines, then 18 years in financial management in private, public and non-profit sectors. 

She was most recently the finance director for the City of St. Cloud, Fla. She succeeds Jennifer Paul.

Callazo grew up in Glendora. She met her husband, Ted, while serving in the Marine Corps. They have been married for 23 years, have three grown children, and recently moved to Redondo Beach. ER