Woman fatally hit by police truck on South Carolina beach; Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle of interest and found the missing woman inside. She had significant injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Inside the vehicle was 52-year-old Javier Ramirez, a resident of Jurupa Valley. Police determined that Ramirez and the woman were in a romantic relationship.
Ramirez was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, domestic violence, false imprisonment, battery with serious bodily injury, dissuading a victim, and violating a court order. Investigations revealed that Ramirez allegedly assaulted and imprisoned the woman for two days prior to his arrest. He was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
In a separate incident in February, Sloan Mattingly of Indiana tragically died after becoming buried underneath her 9-year-old brother, Maddox, when a sand hole they were digging collapsed on them. Sloan was pronounced dead after being pulled from the sand without a pulse, while her brother survived.
Following this tragedy, town officials revived a debate about whether to allocate funds for lifeguards, which they currently do not employ. At a February meeting, residents offered differing opinions on the matter. Some suggested that adding signs at the beach would be sufficient, while others felt lifeguards were necessary.
An agenda for the town’s regular commission meeting earlier this week outlined three potential plans for lifeguards or beach patrol services. One option with the Sheriff’s Office would cost over $765,000 annually. Another option for lifeguards and ocean rescue would exceed $1 million annually. A third option, beach patrol by code officer beach ambassadors, would cost no more than $260,000 annually but would not provide medical assistance or water rescue services to beachgoers, according to the agenda.
