No Smoke Detectors – No Fire Sprinklers – No 24 Hour Security Patrol to Detect Fires Early – No Technology – No Security Cameras – Not Even a Webcam – there's More Security at a 7-Eleven – No Nothin' – No One Will Buy Your House Now Either – "Remember there's Another Hangar Too"!
Married ex-Tustin police officers charged with workers’ compensation fraud
Two married former Tustin police officers have been accused of workers’ compensation fraud after they allegedly took part in mountain biking, boating, international scuba diving trips and home repair projects despite claiming to be disabled.
Kendal Hurd, 40, and her husband Kyle Hurd, 38, have both been charged with multiple felony counts of insurance fraud, as well as perjury and attempted perjury, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Citing video surveillance — as well as the couple’s own photos and videos — prosecutors allege that they led an active lifestyle despite claiming to suffer from constant back pain they attributed to wearing police duty belts and gear and getting in and out of their patrol cars. At one point, prosecutors allege, Kyle Hurd sent a text to a friend that “bragged about receiving unnecessary medical treatment because he was a good actor.”
The couple collected more than $188,000 while on disability, according to the DA Office.
Prosecutors said the two told their workers’ compensation doctors that “their pain increased with activity and improved with rest.” But when months of medical care didn’t lead to any reported improvement, the city of Tustin initiated surveillance of the couple.
While under that surveillance, prosecutors said, the couple was spotted sliding down a water slide, lifting children, riding bikes, paddle boarding, going to Pilates classes and playing in the water at Lake Mission Viejo.
Kendal Hurd worked as an officer in Santa Barbara before joining the Tustin Police Department in 2015, prosecutors said, while Kyle Hurd worked as an officer in Montclair before transferring to Tustin in 2014. Both were reportedly terminated from the Tustin Police Department in July 2021.
“Workers’ compensation fraud results in honest, hardworking business and government entities losing more than $30 billion a year,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “This is such an egregious breach of the public’s trust by two people who were sworn to uphold our laws, not break them. We will not allow those who commit workers’ compensation fraud to go unpunished, and we will do everything we can to return the fraudulently paid money back to the taxpayers of Tustin.”
If convicted of the charges they currently face, Kendal Hurd faces up to 11 years in state prison, while Kyle Hurd faces up to nine years and six months behind bars.
Hangar fire: Tustin to get $1 million from Navy to start cleaning up neighborhoods
Officials also are answering lingering questions from residents about health risks, pet safety, testing and more.
The Tustin City Council approved an agreement with the U.S. Navy during an emergency meeting Friday, Nov. 10, that will give the city $1 million in federal funds to start cleaning up potentially toxic debris still covering homes, businesses and public spaces after the Navy’s vacant blimp hangar caught fire earlier this week.
The agreement doesn’t cover cleanup of the charred north hangar, which Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard reiterated is still the Navy’s responsibility. But he said the agreement will allow Tustin to “move as quickly as possible” to start helping residents, who are looking to the city for guidance on what to do with ash, chunks of blackened fiber and other materials scattered around their homes.
“We need to get it off of their property so they can move on with their lives,” Lumbard said during the meeting. He added, “To the extent that we can mobilize resources to remove that debris as quickly as possible, that’s gonna be a big relief for our neighborhoods.”
Residents have so far largely been following advice from county and air quality authorities, who’ve told them not to touch debris from the hangar fire since positive tests for asbestos, lead, arsenic and nickle. But even that advice has been confusing.
Instructions the county sent out Thursday first stated that residents should not “disturb” any ash or debris and instead call for help. But in the same advisory, they encouraged residents to wash debris off property.
Asked about that seeming contradiction, Third District Supervisor Don Wagner, chair of the county Board of Supervisors, said the right approach depends on the type of debris.
“If it’s just ash and the normal soot from a fire, it is my understanding that it is safe to hose off.” Hosing the material off is key, he said, since sweeping it up or using a leaf blower would kick some of the debris back up into the air.
As for larger pieces of debris found on properties, Wagner said the initial advice was to use gloves to pick that material up and place it in trash bags. But with results showing the presence of asbestos and other toxic materials, he said the recommendation now is to call the county’s newly established hotline at 714-628-7085 to request help in cleaning that material up.
The county and city of Tustin are partnering to hire consultants trained to safely handle such materials who will be available to remove debris from people’s private property, Wagner said. That work would begin “certainly over the weekend,” if not sooner, he said. Residents just need to call the county hotline to initiate the process.
The same crews will be working to clean up public spaces such as streets and parks, per Wagner. And he said they’ll be coordinating with homeowners associations and other groups to advise on cleaning those properties.
The area could see some rain early next week, per weather forecasts. Wagner said that should help settle what’s in the air and wash some remaining ash and soot away.
City, county and federal representatives expressed frustration Thursday that no one from the Navy, which owns the hangar and land around it, had been to Tustin since the fire broke out early Tuesday. As of Friday morning, Wagner said he’d been told a Navy team would be arriving “within the next several days.”
“The reality is the fire is still smoldering. That means nobody can get access to the site in any event until (the Orange County Fire Authority) has finished their work and knocked this thing down completely,” he said. And since Wagner said the expectation is for the Navy to really help only with direct site cleanup, he said he’s not particularly bothered that the Navy hasn’t put boots on the ground yet.
On Friday, Navy officials said they also were anxious to move forward with the cleanup and were happy that the contract with the city was approved.
The $1 million, which city officials will use to head up the cleanup project, will help with debris removal and emergency disposal of residual materials, site security, and mitigation of fugitive dust emissions, Navy officials said.
“Further, we will be engaged with the city to address the remainder demolition and debris removal,” said Navy spokesman Chris Dunne. “We are also coordinating with the U.S. EPA to regarding next steps.”
While local officials and residents have wondered where Navy personnel have been, Dunne said multiple people from the Navy’s Base Realignment and Closure Program have been busy this week talking with the city and attending meetings mostly via Zoom. They’ve also been responding to letters sent by Congress members.
“We are still very much in the reactive mode,” he said. “With the agreements signed, we will look to the city to see how to team up and have a Navy presence at the site.”
Dunne said two Navy experts, one is an environmental expert and the other is the base closure manager who is intimately familiar with the hangars, are going to be the ones onsite first.
Dunne said any perception that the Navy “doesn’t care” is inaccurate. “We do care deeply; that’s why we’re here,” he said.
“It will fall on BRAC and the city to agree on what will be done with it,” he said of the hangar property, adding that most certainly, as part of the cleanup, there will be soil remediation to make sure there is nothing dangerous in the ground that could later be beneath a children’s playground or an apartment building.
Here are answers to some other common questions still lingering around health concerns and safety testing in the wake of the fire.
Q: The Board of Supervisors, along with the city of Tustin, declared a state of emergency due to the fire late Thursday afternoon. Why, and what does that mean about the seriousness of the ongoing incident?
A: “That is not a sign to people that, oh my gosh, life and limb are at risk and Armageddon is upon us,” Wagner said. Instead, he said the declaration is largely about making sure the county can make quick moves and get access to the resources and funds it needs to respond to the situation.
When a local government declares an emergency, it lets them cut through some red tape in terms of the usual process to hire contractors such as hazardous materials experts to help deal with the aftermath of such a disaster. It can also give local governments access to additional funding to help pay for those efforts. And it can potentially make it easier for residents and businesses who suffer financial impacts from the disaster to seek compensation.
The county did request federal firefighting services to help the OCFA battle the blaze, Wagner said. But he said they were shot down, with no explanation for why those resources weren’t made available.
In terms of the urgency of the situation for residents now, Wagner said, “I think the operative word is caution.” He said to follow the county’s Emergency Operations Center tips and reach out for advice if needed. “But we’re not at this point any longer where we’re looking at any kind of imminent threat.”
Q: Should people seek medical attention if they had direct contact with ash or debris, particularly immediately after the fire ignited? Are there symptoms they should watch for related to impacts from exposure?
A: Residents should avoid touching any materials from the fire and wash their hands as soon as possible if they do have contact with any ash or debris, said registered nurse Sean Marchese, who’s an environmental toxin and oncology expert at The Mesothelioma Center with Asbestos.com. But Marchese said, “It is not necessary to seek immediate medical attention unless you have trouble breathing.” Documenting exposure to asbestos is important though, he said, and a medical professional can help in that regard.
“Exposure to asbestos does not cause immediate symptoms or health issues. It takes decades, often 20 to 60 years, for asbestos-related diseases to develop,” Marchese noted. “While a one-time, heavy exposure to asbestos can cause disease decades later, ongoing exposure over time has greater risk. Most people who develop asbestos-related diseases worked with asbestos for years.”
While Wagner hesitated to offer any medical advice, he said, “If there is someone who’s worried, I would absolutely say check with your own medical professional or call our hotline.”
Q: Is it OK to let pets outside now if you’re near the hangar? Are there symptoms to watch for in animals?
A: The Tustin Legacy Animal Hospital, which is close to the hangar site, forwarded an email they’d sent to their pet owners with this advice:
“We highly recommend staying indoors and keeping your pets indoors as much as possible. Run your air conditioners and air filters to help keep your home air circulated and clean. Please monitor your pets for any signs of respiratory difficulty, collapse, pale/blue gums/tongue, or other concerning signs, and notify us as soon as possible if you have concerns; or call VCA Orange County Veterinary Specialists at 949-654-8950 if it’s after-hours.”
Q: Are there any plans to help residents in the vicinity get air purifiers, masks or other protective gear?
A: That’s not something that’s been discussed, Wagner said. But he said as they bring the consultant on board, they’ll run through different scenarios that might help the public.
Q: Air quality testing showed asbestos at concentrations of up to 27%. What do those levels mean? Can you put that in context in terms of the risk?
A: The local air quality district has deferred all questions to the county.
Wagner said he didn’t have details on what the exact numbers mean. But he said air district officials did say the levels that came in Wednesday were “concerning,” which is why schools were canceled in Tustin on Thursday, residents were encouraged to wear masks and other protective steps were taken.
“Test results that show concentrations of asbestos up to 27% in ash and debris are serious,” Marchese said. “This percentage of asbestos means the ash and debris are dangerous to touch or disturb in any way. And it means the air quality in the area may have been affected.”
Q: What levels of lead, arsenic and nickel were detected?
A: Wagner said he hadn’t seen hard numbers on those levels. Those reports weren’t included in materials published by the county, and the air district didn’t respond to requests for more information.
Q: What are the results of testing on samples taken Nov. 9?
A: Those results weren’t in yet as of late Friday morning, Wagner said. He was told it could take 24 hours, so he hopes they’ll have more information soon. But Wagner said air district officials did relay that levels for metals and other hazards were “coming back to virtually normal” in latest samples.
Q: How far from the site has sampling been done? What’s the furthest distance contaminated material has been found to travel?
A: Wagner said he didn’t have any hard numbers in terms of telling people within, say, one mile that air quality was safe. He said he asked the air quality district to take samples from beyond the immediate vicinity of the hanger, but was told that wouldn’t be happening. He said that tells him they’re not concerned about more widespread pollution and that the hazards are “pretty well restricted to the environs around the hangar.”
Q: What is the planned schedule for continued testing? And when and how will results from those tests be made public?
A: The county is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor any long-term air and ground contaminants. There’s no firm timeline yet for when and how often that testing will take place or how results will be disseminated, Wagner said. But he said the tests will happen as often as experts recommend and that results will be made public.
More than 70 Orange County firefighters battled a stubborn fire at one of two iconic, 17-story-high hangars at the shuttered Tustin Air Base early Tuesday morning, Nov. 7, authorities said, a blaze that will lead to the hangar’s demolition.
The cause of the fire — and where it began — so far were unclear.
Fire crews were called to the north hangar in Tustin just before 12:55 a.m. and began attacking the blaze with a defensive strategy from outside the building, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen said.
No injuries were reported and firefighters did not believe anyone was inside the building when the fire broke out, he added.
“The biggest fear is collapse and getting our firefighters injured,” Nguyen said.
OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy said at a morning news conference the fire was expected to stretch across the length of the hangar, which will ultimately “need to be demolished”.
He said it could take a lengthy amount of time before the fire was out. When firefighters arrived, the blaze was intense.
“We expect the fire to continue … possibly until it gets to the other side of the hangar, and whether that be the end of the day, tomorrow — whether it stops at some point in between, we don’t know,” Fennessy said. “So at this point we’re standing back, keeping people and firefighters away and we’re watching.”
Flames tore through the roof of the massive structure. There appears to have been a partial roof collapse.
In fact, just before 6:30 a.m., firefighters said they planned to allow the hangar to collapse so that ground crews “can move in closer, and aggressively work to extinguish the fire.”
Firefighters at one point received assistance from helicopters, including a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of water.
“It’s not a regular tactic to use a helicopter for a structure fire — however, this is not a regular fire, either,” Nguyen said.
“It was felt that perhaps — with our agency helicopter and the large Chinook — it was possible for us to maybe slow it down and maybe get our ladder trucks in close enough to be able to slow it down,” Fennessy said. “That was not the case, so we cancelled them and returned them.”
Smoke rising from the hangar was going straight up.
Arson investigators were on the scene. Police do regular patrol checks of the hangars, Tustin Chief Stu Greenberg said. He asked anyone with information about the fire or any activity at the hangar in previous days to call police.
The fire is in one of two hangars that once housed blimps used in World War II and later provided cover for military helicopters.
The hangars were built in 1942 during World War II, Fennessy said, and are two of the largest wooden structures ever constructed. They were named historic civil engineering landmarks in 1993.
The hangars have been featured in television and films, including for ”JAG, ” ”The X Files,” ”Austin Powers,” ”Pearl Harbor ” and ”Star Trek.”
For some time, there were plans to raze the north hangar and use the space to construct homes and a regional park, but plans never materialized. In August 2021, the City Council voted to scrap the park and maintain the site.
Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard called it a sad day for the city and said the two hangars are more than just structures.
“It’s a personal thing to a lot of (the) Tustin community,” Lumbard said. “They mean so much to the city’s past, to the region’s military history.”
Before the fire, Lumbard said, a decision hadn’t been made on the ultimate faith for the north hangar. It was damaged by heavy winds in 2013 and had been supported by two cranes.
“It’s just been kind of sitting there, damaged,” Lumbard said. “There’s community sentiment that wants to save the hangars, (but it’s) very very cost prohibitive to repair those things and bring them up to commercial code.”
Lumbard said the city looks forward to collaborating on what ultimately will happen to the remaining hangar and the 85 acres surrounding it.
The city, he said, has recently invested in new fencing, adding no trespassing signs and cutting overgrown vegetation in the area.
Councilmember Letitia Clark said the U.S. Navy needed to do more.
“I think we did everything we could in our power to really ensure that the site was clean and safe,” Clark said. “I think the hindsight-20/20 part is really more on the Navy.”
Clark said the city has an operational agreement with the Navy, which owns both hangars.
“I hope that the Navy is now aware that there’s probably more that they could have done,” Clark said. “And, hopefully, there’s more they can do now in terms of helping us move forward with making sure the site is clean and that we can move forward to fully transitioning ownership of the (south) hangar from them to us.”
U.S. Navy officials could not be reached comment.
Tuesday morning, every few minutes, the dying structure emitted a loud, low rumble as the metal and wood inner lattice still holding up the curved roof started to give way, sending debris crashing down to the hangar floor in burning heaps.
By 9 a.m., fire crackled along the edges of the gaping hole now making up nearly half of the old hangar. Flames ripped through the interior, bursting through the hangar’s outer shell in spots.
The powerful fire created a billowing column of brownish, white smoke that helped ripped panels from the outside of the building, sending them twirling up in the air like confetti.
The loud snaps and pops of flames and the explosions periodically rumbling through the old structure served as the death throes of one of Orange County’s most iconic buildings.
Like giant soda cans tipped over in the sand, the twin, hulking hangars at the air base have sat here for longer than many locals have called Orange County home.
The air base was one of the first sights Curtis Schneider, 61, could remember when his family first drove through the area after moving here in the 1970s.
In a T-shirt, shorts, sandals and sunglasses, Schneider stood just behind the open driver’s side door of his car, holding his phone up to capture the destruction. When one loud blast roared from the burning building, he tensed up.
“Whoa!” he said, as others in the group of about 50 onlookers hooted and hollered. Still watching, Schneider took a quick drag from his vape pen.
He recalled standing on the floor of the hangar beneath its towering walls for different events over the years, when visitors were still allowed inside.
“We saw car shows in there, helicopter shows,” Schneider said. “We had some good times in that hangar.”
Tammy Murphy, 65, looked on in horror and wonder as decades of Southern California history burned to the ground in front of her. Murphy stood with her two grandchildren just behind a chain-link fence about a quarter of a mile from the hangar.
“Oh my god — so many emotions,” she said. “These were here when I was a kid growing up.”
She remembered seeing the Blue Angels perform here. Her father was in the military and would take her to shop at the base grocery store.
“It was bustling,” Murphy said, before the facility was closed for good in the 1990s.
Local officials tried for years to develop a plan for what to do with the hangars. It’s a history Schneider said he knew well. He answered his cellphone and spoke to the caller on speaker phone.
“That’s a historic building,” the caller said.
Schneider replied: “It was.”
Red embers could be seen along the remaining roof edge, with and smoke billowing up.
Lori Spiak, a lifelong Tustin resident, gasped at the sight.
Spiak said she hopes the south hangar is maintained — she and her friends have talked about how it could be turned into a concert venue or a soundstage.
Adora Cole said the hangar has been a fixture in her life since she was a child; she remembers Marines going by in with their pickups trucks when it was an active base.
“My heart is just broken,” Cole said. “It’s so close to home. It’s very, very upsetting.”
“The “Greed” and “Crocodile Tears” at Corrupt City Hall and from Corrupt Developers was “Unstoppable” and now People and Kids are “Exposed” to the Toxic Horrors – This could be Tustin’s Toxic 9/11 – there could be a mass human exodus from that land – abandoned homes – schools – businesses – never ending lawsuits and Toxic cleanup – remember there’s another Hangar too!”
Hangar Fire - "Without Litigation" - City of Tustin Already On the Hook for $90 Million in Clean-Up Costs - "Not Including the Actual Hangar Property" - and Heading for a Billion Dollars - Developers Likely Not Off the Hook Either - Property Value Assessments Undergoing Official Review - Ask Yourself - Would You Buy or Rent at the Tustin Legacy - Remember there's "Another" Hangar Too Addicted? 1-800-662-HELP URGENT REMINDER - if You're on Southern California Edison's - "Time to Fuck You" - "Electricity Rate Plan" - "Opt Out Now" - Call Today or Visit the Website - 1-800-810-2369
