OCTOTILLO WELLS STATE PARK (CBS13) — It’s a long and often dirty drive. Two hours east of San Diego, near the Salton Sea is the Ocotillo Wells State Park.

The 85,000 acres of dusty landscape is a favorite destination for off-roaders.

Joe Hopkins is an environmental scientist there. He’s raised red flags with the state parks department about the growing devastation of desert habitat.

“I’m sickened by the kind of destruction that you’re seeing here,” he said. “You’re paying for that.”

Signs prohibit open riding, but Joe says, “It should have been designated trails the whole time. There was just no enforcement.”

He says no one listened. Even worse, he says supervisors retaliated against him for trying to enforce state law, threatening “corrective action” against him.

“This park is a disgrace in the state park system,” he said.

In August 2011, he blew the whistle on the parks situation with the California Department of Justice. He sent emails and documents — evidence he says of gross mismanagement by parks officials.

“There were numerous things to be investigated at all different levels, and no investigation was forthcoming on any of those,” Joe said.

The allegations included ignoring laws designed to preserve and protect California’s natural resources, such as historical Native American sites.

“I gave them enough information to get them started, but if they were going to follow up, they were going to have to talk to me, or people that I knew, and none of us were ever contacted.” Joe said.

Then scandals hit the parks department.

Secret vacation buyouts.

Falsified payroll codes.

$54 million in hidden money.

Convicted felons in positions of leadership.

Multiple sexual-harassment allegations.

Wendy Musell is a lawyer representing several clients who are suing the parks department.

“They did nothing until it became front page news that $54 million was hidden,” Musell said.

Musell says top officials at the parks department were notified that tens of millions of dollars were hidden months before the $54 million slush fund was revealed in newspaper headlines.

“When they hear there is unlawful conduct of this level, they are required to take action,” Musell said. “That action did not occur.”

In the wake of the scandals, the DOJ and parks department both set up email addresses for whistleblowers.

Joe used them immediately, sending dozens of emails and documents trying to stand up for California’s state parks.

“No response whatsoever,” Joe said, “other than an automatic response from state parks.”

The DOJ tells us they’ve received 190 emails, but wouldn’t say how many responses they’ve sent.

Our requests for copies of those emails were denied, with the DOJ claiming they were all part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

We were denied on-air camera interviews with both agencies. Both responded by email.

Parks would only respond by email, saying it “typically did not respond to the emails directly but referred matters to Department officials for further review and potential action.”

The DOJ said “The Department of Justice carefully reviewed all emails sent to its parks investigation email address… our office has an ongoing criminal investigation and therefore cannot provide any additional comment.”

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed a new state parks director last November — a move designed to restore the confidence and trust of Californians in the parks department.

We were not allowed to talk to him to get answers.

Meanwhile, Joe and other whistleblowers have mounting questions.

“How are you restoring trust? How are you bringing faith back in the parks? How are you fixing the system? You’re not.”

In recent days, two groups have filed a lawsuit. They say parks officials are not protecting more than 1,200 archaeological sites at Ocotillo Wells from off-roaders.

ROUGH AND READY (CBS13) — A man whose wife bit him on the genitals after an argument after a rodeo says his only regret is calling 911 on her.

Anthony Hill is still healing and says he’s standing by his wife, Christina Salinas.

Hill said Sunday was supposed the be a fun night out at the Penn Valley Rodeo. He says the argument followed a series of stressful events in their lives, including the fact Salinas’ ex-husband now lives with them.

Hill wanted to leave early, she wanted to stay. When they got home, the argument continued. Salinas’ ex-husband tried to separate the two, and when both men went to hold her down, that’s when she allegedly bit his penis.

But he says he’s already made up with her, saying it’s just what they normally do — except they don’t call 911.

“I’ve assaulted her before in arguments,” Hill said. “We work it out and I went beyond that.”

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — By all respects, Blaze the cat should not be alive.

When Sacramento County Animal Services officer Dawn Fisher found Blaze after he escaped a mobile home fire, she scooped him up and brought him to the shelter.

“I thought for sure he wasn’t going to make it,” she said. “[He was] charred all over and just laying there trembling in pain.”

And if that wasn’t tough enough, Blaze also lost his owner.

“The owner surrendered it because they had no money to tackle any medical issues,” said animal services director David Dickinson. “They had just lost everything they had.”

At times, the staff debated whether the humane thing to do would be to put Blaze down. But he kept clawing his way back to health, and into the staff’s hearts.

“After surgery, where an animal would try to rip off his cone or destroy his own feet because of the bandages, he would just wake up and he would just start eating, and he would start purring,” said Diane Fabretti with animal control.

Blaze still has wounds and scratches, but he’s looking a lot better than he did five weeks ago.

“He’s a pretty cool cat,” Fisher said. “Very sweet, very loving.”

And with some love and attention, people here predict he will just blaze through the final steps of recovery and purr his way into a new home in no time.

“He must have nine lives and he did something right,” Fabretti said.

Blaze will probably be up for adoption about a month from now.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Preparations were under way Wednesday night for the Long Live the Kings Rally in downtown Sacramento, taking place Thursday.

Workers set up the main stage and sound system for the free event at Cesar Chavez Park, across from City Hall. The event features new team owners Sacramento Kings players, and other entertainers. The planned celebration will introduce the new owners to Sacramento fans, and spotlight the success of the efforts to keep the Kings from moving to Seattle.

Police are ordering several road closures around the rally site.

Ninth Street between I Street and J Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Parking will be restricted on 10th Street, I Street and J Street

Sacramento Police Officer Michele Gigante explained the planning.

“We take into considerations on a safety plan and a traffic plan and we do have extra officers in that area, just like we would if there was any other type of event that was going on,” Gigante said.

SOUTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A standoff ended peacefully in south Sacramento with the suspect’s arrest Wednesday afternoon and the seizure of weapons from the home.

The standoff started at 2 p.m. in the 100 block of Tristan Circle.

Witnesses reported seeing an armed woman walking on her roof while students walked home across the street.

The suspect was identified by police as 34-year-old Stacy Curnow. Officers arriving at the home heard gunshots. The shots didn’t cause any damage.

The standoff lasted more than four hours before Curnow surrendered.

Neighbors say Curnow is married has a young girl. Police say they were alerted to the situation by the woman’s husband.

Sacramento Police spokesperson Don Davis said, “We received a phone call from her husband who was on the phone with her and said she was distraught and armed with a handgun.”

Lee Alexander, who lives on the same block, described the family. “Just a nice married couple living across the street,” Alexander said.

Other neighbors expressed concern about the Curnow having access to a gun. “Kids could be riding their bike and if she starts shooting, the kids could get shot,” said parent Juanita Pasols.

Police said Curnow has a history of mental problems. She was booked into the Sacramento County Jail.

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — A group of high-school seniors booked a party bus for their prom but days before their big night, the limo company told them not everyone would fit in the bus.

When they couldn’t get their deposit back, they called Kurtis.

They say Starlite Limousine had them sign a contract but later changed the terms.

And we’ve learned, the person they say took their money, has a troubled past and is currently wanted!

Woodcreek High School Seniors, Judith Nwandu, Lexus McCoy and a friend tested out a party bus with Starlite Limousine for their senior ball.

“We looked at the 35 seater bus, and we decided it was a good fit for us,” said Judith.

They paid Starlite Limousine a $250 cash deposit in March. 17-year old Judith says she signed the contract.

“It asked how many people were going to be on this bus? And we said 35, we clearly wrote 35,” said Lexus.

They say they didn’t get a receipt. Instead they got a surprise, just days before their senior ball when they say Starlite Limousine told them, their bus was only a 30 seater, not 35.

Lexus’ mom called asking for a copy of the original contract.

And got this version, showing a “30 passenger” bus without Judith’s signature.

“That showed quite clear, this is not a company that’s acting right. They’re hiding something,” said Cindy Perez, Lexus’ mother.

We looked into Starlite Limousine and found out the manager, Jarett Chamizo, has a criminal past.

A DUI conviction in 2008.

His driver’s license has been suspended/revoked since 2010.

And just last November, while driving passengers in a limo bus in Napa County, he was cited for driving with a suspended license and failing to stop at a rail crossing.

He was then booked into jail on an outstanding warrant.

And we’ve learned right now, there’s another warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear in court for this Napa incident.

Cindy says Jarett refused to refund the girls’ $250 deposit and hung up on her.

“How dare you take this kind of money away from children? It’s very, very angering,” said Cindy.

But because Judith is 17 and only a minor, attorney Deborah Barron with Barrow Law Corporation says the limo company can’t enforce that contract.

“So that means, any deposit they’re holding is not their money, they have absolutely no right to keep it,” said Barron.

When our producer stopped by the company’s Sacramento location, no one was there.

Calling the company, a man who identified himself as “J” refused to answer her questions and told us to “go ahead and report what you want.”

Adding, “talk to my lawyer”… but he refused to provide the name.

Instead, telling her, “figure it out miss producer, have a nice day.”

The girls went with another limo company and the party went on as planned.

They plan to take Starlite Limousine to small claims court.

“It can only be a lesson learned,” said Judith.

“We’re showing other people what this company is doing, even if we don’t get the $250 back, we’re showing other people what this company is made of,” said Lexus.

Starlite Limousine also goes by Starlite Limo LLC and they have several addresses in Sacramento and Roseville.
They also have an “F” rating with the BBB.