Lemon Grove City Councilwoman Liana LeBaron was arrested on April 18 and charged with a misdemeanor domestic violence. On April 18, she was served with an emergency protection order. The complaint came from her husband Timothy C. Howell, an El Cajon police officer. On April 19, LeBaron received a restraining order according to the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego website. A hearing on the restraining order is set for May 10.
NBC 7 reported that in an email from LeBaron, she stated that she and her husband are going through a divorce.
“Because he is a police officer, he understands the legal system better than I do,” she told NBC 7. “He called law enforcement during a recent argument and claimed that I threw a portion of his uniform that hit his shin. His claim is false, and he admitted that he has no sign of injury to his body. He got the legal system involved before I did so that he could make himself out to be the victim rather than the aggressor and not lose his ability to carry a gun or his job. I look forward to telling my side of the story in court and to having my name cleared.”
Lemon Grove City Manager Lydia Romero stated in an email that the City was aware of the recent arrest for alleged domestic abuse.
“The City has no comment regarding the specific allegations at issue at this time but recognizes the severity and seriousness of domestic violence in general. If you are a victim and need help, please reach out to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).”
In an email, San Diego District Attorney’s Office Public Affairs Officer Tanya Sierra said LeBaron posted $10,000 bail and was released from custody.
“She has been given an arraignment date of June 6 at 8:00 a.m. in East County. The case is under review by the District Attorney’s Office for potential criminal charges,” wrote Sierra.
The incident comes after the Lemon Grove City Council tried to pass a resolution on March 8, stating that LeBaron has continuously engaged in “disruptive, obstructive, and inappropriate behavior at City Council
Meetings, including shouting over her colleagues when not recognized by the mayor, interrupting the mayor and her fellow council members without being recognized, shouting about non-agendized matters during City Council Meetings and during meeting recesses, and failing to heed the direction of the mayor in her attempts to control the order of the meeting causing undue delay and unnecessary distraction from City business, and making baseless accusations of fraud, embezzlement, and abuse aimed at her colleagues and city staff.”
The resolution to censure LeBaron failed.
LeBaron also filed a complaint against the city manager and city attorney for creating a hostile environment for her, accusing both of professional misconduct in November 2021.
To date, the City has not responded to records requests for updated information on this complaint
