Seven years to the day he became Parlier’s police chief, Jose Garza took the stand to make the city pay for firing him on Wednesday.

Garza served as chief from Sept. 4, 2017, until April 5, 2021. He alleges that he lost his job as retaliation for investigating embezzlement against an administrative police employee.

Testimony in the case started Wednesday in the Fresno County Superior Court room of Judge Jonathan Skiles. As the first witness, Garza talked about his successes as chief. He doubled the force, purchased new vehicles, and reduced crime by 41% in 2019.

But things changed in 2020. He claims that Mayor Alma Beltran and then-City Manager Sonia Hall interfered with his work.

Garza hired a third party to investigate allegations that police records supervisor Rosalia Solis stole $20,000. Hall then told the investigator to end his inquiry, Garza testified.

“I was upset,” said Garza, answering questions in court from his attorney, Alan Romero. “They’re trying to sweep under the rug the embezzlement of, you know, of an employee. And there’s no way I was going to do that.”

Garza said legally and ethically, he had no choice but to ignore the city manager’s order and move forward. In court filings, he said he knew that decision would cost him his job.

Romero has not specified the damages he is seeking. However, in several Parlier City Council meetings in recent months, Beltran mentioned a $4 million figure.

Garza spent most of his 44 years in law enforcement with the city of Fresno. He rose to the level of area commander before mandatory retirement in 2017. He is now Coalinga police chief, a position he’s held since 2022.

Related Story: After Long Drawn-Out Drama, Parlier Fires City Attorney Costanzo

Retaliation Over Embezzlement Investigation

Garza also testified that Hall and Beltran began to interfere with the scheduling of his employees.

City law said the city manager was his supervisor, Garza testified. But because of having to deal with Beltran, he never really knew who was his true boss.

Then came the embezzlement investigation, which started in September 2020. Garza testified he hired a third-party firm, Clovis-based Leist & Associates, to maintain transparency and credibility.

Court documents indicate that Beltran and Hall obstructed justice to prevent and “kill” the investigation, and retaliated against Garza for performing his job. The lawsuit states that Solis — the police records supervisor suspected of stealing $20,000 — and Beltran were good friends.

The lawsuit claims Hall instructed Dennis Montejano — a former Fresno Police Department commander of the internal affairs unit— to cease all work, and focus on another city employee as the culprit instead of Solis.  The lawsuit further alleges the city fired Juan Torres because of the missing money.

Despite Hall’s actions, Garza said he told the investigator to continue, understanding such action “may have jeopardized my employment.”

The Fresno County District Attorney’s office declined to file charges against Solis, citing insufficient evidence.

Skiles, the judge, later told the attorneys not to focus too much on the case of the missing money.

Garza, in court documents, claimed Hall and then-city attorney Neal Costanzo pressured him to resign. Instead, the city council voted to terminate him.

The lawsuit also accused Mayor Beltran of attempting to interfere with his becoming Coalinga police chief. Garza accused Beltran of threatening Coalinga with terminating a police dispatch contract if the city hired Garza.

The city council fired Hall as city manager earlier this year.

Costanzo is defending the city in lawsuit despite being fired as city attorney earlier this year. He made an argument to the judge — to no avail — that he should be allowed to argue that Garza failed to exhaust all administrative remedies to keep his job.

Related Story: Is This Any Way to Run a City? Parlier Council Squabbles Lead to Police Report, ...

Motion to Delay Trial Denied

In a pre-trial motion, Garza’s attorney asked Skiles to delay the trial until February. Romero, his attorney, said that Garza is undergoing daily radiation treatments from his oncologist.

“It is in the best interest of my patient to resume trial after treatments are completed and is fully recovered after November 1, 2024,” a note from Garza’s doctor William Silveira said.

Romero asked for a continuance also, based on his unspecified medical issues, that left him bedridden for several days, a court filing said. The attorney said he also had a conflicting court case later this month.

Skiles denied the motion, without explanation, according to the court record.

The case continued Thursday morning, with more Garza testimony. Other city councilmembers and Beltran are expected to testify during the trial. Romero said it likely would conclude by the end of next week.