Predator Or Prankster? Riverside County Man Uses Social Media to Harass Women

Caution - NSFW Language - You Have Been Warned

Normally when I see "Facebook Beware" warnings I turn a blind eye but this one caught my attention so I looked into it. According to a few separate sources there is a man trolling social media message boards asking women to go with him on a retreat, or meet him alone, under a few various pretenses. In one post he pretends to be a Walmart manager in Perris, CA. wanting to hire two women for a sales associate position and asking them to meet him alone at a location of his choosing, where he will "give u a test to see if your qualified"

In another post he brazenly claims to be the Priest of St. James Catholic Church, and he is looking for women to go on a weekend retreat with him. In the post he asks women for their address so he can pick them up at their home, telling them that he will instruct them on what to wear to the retreat. In one message conversation with a women he instructs her that she may not wear any clothing other than lingerie and tells her that she must spend one hour with him in one on one counseling. She of course tells him where to stick it with some very colorful language.

According to some, these posts have appeared before, but they stopped for a period of time. In most of the posts he calls himself Martin Chalino Alvarez, and has an instagram handle of @monsterguy2011. When I searched Instagram for the account I found that it had been removed or never existed, and I could not verify his identity in any other way.

So far I haven't found any reports of any victims, and his posts are so full of obvious red flags that I find it difficult to believe any woman would fall for them. My best guess is that this is one of two things. Either this guy is a disturbed predator trying to lure young women for some unknown purpose and he is just really bad at it, or he is an internet troll with a severely warped sense of humor that enjoys getting a reaction out of people. I have attached some screen shots of his posts and conversations. You be the judge.

His relationship to Mayra's Tacos is unknown but probably bad for business.

Caution - NSFW Language - You Have Been Warned

Thanks to my friends in the What's Up Riverside County? Facebook Group for helping gather some of this information.

***Update 9am 10-15-15: As of now at least three victims have come forward with similar stories of harassment. One victim reported that when she spurned this predators advances she received threatening messages and pictures for 2 months. Pictures taken of her and her child, pictures of guns, and she was forced to eventually change her number. Police reports have been filed.

***Update 11am: The suspect in this case is apparently an employee of TE Connectivity in Hemet. TE Connectivity could not be reached for comment.

Kitchens Are For Girls: Raising A Boy In The New Millennium

My youngest boy is now three and a half years old. About a year and a half ago he started to figure out that a lot of his older sisters toys were pink, whereas most of the toys he and his brother had were blue.

When he started refusing to play with "girl toys" that presented us with a little conundrum because a few of the toys that he played with were some of his sisters hand-me-downs. There was a pink Barbie flip phone, a red VW Bug with a flower on the side and several pink and pastel kitchen items. 

We had a decision to make on how to handle it. Do we force him to play? Try and reason with a toddler? Been there done that, no thank you. Do we want to reinforce gender stereotypes and raise him to think that way? How will that thought process serve him in the world today? Not a very appealing option either. So we did the only thing we could do: nothing. 

We didn't dignify the problem with a response. We told him, "Oh you don't want to play with that toy? Should we take it away?" For most parents they already know the answer. It should come as no surprise that he said "No!" 

Eventually, by reacting that way we taught him that the color of the toy didn't matter. It was his decision to play with it or not. He got over it. Now our little chef loves to play in the kitchen and then go drive his trucks. 

Sport Chalet in Menifee: Business As Usual - For Now

A few days ago an announcement from the City of Menifee caused quite the commotion on Facebook, much to the surprise of Sport Chalet employees. The store was flooded with calls from patrons asking about the store's reported closure. Even the district managers were taken by surprise. There was a meeting at the store this morning to clarify the situation for employees.

Apparently in 2009 Sport Chalet corporate renegotionated a less expensive lease with Countryside Marketplace, but there was a clause that if another tenant approached with an offer to pay more, then the lease would be terminated. As it would seem Home Goods / Forever 21 have made the offer and it has been accepted by property management, although to date Sport Chalet has not received any legal termination notice. Store management is operating on a tentative closure date of January 31, 2016 until more information becomes available. Until then, it will be business as usual. There may be some items discounted when that date comes closer, but until then the store is not hanging out the "Everything Must Go" signs just yet.

According to Sport Chalet management the Menifee store is among the top producing stores in the company, and they may open another store in Menifee in the future, although right now it is too early in the process to tell. They want to remind their loyal customers that the company will still honor purchases and agreements made and that they have a store in Temecula for their convenience. For their scuba customers the closest store with a pool will be Redlands or Mira Loma and they will continue to offer classes there.

October is Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month

Most people are well aware of the traditional association between breast cancer awareness and October. There are plenty of ways to support it out there. What most people are not aware of is that there are other causes that ask for support as well. One of those causes is Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month.

I've always been a proponent of the "adopt, don't shop" philosophy. There are so many good dogs in shelters that need homes. The first dog we ever had as a family was adopted. We got her when my daughter who is now 14 years old was only about 15 months old. There was an adoption event in June of 2002 near where we were living at the time and we took our kids to see what the shelters and rescues had to offer. Nala, a golden retriever mix, had been rescued by a Labrador and Retriever rescue. When they found her, she was so matted they had to shave her from her collar to the tip of the tail, although they left a little tuft at the end like a lion.

It was love at first sight. She was very submissive to my kids, they said she was potty trained and even knew some basic commands. We filled out the paperwork and took her home right away. We stopped at a booth that was engraving dog tags (which turned out to be a smart move, aparently she was a jumper) and took her home. When my daughter woke up from her nap I brought her downstairs. Before she even saw her, my daughter heard the jingle of her tags on her collar and her face lit up. "Dog? Dog? Dog?", she said. That's when I knew without any doubt that we made the right decision.

Nala was a member of our family for the next decade. In her later years she went to live with my mother-in-law who needed the companionship of a low energy dog. She passed away a few years ago but she filled many needs in our family. She was a stress reliever, she was a playmate, she cleaned underneath the high chair very well, she was a companion to my family. She was a foster mom to a puppy we adopted from my old boss, whose lifestyle would not allow for a puppy (a story for another time). She was family and she made our lives better. 

I thought for a while about how I can help the cause and bring awareness. It is in loving memory of Nala and all shelter dogs like her that I am pleased to annouce a limited edition T-Shirt and Hoodie through teespring. The shirt reads "Dogs represent everything that is good in Man" which I believe is a fitting sentiment. In addition to sentiment and awareness, 20% of all purchases will go to help a local dogs in need.

A New Feature: Custom Swag for a Good Cause

A disturbing trend on Facebook the past few months has been public bashing of Law Enforcement Officers. I have a number of friends that put on the uniform to serve and protect. Some of my friends even do it voluntarily. I had the opportunity to sit down with a few of them recently and discuss this situation, and how I could use my sphere of influence to help. This led to the idea of Stand With LEO. With this swag the user can show support for their local law enforcement, and 20% of all purchases will be donated to a local battered women's shelter.

I realize by chosing to publicly Stand With LEO I risk losing a few readers, but that is a risk I am willing to take. To find out how you can help and get some cool swag just go to www.manaboutmenifee.com or visit our Facebook page on your computer and click the "Products" tab.

Do you have a charity that would like to see featured with custom Man About Menifee swag? Let us know in the comments below.

Athletic Spotlight: Menifee Little Kickers Launches Second Season

Last spring I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Serena Gordon, a Menifee Resident, and learning about her community group Menifee Little Kickers, a group of families with kids from age 2-4 who meet every Wednesday at Sunrise Park in Heritage Lake and practice soccer skills.

My 3 year old Joshuah started a little late in the season but he learned very quickly. It was wonderful to watch him learn and adapt. He is still at that age where he is working out how to respond to other kids his own age. 

I also enjoyed seeing how he responded to taking direction from an adult he was unfamiliar with. I was happy and a little sad to see how well adjusted he was and how he needed very little guidance from me. At the end of the season in June we had a big pizza party for the families. Joshuah was sad to see it end but we promised him it would start up after summer was over. 

You can imagine his reaction when I told him it was coming back this Wednesday. His whole face lit up and he did a little cheer. 

Come see what it's all about this Wednesday at 6:30 PM at Sunrise Park, on the corner of Heritage Lake Dr. and Lindenberger Rd. No special gear required. Just your kid, weather appropriate clothing for running around in the grass, close-toed shoes and a soccer ball (make sure your name is on it). See you there!

Click here for the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/menifeelittlekickers

Making A Difference: This Girl's Going Places

Since time immemorial kids have always needed money. Sometimes there is a need for the latest toy or fashion, other times there are nobler reasons. Regardless of the reason, the resounding cry from parents everywhere has been, "Money doesn't grow on trees. What are you going to do to earn it?" 

When Melissa Crandall's daughter Chantel, now 12, wanted to participate in the Jr. Charger Cheerleading program several years ago, that was her response as well. For a minimum of $175 entry fee, which goes as a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Chargers Community Foundation, girls can participate in a Chargers half-time event with the Charger Girls. Melissa went with a tried and true method that has existed for generations in America. She sold baked goods and refreshments from her parents' driveway.

Not satisfied with donating a minimum amount, Chantel wanted to go above and beyond. Last year she very proudly topped an all time high of over $300, almost double the inital entry donation. This year she hopes to do over $1,000 and she is well on her way. Her first sale today yielded almost half that amount. She plans to do at least one more bake sale in the next month or two.

Her parents have every reason to be proud. This young lady is setting goals, accomplishing them, and all for a good cause. For anyone who wishes to reach out and contribute, Melissa's email is mcccrandall@aol.com