WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County Supervisor candidate Jimmy Dutra told a group of reporters and roughly two-dozen supporters that allegations of sexual abuse made against him last week are “completely false and untrue,” and stem from a dispute with his late father’s ex-wife over his estate.
Dutra held the brief press conference in front of Watsonville Main Library to address the allegations on Thursday.
As the group waited, Dutra stepped out of a white Toyota pickup that pulled up, to the cheers of several supporters, who were wearing his campaign buttons. He declined to answer questions after reading his prepared statement—referring further inquiries to his attorney—before getting back in the truck and leaving.
The accusations came to light on Oct. 5, when Stephen Siefke, 29, filed a lawsuit in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, claiming that he was 12 when Dutra fondled him during a family visit to Dutra’s Los Angeles residence.
In addition to denying the claims, Dutra questions the timing, coming on the cusp of early voting.
“I find this timing not only troubling, but really telling of the bigger picture of what is going on,” he said.
Dutra said that Siefke’s number-one witness is his father’s ex-girlfriend Susie McBride, with whom Dutra recently got out of a contentious six-year legal battle over his father’s estate.
“So let’s be clear on what this case is about,” he said. “This case is about money, and it’s about revenge. I am confident that once all the evidence is presented that justice and truth will prevail.”
The accusations, Dutra said, have taken the place of the real issues facing the community.
“The fact that this election has recently become this false story, rather than talking about the issues, has been quite disrespectful to our community,” he said. “Let’s not rush to judgment. Let’s create space for the courts to do what they are supposed to do and let us get back to discussing these issues that we are facing here in our valley.”
Dutra, who had been a teacher for Pajaro Valley Unified School District, is no longer working for the district, spokeswoman Alicia Jimenez confirmed. He has stepped down from his position on the Board of Directors of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, a board member said.
The outcome of the probate case to which Dutra was referring was not clear Thursday.
Siefke’s attorney Dana Scruggs did not return a call.
Dutra is running for the 4th District seat on the Board of Supervisors against former Watsonville City Councilman Felipe Hernandez.
This reminds me of when Mario Como was running against Ed Koch for mayor of NYC in the 1980’s. Cumo’s campaign slogan was “vote for Cumo not the homo” Steve I think your buddy is not coming back from these allegations. But you can always stuff some ballot boxes and try try try!
My advice to voters follow my lead and vote for Felipe Hernandez
WT
Are you admitting on here to being a bigot and homophobic?
Jimmy is trying to play the victim. “His number one witness is his fathers ex-girlfriend”…. why would he even need her? He had told his mother, not her. Now maybe his mother then contacted her, but either way jimmy is trying to deflect. Something seems off. He’s not even willing to answer questions. Just provide a statement and leave. I don’t know any innocent person that wouldn’t field questions from journalists who are on his side.
Nury Martinez, formerly of the LA City Council, has the right recommendation in a case like Dutra. “He needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner and then I’ll bring him back.”
Here is a picture of Jimmy from about the time of the alleged incident. If this doesn’t make you want to lock up your kids so nothing bad happens, I don’t know what will.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/75edcf3ca16d70d9cb6705eb42874f3b85187dbfecd2e000a388f32f16b0dc26.jpg
the photo shows him ALONE. and we do not know who took the photo. are you the photographer, RB ? if this isn’t an effort to convict someone in the media through the use of a photo of someone alone in bed , then i guess Jimmy was modeling for My Pillow, perhaps? absurd to the max.
Alone? So, it’s a selfie!
You are one stupid waste of carbon matter.
If you know Jimmy well enough to get sexy bedroom selfies, do you know that his mother is a trash human being? I don’t think enough people know that Terry Dutra is an ugly person, inside and out. Since she is front and center on the photo in this article I think it is fair game to criticize her.
Honestly, I can’t confirm or deny your description of “Mother Teresa” Dutra. I understand that she threatened to sue her own 100-year old mother over a few measly dollars. Who does that? Whether she is a good or bad person herself, like Dr. Frankenstein, Terry Dutra has created a monster. The situation is pathetic. She has indulged, pampered, and enabled Jimmy for nearly 50 years. With a helicopter mother like that is it any wonder that Jimmy still hasn’t found the right girl and settled down?
R.B. Hayes, you and I might know some of the same people because we all know Terry is a pathetic human being. I also heard from multiple people that she was threatening to sue her mother, and that it was when she was undergoing chemotherapy. Did you hear this part, though?
The woman was so strong that she beat cancer at 90 something years old, didn’t die of a broken heart from a child threatening to sue her (over what exactly anyway?), and still kept going for a few years even though Terry and her sister Cornie allegedly ransacked her house while at chemotherapy sessions! The story I was told was that their mother went home after recovering and found her jewelry was all gone and Terry made up some story about her buying it for her mother so it was hers anyway.
All this is to say, if Jimmy is having this trash bag person front and center at his press conference where he doesn’t deny molesting a child, how can he be trusted? How can he expect anyone who actually knows him or his mother to vote for him?
She’s out campaigning for him, the way she talks about Felipe, such a rotten human being. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree
He is a creep. A smarmy greaseball. Full stop.
NURY RESIGNED. she is a bigot and a liar. Biden asked her to step down. she did.
so , quoting her is not much of a character reference. perhaps Chief Zamora should be informed that your reference to use of physical violence on a public official is much like what happened on Jan. 6 2021 at our national Capitol.
your apparent advocacy of physical violence is much like trump. and you saw what happened to him yesterday. LOL !!!
Biden asked Nury Martinez to step down. Hence, Jimmy Dutra doesn’t need to answer for the allegations set forth in the lawsuit. You are an illogical dolt.
I think it’s funny how he tries to be so private – we all know if this man was innocent and could prove it he wouldn’t stop talking about it. He has no problem talking about how it’s everyone else’s fault – but can’t answer a few questions. He’s running for PUBLIC office and PUBLIC schools. I feel like the PUBLIC deserves to know what’s going on.
now we know: it IS about money and Jimmy’s father’s estate. and revenge. the court will take testimony and decide. let us let them do their job.
In the meantime, let us debate what south county needs from the board of supervisors.
election day is November 8.
issues that need debate in this race: 1. transportation 2. measure Q or S, or something else? 3. low cost housing 4. rerouting highway 152 5. more roundabouts 6. stopping toxic spraying like 1,3-D. 7. slowing traffic to reduce hit and runs 8. a bird refuge for south county ( we are, after all PAJARO VALLEY) 9. creating more parkland 10. establishing an LGBTQIA advisory board ( i got more than 200 signature on my petition two years ago to make this happen).
let us turn away from clowns who post photos of candidates alone in bed, or advocate violence against candidates. this is not FOX Friday night wrestling. this is about the future of south Santa Cruz county.
When Jimmy stupidly aired his family’s dirty laundry about his father’s so-called mistress and his father’s so-called estate, it reminded me of Donald Trump. Always changing the subject and blathering on about irrelevancies. For your information, I looked up the estate proceeding on the Santa Cruz County superior court website. You should do the same. You will see that Jimmy did not win the litigation. Jimmy LOST the litigation. Also, you will see that Jimmy’s father died owing millions of dollars to creditors far in excess of any value in the estate. The father died broke. So this is NOT about MONEY.
Steve – respectfully, you’re an idiot. Look up the lawsuit before you try to distract people from the FACTS. It’s clear your opinion is bias for god knows what reason. Jimmys spinning his story grasping at straws because people aren’t buying his BS. Get real.
You are a real smooth brain. Did it take all day for your two neurons to collide and come up with this? About money and revenge…get real.
Watsonville please read the ignorant rambling and ridiculous statements of Steve below
I will remind everyone to make sure this clown does not hold any public offices In the future. Spread the word about this guy he is satan
Steve is insanity on steroids. Some people think it is because he keeps too many open cans of paint around. But I suspect his extreme cognitive decline is attributable to the pesticides and other chemicals used for years by the now defunct Dutra Farms on the fields next to Steve’s rubber room in Bay Village.
Serious public policy question: Does the City of Watsonville require a business license to sell candy in front of a junior high school? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d6de9bea54b6c6e1bf606cd8f013e4070956c9188e14b53760c588f175235a08.jpg
Was this taken at Pride 2022 in Los Angeles? When Jimmy allegedly left his ailing grandmother’s deathbed to go party? He LoVeD the woman so much that he left to LA rather than say goodbye to her, but now he has photos of her all over his social media about missing her and loving her. Give me a break, if my grandma was dying I would be visiting her daily and trying to comfort her.
One picture is worth a thousand words.
Don’t vote Democrat!