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HP City Council webpage showing Esmeralda Castillo’s removal from the listing. VM Flores and Councilmembers Martinez and Sanabria removed Castillo from City Council in closed session February 18 after an investigation, comissioned by HP City Manager Ricardo Reyes, alleged she did not live in the city. The HPPD was part of Reyes’ investigation.
February 26, 2025
By Brian Hews
Los Cerritos Community News has learned that the Huntington Park City Council abruptly and likely unlawfully removed Councilwoman Esmeralda Castillo at its February 18 meeting, alleging she did not live in Huntington Park.
The men on the council, Vice Mayor Arturo Flores and Councilmembers Jonathan Sanabria and Eduardo “”Eddie”” Martinez, voted to remove Castillo. Later in the meeting, Mayor Karen Macias indicated she voted no.
The sudden removal by Flores, Sanabria, and Martinez is alleged by Castillo to be a result of a January 6, 2025, harassment complaint she filed with the city “regarding harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environment.”
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The complaint filed by Castillo in December 2024
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In the complaint, Castillo leveled explosive allegations of sexual harassment and a persistent hostile work environment, including bullying and profanity during closed session meetings against Flores, Sanabria, Martinez, and City Manager Ricardo Reyes. Castillo alleged the three constantly belittled, even questioning her overall authority and her authority to appoint commissioners.
Castillo said that Mayor Karina Macias attempted to diffuse the harassment but was “shut down by the overpowering harassment of Councilmember Sanabria, Councilmember Flores, and Councilmember Martinez.”
Castillo also alleged that City Manager Ricardo Reyes tacitly approved the men’s behavior and never reprimanded the three for it.
Castillo ended the complaint, writing, “These discriminatory, harassing, and retaliatory actions have caused significant emotional distress.” She then asked for an outside investigation. “I am asking that an independent, unbiased investigation be conducted by a third-party who is hired and overseen by city attorney Arnold Glasman.”
It was just a few days later when Flores, Sanabria, Martinez, City Manager Ricardo Reyes allegedly hatched their plan to oust Castillo, hiring a “special council” attorney and using Huntington Park Police Department.
Gotcha moment
Castillo has maintained that her current home address is on Saturn Ave and that she has lived in the city for over 20 years. But recently, she has admittedly been spending time in South Gate caring for her elderly parents.
That was enough for Flores, Sanabria, and Martinez to allegedly hatch a scheme using the Huntington Park Police Department in retribution for the January harassment complaint.
The alleged acts are similar to the frame-up of a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Carl Jacobson, who was known for his staunch anti-corruption stance. Jacobson was arrested in a set-up situation and accused of being in a compromising situation with a woman in a parked car. He said he was framed, the set-up orchestrated by the LAPD in collusion with criminals Jocobson had been investigating. An investigation eventually exonerated Jacobson, exposing a conspiracy involving police authorities and criminals.
The Huntington Park Police Department, allegedly at the direction of Flores, Sanabria, and Martinez, went after Castillo using a frame-up scenario similar to what happened to Jacobson.
In early February, Huntington Park police officers simultaneously visited Castillo’s home in Huntington Park and her elderly parent’s home in South Gate and found Castillo in the South Gate home. Castillo said that the only items found at her parents’ home were “my computer and cell phone; all my other stuff was at my house.”
But that was apparently enough evidence for attorney Andrew Sarega to report Castillo did not live in the city, which triggered her removal from the City Council on February 18.
Sarega was hired by City Manager Reyes, appointed as a “special council” to investigate Castillo. But Reyes, along with Flores, Sanabria, and Martinez, should have investigated Sarega.
Sarega was an extremely controversial councilman in La Mirada who missed several meetings annually and was passed over as mayor several times due to his behavior at regular meetings. An LCCN investigation found Sarega’s campaign committee deliberately concealed four $1,000 donations from La Mirada voters in the final weeks of his 2017 campaign, resulting in a fine by the Fair Political Practices Commission. In addition, Sarega was hit with two other violations, once again deliberately hiding campaign donations from residents by failing to file two pre-election statements.
Sarega abruptly resigned from the La Mirada City Council after finally being appointed Mayor in May 2024 to run for City Council in Anaheim, where he suffered a humiliating loss.
Sarega has only been a lawyer for two years. According to sources, his stint at Olivarez, Madruga, was short and very rocky. In researching his employment, LCCN found Sarega lying bald-faced on his LinkedIn account, stating he was Mayor of La Mirada for eleven years from 2013 to 2024.
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LYING: Shot of Sarega’s Linkedin account, he was only Mayor for one year.
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During the February 18 meeting, the council came out of closed session with City Attorney Arnold Glasman stating on video, “the second closed session item was discussed with the four members, at this time I will call up the special council [Sarega] to provide his report from the closed session discussion.”
Castillo was held out of the meeting and denied due process and the chance to defend herself by Flores, Sanabria, Martinez, Reyes, and Sarega. Mayor Macias registered her disgust with the process and was the lone no vote to remove Castillo.
Sarega stated at the public dais, “The council met in closed session and they were provided information regarding the residence of an individual councilmember. A determination was made that the councilmember is an ineligible elector and lacks residency in the city. We duly provided notice that her seat has been vacated.” Sarega did not produce or hold up evidence of the alleged infraction.
When Sarega finished, Castillo could be seen quickly leaving the dais. She was not out of the camera’s view when Vice Mayor Arturo Flores could be seen quickly taking Castillo’s nameplate off the dais.
At that time, Sarega was seen giving a file to City Manager Reyes, who proceeded to give Castillo a piece of paper. On that paper was a typed letter – on City Manager letterhead – giving Castillo notice to vacate her seat.
There was no typewriter in City Council chambers so the letter was obviously typed before the closed session, a strong indication of collusion between the City Council, Reyes and Sarega.
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The pre-typed letter Reyes gave Castillo
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The letter read, “Please allow this letter to serve as an official notice from the city of Huntington Park that your office as an elected member of the Huntington Park City Council has been vacated with [sic] immediate effect. The city has conducted a thorough investigation into allegations that you lacked residency in the city and were [sic] hence disqualified from holding elected office in the city. The result of the investigation has confirmed that you indeed are not qualified and have not been for some time to hold elected office in the city. At this time, please return all city property.”
Calls into the Hunting Park Police Chief were unreturned as were emails to the City Council.
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