Tulare Co. won't investigate Visalia minister

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By Lewis Griswold / The Fresno Bee

The Tulare County District Attorney's Office will not investigate allegations that a pastor in Visalia savagely beat his children -- who are now adults -- because the statute of limitations has passed, the Visalia Police Department said Tuesday.

The statute of limitations expires after three years for felony physical abuse and after one year for misdemeanors, Tulare County District Attorney Don Gallian said.


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Two of the adult sons of Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel Visalia -- Alex Grenier, 38, and Paul Grenier, 29 -- filed a police report in February alleging abuse as children.

Police knew that the statute of limitation applied, but because Bob Grenier is a volunteer police chaplain, the D.A. was asked to review the report, Visalia Police Chief Colleen Mestas said.

Despite the ruling, the two sons still are not entitled to a copy of the report, city attorney Alex Peltzer said. The complaint about the abuse is an "investigatory report" that doesn't have to be made public under the California Public Records Act -- even to the alleged victims, he said.



The Grenier sons said they told police that beatings were a routine occurrence, leaving them with purple bruises and welts, even drawing blood at times, and easily crossed the line into criminal child abuse. Bob Grenier has not returned calls seeking comment on the allegations.

Roman Catholic priests have been hauled into court on years-old sex crimes against minors, as opposed to crimes of physical abuse. The statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors is 10 years -- and sometimes longer -- according to the District Attorney's Office.

The decision on the statute of limitations matches what police said when the two brothers initially filed the report, Alex Grenier said.

Brother Paul Grenier still is trying to get a copy of the report. He filed a petition in juvenile court seeking a court order to have it released to him.

If the brothers succeed in getting the document, Alex Grenier said, he would like to post it on his website, where he alleges abuse by his father.

The reporter can be reached at lgriswold@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2416.

Tag: visalia
Tag: tulare

Tag: statute_of_limitations

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/20/2...z0uVFRRr3L