SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

INHERITED CASE FILES - DEPUTY MENDOZA ARCHIVE

File Inheritance: July 4, 1998 | Archive Review:
⚠️ INHERITED DEPUTY CASE FILES ⚠️
PERSONAL ARCHIVE - UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION

INHERITED CASE DOCUMENTATION

Deputy: Roberto Mendoza, Badge #2847

Inheritance Source: Deputy ████████ - Retired July 1998

Files Received: Unofficial case notes, personal observations, suppressed evidence

Relevance: Alternative perspective on 1993-1995 investigations

INHERITED FILE: "THE FOREST PHOTOGRAPHER"

Personal notes from Deputy ████████ (1995)

Retiring Deputy's Note: "Roberto - These are the files they don't want in the official record. I've been tracking this guy since 1993, but every time I get close, the case gets reassigned or evidence disappears. Someone doesn't want this solved."

"The photographer is smart. He knows police procedures. He knows how to avoid surveillance. But I've been watching him watching others. Keep these notes safe."

UNOFFICIAL SURVEILLANCE LOG (1993-1995):
  • 1993-08-20: Subject observed at first crime scene before official discovery
  • 1994-03-15: Same subject photographing potential victims at local establishments
  • 1995-11-25: Subject seen disposing of equipment in forest areas
  • 1995-12-01: Final sighting - subject appeared to be surveying new locations

DEPUTY MENDOZA'S CONTINUATION (1998-2010):

PERSONAL INVESTIGATION - OFF-DUTY TIME

Objective: Complete investigation started by retired deputy

Method: Unofficial surveillance, community interviews, evidence preservation

MENDOZA CASE LOG ENTRIES:

1999-03-14: Located potential witness who saw photographer near 1994 crime scene. Witness afraid to speak officially but provided description.

2001-07-22: Found storage unit rented under false name. Contained photography equipment and development supplies. Owner disappeared before investigation.

2008-05-10: Community reports increased "feeling of being watched." Photography flash sightings resume after years of absence.

2009-11-30: Subject identified through facial recognition analysis of inherited photos. Identity confirmed: ██████████

CONNECTION TO SHERIDAN CASE (2010):

Pattern Recognition: 2010 activities match 1995 pattern exactly

Preparation Phase: 15-month surveillance period before action

Evidence Correlation: Photography equipment matches inherited case files

July 12, 2010 - Emergency Contact with Major Crimes:

"This is the same guy from '95. I have 12 years of unofficial documentation. The Sheridan case matches the exact pattern. He's completing what he started."

Evidence Transfer: All inherited files and personal investigation notes provided to federal task force July 13, 2010.

SUPPRESSED EVIDENCE ARCHIVE:

ITEMS "LOST" FROM OFFICIAL EVIDENCE:

Preserved by retiring deputy, inherited by Deputy Mendoza

Deputy Mendoza Assessment: "Someone in the department was protecting this guy in the '90s. Evidence kept disappearing, witnesses were discouraged from cooperating, and leads were never followed up. My predecessor preserved what he could."

DEPARTMENTAL CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION:

Internal Affairs Report (Unofficial):

1996-2010 Pattern Analysis:

  • Evidence clerk ██████ - Multiple questionable evidence transfers
  • Detective ████████ - Consistently reassigned from case
  • Captain ██████ - Blocked federal involvement 1995

Conclusion: Systematic interference with investigation, possibly through intimidation or corruption. Federal oversight required for case integrity.

DEPUTY'S PERSONAL STATEMENT:

DEPUTY ROBERTO MENDOZA - BADGE #2847

"When I inherited these files, I thought they were just one deputy's obsession with an unsolved case. After 12 years of investigation, I know they represent the only honest documentation of a criminal conspiracy that reached into our own department."

"The photographer didn't just evade capture - he was protected. Someone made sure evidence disappeared and witnesses stayed quiet. The Sheridan case proved that the threat never ended, it just went dormant."

"I'm grateful that federal investigators took these files seriously. Justice was delayed for 15 years, but it won't be denied."

CHAIN OF CUSTODY - INHERITED FILES:

1995-12-15 - Files compiled by retiring deputy (name redacted)

1998-07-04 - Files inherited by Deputy Mendoza

1998-2010 - Continued investigation and evidence preservation

2010-07-13 - Complete archive transferred to federal investigators

2010-07-20 - Internal affairs investigation initiated

⚠️ These files document potential departmental corruption ⚠️

Inherited evidence crucial to understanding investigation interference

Deputy Contact: R. Mendoza #2847 | IA Liaison: ██████